The five minutes that defined my life’s work

[{"selector":"#anim-f5293fd5-4694-4b8e-b41a-1f030cf82094","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":7000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fc4e5a6-bdfc-4c88-8642-9cd5cd1c094c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(105.64102%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":7000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-391032cc-9462-4dc8-b276-56879b416a5d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0dfd4521-efc8-44e2-acd5-d7ad25727ef3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Faisal Saeed Al Mutar Lined Circle As I approach 31 , I would like to reflect on the pivotal five minutes that defined my life’s work thus far. The five minutes demonstrated to me just how imperative the fight for critical thinking and freedom is, even in parts of the world where defending those values could get one killed.

Growing up in Baghdad, I watched as my friends and classmates became radicalized by hateful ideology and bad actors. One by one, they fell to the pressures of propaganda and fear-mongering. Many sympathized with groups including Al Qaeda. Bravely or naively, I was vocal among my peers about my views against extremists. I was forthright about my pro-freedom and pro-US leanings. As I later learned, the cost of honesty in certain parts of the world might very well be my life.

[{"selector":"#anim-bc2e7fba-df37-42a5-8886-0e6cdb68223b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8863837-48fb-4a7d-9c04-dc705a929059","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -93.59121%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-08c6188a-b2f5-40a0-a469-8921b53dd2d6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4bfdb0f0-2dac-416a-ab7d-57414d69c46a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-66.78446%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ad5cd53-ea9a-4582-bb0e-d2c9004e812f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-77628036-6cda-45ef-b110-b9bd6c961517","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(72.93578%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Lined Circle

Tap here to read full article on LIBERTATIO

[{"selector":"#anim-28387660-b558-428c-b273-8b26be35646b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":7000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-44cf23ed-a2a3-4218-aa97-7ffe3cf5acc6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(70.25641%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":7000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51fed579-d8a7-4d46-803c-4ead419e6973","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":7000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-645cb3ff-be30-4389-ab7b-3554c0fa6c17","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(246.66665%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":7000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] LIBERTATIO Because Freedom Unites Lined Circle Lined Circle

The five minutes that defined my life’s work

Tap here to read full article on LIBERTATIO

In 2007 I was walking to get ice cream and buy bread in my neighborhood in the Al Adel district in West Baghdad. What might seem to some as a relatively low-risk activity was, for me, a dangerous endeavor.