Refusenik

The word refusenik entered English language as a part of the Cold War lexicon to refer to those who were refused certain human rights, notably forbidden to emigrate. Later, its usage extended to those who refuse to participate in compulsory activities, such as army service.

Related Topics:
English language - Cold War - Lexicon - Human rights - Emigrate

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• Refusenik (Soviet Union): Jewish citizens of the former Soviet Union who were refused permission to emigrate.
• Refusenik (Israel): Israeli soldiers and reservists who refuse to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) under certain conditions.

The term refusenik has also been adopted by a controversial Muslim writer, Irshad Manji, who describes herself as a Muslim refusenik who opposes fundamentalist Islam.

Related Topics:
Irshad Manji - Muslim refusenik

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