I read Karam Nama’s commentary on my article, “The cowards’ playbook”, published by MEMO last week, with interest. While I appreciate his generous words regarding my past work and physical courage, I fear that he has missed the point of my article. Moreover, I think that he misunderstands what true journalistic and intellectual courage actually means. In my experience, it does not mean reacting to every tragedy on earth simultaneously; it means speaking truthfully about the specific matters before you, which is what I did in “The cowards’ playbook…”.

Nama mistakes my focused lens for a blind eye. It’s true to say that my MEMO article was not an exhaustive encyclopaedia of global tyranny. Had that been the case, it would have filled volumes, spanning the West’s hidden black sites to the brutal prisons of the Global South. And Iraq would no doubt have figured prominently.

I focused on three specific cases: Rached Ghannouchi, Imran Khan and Bilal Abdul Kareem; two politicians and one fearless journalist. These three men are not just names on a news wire as far as I am concerned; they are individuals who I know personally. I chose to write about what I know intimately, a standard practice that grounds journalism in reality rather than distant speculation.

I focused on three specific cases: Rached Ghannouchi, Imran Khan and Bilal Abdul Kareem; two politicians and one fearless journalist. These three men are not just names on a news wire as far as I am concerned; they are individuals who I know personally. I chose to write about what I know intimately, a standard practice that grounds journalism in reality rather than distant speculation.

Nama questions whether I know about........

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