News
15.10.2014
The Freedom of Expression Prize for 2012 to Sara Azmeh Rasmussen
Press Release, 13 April 2012
The decision of the Board of Trustees of the Fritt Ord Foundation is based on the following grounds:
"Sara Azmeh Rasmussen is awarded the Freedom of Expression Prize for 2012 for her courageous, uncompromising commitment to promoting the integrity of the individual, and to freedom of expression and criticism of religion."
The Freedom of Expression Prize is the institution's highest distinction. The amount of the prize is NOK 400 000 and it is accompanied by the Fritt Ord Foundation statuette crafted by Nils Aas. The award ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 10 May 2012, at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Stage 2, Oslo.
Sara Azmeh Rasmussen (born in 1973) has carved out a reputation over the past five years by using her distinctive voice in Norway's public debate. Her commitment is grounded in her respect for the value of human life. She has contributed to important debates about women and Islam, the persecution of homosexuals, and gender identity. She has also been unequivocal in discussions about surrogacy and child welfare. The struggle for democracy and reform in her home country of Syria has influenced her deeply, motivating her to contribute to the public debate.
Born in Damascus, Sara Azmeh Rasmussen came to Norway in 1995. Rasmussen's novel Shadow Walker(2012) draws on her Syrian background. In Norway, she has studied at the University in Oslo, earning a degree in cultural studies. From a Muslim background, she has opted to remain within the Muslim culture even though she is a self-declared atheist. She describes herself as a homosexual and as a trans person.
Azmeh Rasmussen is an exceedingly unafraid, articulate and keen debater; some would even say she is confrontational. She has not shunned the use of powerful instruments, nor has she refrained from criticising movements and organisations to which she herself has belonged. As a public intellectual, her activities are largely based on her own life experience, and they are characterised by exceptional clarity and intensity.
The Fritt Ord Foundation's Board is comprised of Georg Fr. Rieber-Mohn (Chair), Grethe Brochmann (Deputy Chair), Christian Bjelland, Liv Bliksrud, Guri Hjeltnes, Frank Rossavik and Sigrun Slapgard.
The decision of the Board of Trustees of the Fritt Ord Foundation is based on the following grounds:
"Sara Azmeh Rasmussen is awarded the Freedom of Expression Prize for 2012 for her courageous, uncompromising commitment to promoting the integrity of the individual, and to freedom of expression and criticism of religion."
The Freedom of Expression Prize is the institution's highest distinction. The amount of the prize is NOK 400 000 and it is accompanied by the Fritt Ord Foundation statuette crafted by Nils Aas. The award ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 10 May 2012, at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Stage 2, Oslo.
Sara Azmeh Rasmussen (born in 1973) has carved out a reputation over the past five years by using her distinctive voice in Norway's public debate. Her commitment is grounded in her respect for the value of human life. She has contributed to important debates about women and Islam, the persecution of homosexuals, and gender identity. She has also been unequivocal in discussions about surrogacy and child welfare. The struggle for democracy and reform in her home country of Syria has influenced her deeply, motivating her to contribute to the public debate.
Born in Damascus, Sara Azmeh Rasmussen came to Norway in 1995. Rasmussen's novel Shadow Walker(2012) draws on her Syrian background. In Norway, she has studied at the University in Oslo, earning a degree in cultural studies. From a Muslim background, she has opted to remain within the Muslim culture even though she is a self-declared atheist. She describes herself as a homosexual and as a trans person.
Azmeh Rasmussen is an exceedingly unafraid, articulate and keen debater; some would even say she is confrontational. She has not shunned the use of powerful instruments, nor has she refrained from criticising movements and organisations to which she herself has belonged. As a public intellectual, her activities are largely based on her own life experience, and they are characterised by exceptional clarity and intensity.
The Fritt Ord Foundation's Board is comprised of Georg Fr. Rieber-Mohn (Chair), Grethe Brochmann (Deputy Chair), Christian Bjelland, Liv Bliksrud, Guri Hjeltnes, Frank Rossavik and Sigrun Slapgard.
