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Rishvin Ismath on the ISIS-attack on his life, turning away from religion and the great personal cost of his activism

In this special edition of De Balie Podcast, program editor Tim Wagemakers talks to Rishvin Ismath. Ismath is a Sri Lankan activist and the only ex-muslim activist to present criticism in Tamil language with his real identity. He survived an ISIS-attack on his life, but continues to speak up. And in Sri Lanka he can’t cross the street without looking over his shoulder.

We talk about the difficulty for him to visit the festival Celebrating Dissent in Amsterdam, because the government didn’t want to grant him a visum initially. About growing up in a country with great religious tensions and losing your friends and family when you turn away from religion. And we talk about what freedom is and why you should fight for it no matter the cost.

Deze podcast wordt geproduceerd door Dag en Nacht Media.