Freedom fighter

For other uses, see Freedom Fighters (disambiguation).

A freedom fighter is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom, particularly against an established government.^[1][2] The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in armed or otherwise violent rebellion.^[3]

The Afghan mujahideen, pictured in 1985, were considered to be freedom fighters by several Western governments.

Terminology

Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?

George Carlin, Doin' It Again / Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics (1990)^[4]

Generally speaking, freedom fighters are people who use physical force to cause a change in the political and or social order. Notable examples include uMkhonto we Sizwe in South Africa, the Sons of Liberty in the American Revolution, the Irish Republican Army in Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in Eritrea, the Mukti Bahini in Bangladesh Liberation War, and the National Resistance Army in Uganda, which were considered freedom fighters by supporters. However, a person who is campaigning for freedom through peaceful means may still be classed as a freedom fighter, though in common usage they are called political activists, as in the case of the Black Consciousness Movement. In India, "Freedom fighter" is an officially recognized category by the Indian government covering those who took part in the country's independence movement; people in this category, which can also include dependant family members,^[5] get pensions and other benefits like special railway counters.^[6]

People who are described as "freedom fighters" are often also referenced as assassins, rebels, insurgents, or terrorists. This leads to the aphorism "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter".^[7] The degree to which this occurs depends on a variety of factors specific to the struggle in which a given freedom fighter group in engaged. During the Cold War, freedom fighter was first used with reference to the Hungarian rebels in 1956.^[8] Ronald Reagan picked up the term to explain America's support of rebels in countries controlled by communist states or otherwise perceived to be under the influence of the Soviet Union, including the Contras in Nicaragua, UNITA in Angola and the multi-factional mujahideen in Afghanistan.^[8]

A freedom fighter is different from a mercenary as they gain no direct material benefit from being involved in a conflict, though they may have no personal reason for being involved. Thus they are not considered mercenaries under the Geneva Convention and thus may in certain circumstances be protected by it (Mercenaries are not protected under the Geneva Convention and can be tried as criminals).^{[citation needed]} In the media, the BBC tries to avoid the phrases "terrorist" or "freedom fighter", except in attributed quotes, in favor of more neutral terms such as "militant", "guerrilla", "assassin", "insurgent", "rebel", "paramilitary", or "militia".^[9]

See also

• Insurrectionary anarchism
• Irregular military
• Propaganda of the deed
• Resistance movement

References

1. "freedom fighter". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/5318969452. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
2. "freedom fighter". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
3. "freedom fighter". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
4. 3 x Carlin: An Orgy of George including Brain Droppings, Napalm and Silly Putty, and when Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?. Hachette Books. September 2015. ISBN 978-0-316-39019-4.
5. PTI (18 August 2016). "Pension of freedom fighters hiked by Rs 5,000". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
6. Lisa Mitchell (2009). Language, Emotion, and Politics in South India: The Making of a Mother Tongue. Indiana University Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-253-35301-6.
7. Ganor, Boaz (January 2002). "Defining Terrorism: Is One Man's Terrorist another Man's Freedom Fighter?". Police Practice and Research. 3 (4). Taylor & Francis: 287–304. doi:10.1080/1561426022000032060. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
8. Garthoff, Raymond L. (1994). The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution. pp. 18–19, 270–271. ISBN 0-8157-3060-8.
9. "Editorial Guidelines - Section 11: War, Terror and Emergencies: Accuracy and Impartiality". BBC Editorial Guidelines and Guidance. BBC Editorial Team. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2018.