In the name of freedom

Jamal Khashoggi—where to start? The longtime Saudi Arabian journalist with a history of independent reporting, versus echoing the government’s agenda, was brutally murdered inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. We’re only now hearing the details, of course, as the cover-up is slowly exposed.

What we’ve learned is that Khashoggi was killed and his body dismembered in what has been deemed a planned execution by operatives in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s inner circle.

What this incident has highlighted is not just that country’s intolerance of a free press, but also the deep hatred its government had fostered for a man who threatened its way of life. Khashoggi was known for rocking the boat, having twice been fired from his position as editor of Saudi newspaper Al-Watan for expressing views that angered the royal family.

Last June, Khashoggi moved to the United States and shortly thereafter began writing for The Washington Post. His columns became increasingly critical of the Saudi government. He spoke out against the policies of bin Salman, and in favor of women’s rights as well as freedom of the press.

In a posthumous article published by the Post, received by his editor the day after he went missing, Khashoggi wrote: “There was a time when journalists believed the Internet would liberate information from the censorship and control associated with print media. But these [Arab] governments, whose very existence relies on the control of information, have aggressively blocked the Internet. They have also arrested local reporters and pressured advertisers to harm the revenue of specific publications.”

Here in the States, Khashoggi’s brutal murder illustrates a similar deep hatred for the media by our current executive branch.

President Trump came out this week and, no joke, first criticized the cover-up before saying those responsible “should be in big trouble.” His administration’s revocation of the visas of those thought to be involved has been widely criticized as having about as much force as the “big trouble” the murderers should face.

His initial response was even more feckless: “I don’t want to lose all of that investment that’s being made in our country. I don’t want to lose a million jobs. I don’t want to lose a $110 billion in terms of investment,” he said, referring to potential arms deals with the Saudis.

Indeed, to Trump, Khashoggi was just another part of the “fake news” media—something that threatens him, and most certainly threatens the crown prince.