It has always been a struggle in our community to express our true ideas and thoughts and this has always been one of our rights that we never enjoyed. Every word we say must be filtered before it comes to the surface and we must not stir controversial issues fear of them affecting people who are susceptible to be affected.

We live in a community where people prefer to bury their heads in the sand to speaking out their minds. They don’t want to be marked one way or another for saying the wrong thing by societal standards. We care so much about appearances that we turned into hypocrites who always say the (societal) right things.

We grew up in a society that worships taboos and censored issues and there are things that are just not material for discussion or even thought. Our fears make things worse than they really are because by choosing to ignore a problem, or in this case; live in denial and act as if these things are not happening, this makes the problems more embedded in the roots than we like to believe.

I was really thrilled the first time I came across the great magazine; VIVA. I said to myself: finally, some people who care enough to shake things up and dig deeper than the surface to cleanse our lives and souls from within. Finally, some people who are brave enough to face us with realities we have been denying for generations. Finally, some people who will teach us and the generations to come how to be free from the inside out and think and act the right way.

Yet; we still find people, who force custody unjustly, and they use their authority to block and/or ban whatever they feel like, justifying the horrendous act as doing what is best for the society. What century are we in exactly?

Pulling the VIVA magazine from the shelves is only proof that we are still afraid to face our demons. We know they are there but we are terrified to confront them and at the same time; we fear someone else doing so. The real fear here is our fear of change; it is more convenient to rot in the fake comfort zone that we have designed for ourselves.

This month’s issue has some sensitive topics that are considered huge taboos in our communities. They touch subjects like LGBT issues. Refusing to talk about these things does not make them go away and certainly does not mean that they do not exist because they do. It is time that we pulled our heads from the sand and stood up to problems that are working up the society and work on solutions with courage and open minds and hearts.

As a reader of VIVA; I stand here shocked and saddened by what they are going through at the moment. Forcing censorship on their opinions and ideas and trying to shut them up by pulling their articles from the market when all they want is to make positive change in our culture. Freedom of speech is suffering in our world.

I am in no way defending the issues that are subject to censorship as we speak, I haven’t even had the chance to read them yet, however; I am outraged by the scandalous act that left dear friends at VIVA oppressed and unjustly shut down, and as it is known where freedom of speech is concerned; I might not agree with what you have to say, but I will definitely defend your right to say it, and that is exactly what I am doing for each and every one of you guys at VIVA.

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