In Remembrance of Linda Whetstone
(7 November 1942 – 15 December 2021)
Linda Whetstone was a lifelong champion of freedom, ideas, and individual liberty. The daughter of entrepreneur and think tank pioneer Sir Antony Fisher, she carried forward a legacy of principled leadership through her tireless work with institutions dedicated to economic liberty and open societies around the world.
Linda served as Chair of the Atlas Network, President of the Mont Pelerin Society, and a board member and adviser to several leading institutions supporting free markets, free speech, and property rights. She was an extraordinary mentor to academics, students, activists, and entrepreneurs, especially in societies where freedom was most constrained.
Her connection to the Islam & Liberty Network was both foundational and deeply personal. Linda was a co-founder of the network, which emerged from the Istanbul Network for Liberty, and she played a central role in shaping its vision. She believed strongly that the universal values of religious, political, and economic freedom were fully consistent with Islam, and she worked to ensure that these ideas reached scholars and students across the Muslim world.
Among her most enduring contributions was co-editing Islamic Foundations of a Free Society, a landmark project that brought together scholars from diverse countries and contexts. Through translations and seminars across South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond, Linda helped open intellectual space for conversations that were often difficult, and sometimes risky, but always vital.
Linda Whetstone passed away unexpectedly on December 15, 2021, at the age of 79. Her passing is a profound loss to the global liberty movement. She is remembered not only for the institutions she helped build, but for her humility, generosity, and unwavering belief that human flourishing depends on freedom. Linda was a member of the Islam and Liberty Council, where she remained actively engaged till her last days. Her legacy continues through the Islam & Liberty Network and the many individuals and institutions she inspired around the world.
More than ever, ideas matter. Linda showed us how to turn ideas into action, with humility, courage, and unwavering conviction.