Oct 20 2018

Like so many of his fellow journalists at the Washington Post, I’d held out faint hope that Jamal Khashoggi might turn up alive, even though all accounts pointed to the contrary as soon as he disappeared. Now that the country of his birth has acknowledged his death, I feel ready to talk about him, and others like him who, for better or worse, wanted to bring more light.

As The World Turns

Democracy died in darkness

Before the written word, and using one’s voice, meant as much to me as it does now, I used to watch news coverage of journalist killings with compassion but little understanding. Now, after spending several years in America, I get it. I get how heinous these killings are, how they fly in the face of press freedoms and, in turn, the freedoms of us all.

For Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist, to be killed in Istanbul after walking into the consulate of Saudi Arabia, it shatters all manner of global norms and takes press censorship to its most gruesome extreme. And for the Washington Post, where Mr Khashoggi had found journalistic refuge, to endure this as they sport the tagline “democracy dies in darkness” is the cruelest of jokes.

And yet…the narrative and response in Saudi Arabia is wildly different. According to this Washington Post piece, many Saudi citizens are rallying around the royal family and enjoying the fruits of their newfound social freedoms. The outcry from the rest of the (largely Western) world is seen as an attack and a “conspiracy against the kingdom.”

Whatever truths are revealed or concealed about Mr Khashoggi’s death, it’s clear that Saudi Arabia and the West will circle their respective wagons for now. As for Mr Khashoggi’s dream of a transnational media in the Arab world, that will take more time, and far more light than the darkness of his death.

When we all vote

America is gearing up for its midterm elections on Nov 6, and both major political parties are campaigning in full force. President Trump is rallying his core supporters throughout the country, early voting numbers are up manifold from the last midterms in 2014, and Democrats are hopeful about becoming the majority party in the House of Representatives.

With stakes this high, stories of voters being disenfranchised are emerging in hotly contested races in Georgia and North Dakota.

The right to vote is a bedrock of the democratic process and the peaceful transfer of political power. It’s something I wrote about in 2015 when, by the vagaries of my homeland, I got to vote for the very first time.

So you can understand why I think voting is a big deal. Because when we all vote, we all get to have a say in our lives, our communities and our countries.

Om Is Where The Heart Is

The kindness of writers

October is a big month for new books. This time last year, I found myself in several book signing lines, meeting writers and thinkers I admire. This year is no different.

But I’ve changed since this time last year. Now, when I get my 10 or 15 seconds (sometimes more, if I’m lucky) with the writer as they sign my copy of their book, the conversation flows more smoothly. We fall into an easy groove, we swap stories of what it’s like to write about peaceful leadership, and we exchange knowing glances of solidarity. Their kindness and generosity wash over me like a sea breeze, and I feel even more excited to read their words and continue the conversation.

What a difference a year makes. And what a glorious feeling it is, to be seen and heard for exactly who I am.

This must be the joy Jamal Khashoggi felt with and through the Washington Post. And this must be the pain that his passing has etched in his editors and fellow writers there.

News and Views

Talk about things you’d like to do

I’ve been wanting to put myself out there, with a talk and message that feel aligned and true. While I’ve studied the mechanics of what makes for a good talk, the message has eluded me.

I  see now that I had a bit of living to do before the message could reveal itself. And I needed to infuse it with the dreams of my youth and childhood, when the seeds of my message were planted.

When the first version of this talk is done, I’ll be looking for places and spaces to share it. And maybe you’ll enjoy listening to it. More soon!

In the next issue:

I’ve surrendered to the fact that this newsletter will still be a weekly affair, just not on the same day each week. The news cycle is hard to predict these days, and I like to weigh in on stories only when they’ve reached a milestone or turning point.

What I DO know is that each new issue will be released toward the latter half of the week i.e. no earlier than Thursday. Thank you for reading.

Till then…

Live well and lead large – Maya

(featured image of Jamal Khashoggi by April Brady/POMED) CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons