8 Quotes & Sayings By Raif Badawi

Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian citizen who lives in Jeddah, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment and 1,000 lashes for his blog criticizing the kingdom's human rights record and calling for reform. He has been subject to a campaign of harassment and intimidation by the Saudi authorities since he began his blogging activity in 2008.

1
...Society needs to open its collective mind to all ideas and ideologies. It needs to give its people the chance to listen to the opinions of others, and then examine them critically instead of rejecting them prematurely. Such a creative dialogue based on positive critical thinking can enhance and develop ideas. Raif Badawi
2
As a human being you have the right to express yourself. You have the right to journey wherever your mind wanders and to express the thoughts you come up with along the way. You have the right to believe, and to atone, the same way you have the right to love and to hate. Raif Badawi
3
Any religion-based state has a mission to limit the minds of its people, to fight the developments of history and logic, and to dumb down its citizens. It’s important to stand in the way of such a mentality, to deny it from continuing its mission to murder the souls of its people, killing them deep within while they are still alive and breathing. Raif Badawi
4
States that are built on a religious foundation limit their own people in a circle of faith and fear. Raif Badawi
5
It’s a wonder of human behavior: we build our own handcuffs that trap and harm us. We create the myth, and we honor it. We tell the lie, and we believe it. Raif Badawi
6
To respect the opinions of those who stand against you is nothing short of courageous. Raif Badawi
7
My biggest fear is that the enlightened Arab thinkers are gong to leave the Arab world in search of fresh air: somewhere far away from the sword of the religious authorities. Raif Badawi