Enemy of the State: A Tribute to Jamal Khashoggi

Sitting on the balcony at the Izmir Palace Hotel in Turkey, gazing at the silvery vista, the sky is beginning to lift after a storm. Blackbirds, seagulls, and pigeons swoop down and bicker over a crust of bread. Peaceful and quiet, fishermen cast out their lines. The occasional passerby strolls down the path, walking a dog.  I feel happy to have escaped the news. But at the same time, I think of the recent brutal murder of Saudi journalist and wonder if there are any developments in the case. The nature of the murder is a reminder of the courage needed to speak and write freely, especially under an authoritarian regime. Unfortunately, murders of journalists and writers have become commonplace under of Syria and of Russia.  They are also reminiscent of the murders of writers and intellectuals under . I think of the poet , who was sent to the gulag in Siberia for writing a sardonic poem about Stalin’s “ten thick worms for fingers.” His wife, , preserved much of his work by memorizing his poems—even writing them on paper was too dangerous.