MEN of virtue and honor are a rare breed. When they are to be found it is often the sad fate of such beings to be misunderstood or at best ignored. Yet these misfits of humanity are the source of all major changes in history even if few of them see the fruits of their sacrifice.
Man is the only creature that is entirely aware of his frailties. Yet, with this daunting knowledge in mind, he sacrifices to defend ideals that bring few material comforts but require great suffering. I would like to underline in this article a name on the list of Men of Virtue. The name is that of Robert Fisk, who has, without any doubt, sacrificed much for his honor and stood with courage in the face of intimidation and threats.
Robert Fisk is a journalist who has dedicated his life to defend the helpless and the downtrodden. He has frequently unmasked the tyrannies and hypocrisies of those who would otherwise be invisible were it not for men and women like him. In thanking Mr. Fisk, I also thank all the journalists who manage to move us and most important of all lift the veil on the ugly faces of tyranny were it just for a few seconds.
Mr. Fisk does not need my praise, nor I am sure, does he expect it. However, when small men like John Malkovich start to ask for his death and when the voices of obscurity and obtuseness try to smother his honesty just because they happen to be louder not better, then it is time to protect and encourage a man who has put both his life and his pen on the line.
Dear Mr. Fisk, Thank you. We thank you for trying to be an honorable man in a world where the sleazy and vile are honored, and the kind and virtuous are ridiculed. Thank you for going on for so long from country to country and year to year, even though you haven’t anything more to prove. You’ve won prizes and written hundreds of articles. You could have simply rested on your laurels and said, “I’ve done my bit for human rights and all.” Thank you for trying to be right, even when you’re wrong. That’s better than just hiding behind what is “acceptable.” I’m grateful that you’ve always stood for what you believe in, even when I’ve disagreed with some of your positions. At those times I always knew you wrote what you believed was right and that takes courage.
In the dwindling voice of justice in today’s world, you are among the loudest and are therefore the most maligned. If nothing else should console you, know that by your articles the least you do is keep hope alive for someone, somewhere, and that is a great achievement and a great responsibility. Finally, in thanking you, I also thank the others who have been out there writing about human misery and suffering. They don’t let us forget about AIDS in Africa, the war in Chechnya or the women of Afghanistan. They help make the invisible visible, and give victims a voice. That is why I took this moment to stand at the shores of the island of the honorable and salute one of its inhabitants.
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(Reem Al-Faisal is a Saudi photographer. She is based in Jeddah.)