Freedom fighter: Difference between revisions
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imported>Smasongarrison Removing from Category:Indigenous activists Diffusing per WP:DIFFUSE and/or WP:ALLINCLUDED using Cat-a-lot |
imported>Loytra →Terminology: Genuinely unsure what that George Carlin adds to the article (or what it's meant to really say in general rather than just being a shallow play on words). Replaced it with the aphorism already mentioned in the section |
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{{Short description|Person who fights for political freedom}} | {{Short description|Person who fights for political freedom}} | ||
{{Other uses|Freedom Fighters (disambiguation)}} | {{Other uses|Freedom Fighters (disambiguation){{!}}Freedom Fighters}} | ||
[[File:August 1985 Muja.jpg|thumb|[[Afghan mujahideen]] were considered freedom fighters by US president [[Ronald Reagan]] (1985 photo).]] | [[File:August 1985 Muja.jpg|thumb|[[Afghan mujahideen]] were considered freedom fighters by US president [[Ronald Reagan]] (1985 photo).]] | ||
A '''freedom fighter''' is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve [[political freedom]], particularly against an established government.<ref> {{Cite OED|freedom fighter|5318969452}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|freedom fighter|access-date=2024-12-14}}</ref> The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in [[Armed forces|armed]] or otherwise violent [[rebellion]].<ref>{{Cite Collins Dictionary|freedom fighter|access-date=2024-12-14}}</ref> | A '''freedom fighter''' is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve [[political freedom]], particularly against an established government.<ref> {{Cite OED|freedom fighter|5318969452}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|freedom fighter|access-date=2024-12-14}}</ref> The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in [[Armed forces|armed]] or otherwise violent [[rebellion]].<ref>{{Cite Collins Dictionary|freedom fighter|access-date=2024-12-14}}</ref> | ||
==Terminology== | ==Terminology== | ||
{{Quote box | {{Quote box | ||
| quote = | | quote = One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter | ||
| source = [[ | | source = Common [[aphorism]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ganor |first1=Boaz |title=Defining Terrorism: Is One Man's Terrorist another Man's Freedom Fighter? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1561426022000032060 |journal=Police Practice and Research |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |access-date=26 July 2024 |pages=287–304 |language=en |doi=10.1080/1561426022000032060 |date=January 2002|volume=3 |issue=4 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> | ||
| width = 30% | | width = 30% | ||
}} | }} | ||
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 [[Government of India|Indian government]] covering those who took part in the [[Indian independence movement|country's independence movement]]; people in this category, which can also include dependant family members,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/pension-of-freedom-fighters-hiked-by-rs-5000/article9003109.ece|title=Pension of freedom fighters hiked by Rs 5,000|last=PTI|date=18 August 2016|newspaper=The Hindu Business Line|access-date=23 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> get pensions and other benefits like special railway counters.<ref name="Mitchell2009">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fBchTO0NS0EC&pg=PA193|title=Language, Emotion, and Politics in South India: The Making of a Mother Tongue|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-253-35301-6|page=193|author=Lisa Mitchell}}</ref> | Generally speaking, freedom fighters are people who use physical force to cause a change in the political and or social order. Notable historical 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 [[Government of India|Indian government]] covering those who took part in the [[Indian independence movement|country's independence movement]]; people in this category, which can also include dependant family members,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/pension-of-freedom-fighters-hiked-by-rs-5000/article9003109.ece|title=Pension of freedom fighters hiked by Rs 5,000|last=PTI|date=18 August 2016|newspaper=The Hindu Business Line|access-date=23 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> get pensions and other benefits like special railway counters.<ref name="Mitchell2009">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fBchTO0NS0EC&pg=PA193|title=Language, Emotion, and Politics in South India: The Making of a Mother Tongue|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-253-35301-6|page=193|author=Lisa Mitchell}}</ref> | ||
