Her name is Neda, which means "voice" in Farsi, and her death has become the central rallying cry of the Iranian rebellion.
The fresh-faced teenage girl killed by what appears to be a single sniper shot on the streets of Tehran Saturday is now a potent symbol for Iran's pro-democracy protesters.
Her shocking and quick death in the arms of her howling father was captured on closeup video, posted to Facebook and came to life on computer screens across the globe.
Her shocking and quick death in the arms of her howling father was captured on closeup video, posted to Facebook and came to life on computer screens across the globe.
"RIP Neda, the world cries seeing your last breath," was one of a flood of messages on Twitter.
16 comments:
Neda was buried in Behesht Zahra cemetary earlier today, memorial service cancelled on orders from authorities (source: Lara Setrakian, ABC News).
A double heartbreak for the family; first they lose a beautiful young daughter ... then they are denied a proper service.
A reluctant admission by the Guardian Council: The number of ballots cast exceeds the total number of eligible voters in the recount cities that were sampled.
For a culture that worships martyrs, it seems doubtful this corrupt regime can survive much longer.
None of this changes the horror; apparently she was in her 20s and a philosophy student. It was her professor, not her father who was crying over her.
Martyrdom is very powerful in Persian culture. She may well become the symbol of a revolution.
Thanks for this post. It puts a "face" on the protests.
Unfortunately, there is a Tienanmen type incident unfolding. The Iran regime thinks nothing of killing large numbers of civilians, even for reasons as trivial as having the wrong clothes on.
What's different now is that it is harder to hide it, thanks to technology. And we can't discount the bravery of people like Neda.
Shaw,
I have four real time Twitter links at the bottom of two pieces I've written for my blog on the unfolding Iranian revolution.
The "new" media is providing the world with the only genuine coverage of what is taking place on the streets of Tehran today.
The murder of Neda is very disturbing, as the YouTube video clearly shows. I have chosen not to link to it out of respect for her family. She was an innocent by-stander and not a protester as some are saying, when she was gunned down.
There is no question that Neda has become the face of the Iranian revolution. Her image and name have started to appear on signs carried by rightfully angry protesters.
It also worth noting that two journalists have gone missing in Tehran. A photojournalist who worked for LIFE, and a journalist for NEWSWEEK.
Obama needs to step up to the plate on this one, people are dying in Iran for democracy and he's saying nothing? It's not like we have to go to war with them; you just have to condemn the crackdowns and maybe say something about a fair process. His silence is troubling.
Obama won't do s#@t on this. He is clueless, and a coward at heart. He's more comfortable nationalizing everything in sight.
These poor people are waiting for our help, why do you think the signs they were carrying ("where is my vote") were in English!
MMQC: Ah well. It was too much to hope for the comments go go on here without being completely politicized.
MMQC, every former Secretary of State and foreign policy expert (including Armitage and Kissinger), and every Iran expert have applauded Obama's measured and nuanced response to the turmoil in Iran.
Apparently you are unfamiliar with the history of US-Iran relations … specifically what happened in 1953 when American and British officials staged a military coup that overthrew the first democratically-elected president of Iran, Mohammed Mossedegh. That coup installed Shah Reza Pahlevi, a cruel despot whose secret police (known as Savak) terrorized the population for the next 25 years.
When Obama states that the USA has no intention of “meddling” in the affairs of Iran, these are powerful words meant to undo the damage in American-Iranian relations that started over 55 years ago … damage that was essentially the fault of our own government, and the reason behind the anti-American revolution in 1979.
MMQC, you really need to know what you are talking about before making broad, sweeping statements based on ignorance of the events that brought us to this point in history.
Chris,
You're doing good work over at your blog covering this revolution.
and yes, dmarks, with the world watching, it's going to be difficult for the Iranian dictators to cover up their crimes against their people.
Mary, Mary,
Please adhere to the "Comment Policy" guidelines found on the right hand side of my blog.
"and yes, dmarks, with the world watching, it's going to be difficult for the Iranian dictators to cover up their crimes against their people."
Then the question will be, what degree, if any, will the shame and exposure and reaction affect the dictatorship?
After all, this is the same dictatorship that has gotten away with making as its #1 foreign policy goal the extermination of a nation of several million (a nation that has never lifted a finger against Iran). They don't care how outrageous this sounds.
The USSR fell from within because the guy being confronted at the top, Gorbachev, was actually halfway reasonable. Is that the case with Khameini?
Save us your "with us or against us" right wing reactionaryism Mary Mary. Ronald Reagan left after the Marine barracks was suicide bombed. We have no idea who the enemy is or who our friends are. Is your solution to just bomb them all and let God sort them out? The tragedy unfolding in Iran would be many times worse if people of the same thought process as Mary had their way and this beautiful young lady named Neda had been killed by an American bomb.
I'm trying real hard to adhere to your comment policy Shaw. Thoughtless statements from people that don't care how much misery is wrought from ill thought out actions so they can feel tough or something cause me great distress.
Most that call out for "harsh responses" are not read up in their history. I just posted on the US's pattern of installing govnerments when it is convenient, but then later regretting it. It has happened multiple times in both Latin America and the Middle East. On this, I give Obama props.
From the oddity, MMQM is satisfied to call a blog:
"I just want Obama's agenda to crash."
"I want the Democrats agenda to crash, they are in the process of nullifying the Constitution and the protections we have in it."
"Our only hope is public opinion and that is suspect since so many are st/up/id and want free handouts, free to them but those evil rich must pay."
"The Obama Team knows it must push the communist program through rapidly, before too many people recognize what has happened to this country."
George W. Bush pushed through $800 billion dollars in tax cuts for the rich, eliminated regulation on the banking and mortgage industries, created a multi-billion dollar government giveaway to his Big Pharma supporters in a ruse called Medicare Part D, allowed Cheney's Halliburton billions in no-bid Federal contracts, but President Obama is a "communist."
Phew, glad we've got that cleared up! FOFLMAO!
Pat Buchanan has what I think is a pretty good column on the subject:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=32370.
Now, I rarely agree with Buchanan (from his his views on trade to his long-term effort to keep actual Nazi war criminals from justice to his support of Tehran's nuclear weapons program to his take on WW2 in which Churchill is the villain and Hitler is the innocent victim).
But this is one column I pretty much agree with, concerning Obama's caution at this point.
Great find Dmarks,
When a right-winger like Buchanan says that Obama has it about right, one must wonder what more you can do.
The extremists in the GOP seemingly will not appeased until our foreign policy resembles a bomb first ask questions later approach.
Clearly people like Krauthammer, who called Obama clueless, need to realize, that their response and hyperbole is rooted in the fact that President Obama just has a different idea about how to project American power and influence than they do.
Different yes, clueless? I think not.
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