Editing Resistance movement (section)

==Freedom fighter==
{{Main|Freedom fighter}}
[[File:October 87 - Khalis-loyal Muja.jpg|thumb|275px|A group of [[Afghan mujahideen]], who were considered to be freedom fighters by Western nations, October 1987]]
[[File:Ants Kaljurand.jpg|thumb|Mugshot of [[Ants Kaljurand|Ants "the Terrible" Kaljurand]], a famous Estonian freedom fighter and Nazi collaborator]]

Freedom fighter is another term for those engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom for themselves or obtain freedom for others.<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedom%20fighter Merriam-Webster definition]</ref> Though the literal meaning of the words could include "anyone who fights for the cause of freedom", in common use it may be restricted to those who are actively involved in an [[armed forces|armed]] rebellion, rather than those who campaign for freedom by peaceful means, or those who fight violently for the freedom of others outside the context of an uprising (though this title may be applied in its literal sense)

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]], the [[Hindustan Socialist Republican Association]] in [[India]] 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 (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 described as freedom fighters are often also called [[assassination|assassin]]s, [[rebellion|rebels]], [[insurgents]] or [[terrorism|terrorists]]. This leads to the [[aphorism]] "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter".<ref>Gerald Seymour, [https://books.google.com/books?id=w5-GR-qtgXsC&dq=%22One+man%27s+terrorist+is+another+man%27s+freedom+fighter%22+%28Gerald+Seymour%2C+%E2%80%9CHarry%27s+Game%E2%80%9D%2C+1975%29&pg=PA669 ''Harry's Game''], 1975.</ref> 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]], the term ''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]] of rebels in countries controlled by [[communist state]]s or 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/>

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>