People who are described as "freedom fighters" are often also | People who are described as "freedom fighters" are often also referred to as [[assassin]]s, [[rebellion|rebel]]s, [[insurgents]], or [[terrorism|terrorists]]. This led to the [[aphorism]] "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ganor |first1=Boaz |title=Defining Terrorism: Is One Man's Terrorist another Man's Freedom Fighter? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1561426022000032060 |journal=Police Practice and Research |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |access-date=26 July 2024 |pages=287–304 |language=en |doi=10.1080/1561426022000032060 |date=January 2002|volume=3 |issue=4 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> A notable example of this discrepancy can be found surrounding the armed conflict between the Palestinian group [[Hamas]] and Israel. The degree to which this occurs depends on a variety of factors specific to the struggle in which a given freedom fighter group is engaged. During the [[Cold War]], ''freedom fighter'' was first used with reference to the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian rebels]] in 1956.<ref name="Garthoff-1994">{{cite book|last1=Garthoff|first1=Raymond L.|title=The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War|date=1994|publisher=Brookings Institution|location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=0-8157-3060-8|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=yp01AUkrE-gC&pg=PA18 18–19], [https://books.google.com/books?id=yp01AUkrE-gC&pg=PA270 270–271]}}</ref> [[Ronald Reagan]] picked up the term to explain [[Reagan Doctrine|America's support]] for rebels in [[communist state]]s or in countries otherwise perceived to be under the influence of the Soviet Union, including the [[Contras]] in Nicaragua, [[UNITA]] in Angola, and the multi-factional [[Afghan mujahideen|mujahideen]] in Afghanistan.<ref name=Garthoff-1994/> | ||
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 | 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 personal reasons for being involved. The use of mercenaries is prohibited by the [[Geneva Conventions]] [[Protocol I]] and the [[United Nations Mercenary Convention]], under which both state actors and unlawful combatants may be tried as criminals. Because freedom fighters are not considered mercenaries under international law, they may in certain circumstances be protected by it.<ref>{{cite web |title=International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-convention-against-recruitment-use-financing-and |website=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) |publisher=OHCHR |access-date=28 December 2025}}</ref> 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 "[[Insurgent|militant]]", "[[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]]", "[[assassin]]", "[[insurgent]]", "[[Rebellion|rebel]]", "[[paramilitary]]", or "[[militia]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=Editorial Guidelines - Section 11: War, Terror and Emergencies: Accuracy and Impartiality |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/war-terror-emergencies/accuracy-and-impartiality |website=BBC Editorial Guidelines and Guidance |publisher=[[BBC]] Editorial Team |access-date=6 July 2018 |archive-date=1 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701115415/https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/war-terror-emergencies/accuracy-and-impartiality |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ | {{Reflist|2}} | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freedom Fighter}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Freedom Fighter}} | ||
[[Category:Irregular military]] | [[Category:Irregular military]] | ||
[[Category:Political terminology]] | [[Category:Political terminology]] | ||
[[Category:Rebels]] | [[Category:Rebels]] | ||
Latest revision as of 07:19, 17 April 2026
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]
Terminology
Generally speaking, freedom fighters are people who use physical force to cause a change in the political and or social order. Notable historical 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 referred to as assassins, rebels, insurgents, or terrorists. This led to the aphorism "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter".[7] A notable example of this discrepancy can be found surrounding the armed conflict between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel. The degree to which this occurs depends on a variety of factors specific to the struggle in which a given freedom fighter group is 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 for rebels in communist states or in countries 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 personal reasons for being involved. The use of mercenaries is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions Protocol I and the United Nations Mercenary Convention, under which both state actors and unlawful combatants may be tried as criminals. Because freedom fighters are not considered mercenaries under international law, they may in certain circumstances be protected by it.[9] 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".[10]
See also
| File:Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg | Look up freedom fighter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
References
- ↑ "freedom fighter". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ↑ Template:Cite Merriam-Webster
- ↑ Template:Cite Collins Dictionary
- ↑ Ganor, Boaz (January 2002). "Defining Terrorism: Is One Man's Terrorist another Man's Freedom Fighter?". Police Practice and Research. Taylor & Francis. 3 (4): 287–304. doi:10.1080/1561426022000032060. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ↑ PTI (18 August 2016). "Pension of freedom fighters hiked by Rs 5,000". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Ganor, Boaz (January 2002). "Defining Terrorism: Is One Man's Terrorist another Man's Freedom Fighter?". Police Practice and Research. Taylor & Francis. 3 (4): 287–304. doi:10.1080/1561426022000032060. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 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.
- ↑ "International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). OHCHR. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ↑ "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.