Community | June 23, 2009 | 49 comments

Neda's story touches everyone except Iran’s rulers

source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6565497.ece

Image
Apocalipstick
She was invoked by President Obama in the White House. The exiled son of Iran’s late Shah said that he carried her picture in his left breast pocket alongside those of his daughters. She was extolled in newspapers and on television bulletins from Australia to America, from Russia to Dubai.

The extraordinarily potent story of Neda Salehi Agha Soltan, the 26-year-old Iranian woman shot dead during Saturday’s demonstrations in Tehran, continued to wash around the world yesterday — touching everyone except the rulers of her own country, who did their level best to suppress it.

They forbade her family from holding a wake in a Tehran mosque. They ordered them to bury her without fanfare or eulogy. They ordered them not to speak about her in public, and reportedly even told them to remove the black mourning ribbons outside their house. The state-controlled media mentioned Miss Soltan only to suggest that her death was staged.

She was the daughter of a government worker from Tehran, the second of three children. She loved music and travelling and hoped to be a tour guide.

MORE @ Link
  1. groups:
    Community,   Current Tonight,   Editor's Picks
  2. tags:
    News,  Iran,  Murder,  Violence,  6 more
  3.     
    |

49 comments // Neda's story touches everyone except Iran’s rulers

  • WhiteNoise
    • 0
      WhiteNoise  

    • As humanists we are saddened and enraged by humanity's shortcomings: in this case, the abject and repugnant assassination of a young woman.

      What makes Neda so special are the circumstances of her death. Random and cruel, her execution goes against all basic human instincts and those values our species takes pride in defending.

      This collective of artists and musicians is reacting appropriately to this assault and affront to all that is sacred in existence : life, freedom, dignity and respect.

      http://www.youtube.com/user/weareneda
      http://neda.webnode.com/

    • 2 years ago
  • maasanova
    • 0
      maasanova  
    • Image

    • Her death is being exploited by western media. It's crude propaganda for meant for people who a only passing interest in the sensational aspects of politics.

    • 2 years ago
  • farin
    • 0
      farin  

    • We hat this man,most of iranian hat him and his manner...he loves blood and war more than any thing and we shall warn all around the world that as he kill his people very easily and he is happy to do that,im sure that that he will start a new world war ... help us to fall him down.....!

    • 2 years ago
  • farin
    • 0
      farin  

    • I am iranian womam,i am social and sencetive...we are protesting these they and live with horor to chose a man az our president that is not "war love"
      we all hate war and we all hate nuclear weapon...thats why we want "musavi".we want to show people and nations all around the word that they way we think and live is realy diffrent from this ugly man "Ahmadinejad".most of iranian hate him and his manner...i want to make you all sure that if we can choose our president ,iran never use nuclesar wepon but if Ahmadi nejad stay az president of Iran,i myself run out of iran...

    • 2 years ago
  • igordy
    • 0
      igordy [removed]  
    • Image

    • People - it's not about Neda - it's about hundreds of people that were already executed there - and thousands more that will be hunted down and eliminated. Why do American's so much love to put a single face (pretty face) to paint a picture. She is only one of many already fallen. I think it's because of the short attention span, lack of "big picture", hollyweard leftie brainwashing that goes on here. One asshole personifies hope and change for you - now another one personifies struggle and horror. Too fucking simple and convenient. You are being good little customers - marketing to you is so easy. No wonder you bought into the obamination so easily... Naive masses - sorry to sound so condescending - you indeed illicit pity... When Iran goes nuclear and uses it's nukes on Israel - or US - will you also need just one pretty face to personify the disappearance of a city/country?
      I know, I should feel sorry for this lady - and I do - but again - not any more sorrow than for the entire nation of repressed people who have already suffered so much - and are yet to see new waves of terror, as mullahs will inevitably go after all involved - and the persecution will last for years... In the meantime, watch your president extend his arms in a show of support for the Madjob and his mullahs...

    • 2 years ago
  • farin
    • 0
      farin  

    • i want to say to all the word that our "Neda" is just one of the young people who killed violently during these days...i want to tell the story of a student of the Tehris an uni for master,he was near his window at night ,shouting "allaho akbar(God is the great)"while some one fierd and kill him...he was so beautiful and nice and clever...he was just in his house...it is a real story(his name is mostafa ghaniyan from mashhad)

    • 2 years ago
  • Mikeysfake1
  • div
  • Mikeysfake1
  • jsilva93635
    • 0
      jsilva93635  

    • Zeitgeist: The Movie. Watch it!!! The people need to wake up!! Remember that saying, "The world is a stage"?? Well that's more true than you realize. Only "we're" the puppets!!!

    • 2 years ago
  • remanns
    • 0
      remanns  

    • Yes, young men in uniform get killed rather routinely, and humanity is either innately insensitive or inured to the fact. Its not "fair" but its the case. At least in this country they sign up for the chance at death. She didn't ask for the chance. My guess, she would have "just said NO!" And it pisses people off. In particular, it pisses off a lot of men of the age to put on uniforms, and some veteran types who once wore them but now have daughters around her age.

    • 2 years ago
  • Maeveeo
  • twitterbot
    • 0
      twitterbot  

    • @HermanoGeoff on twitter says ""Neda Salehi Agha Soltan’s story touches everyone except Iran’s rulers." Moving piece. From Times Online:"

    • 2 years ago
  • jiminycricket
  • div
    • 0
      div  
    • jiminycricket:

      assuming the protests actually achieve something. But you're looking at the picture from YOUR perspective. We have to ask not only what will he do for us but what he will do for his people. And given the number of protests going on, I think the people actually want him.

    • 2 years ago
  • ozoneocean
    • 0
      ozoneocean  

    • I think what's happening in Iran is terrible, But if find this pining over pretty dead women quite pathetic and superficial, the fetishising that follows them is unbelievable!
      The woman's death was horrible tragedy for her family, and another blot on the Iranian regime, but no worse than the deaths of all the other protesters who've lost their lives.

    • 2 years ago
  • RickDemocracy
    • 0
      RickDemocracy  

    • All this, however sad it is, is part of a programmed war.
      We saw all this happen prior to the invasion of Iraq 20 years ago or so...

      Iran will be diabolised until everyone wants to invade to 'restore' CIA "democracy"...

      The son of the late Shah? Is he trying to get into the spotlight? Or does the CIA want him there? To take the position his father was ousted from?

      To me this is being spun out of proportion compared to soooo many other things, just so that the public will hate Iran and agree with sanctions and invasion. Once again, the US will free the world from foreign totalitarianism...and implement its own.

    • 2 years ago
  • kreddig
    • 0
      kreddig  

    • I just watched the video and im completely speechless. I think we need to get involved in Iran, at least rhetorically. In addition, i think it is rare for American's to see a middle eastern Muslim women not in a burqa while Muslim men are desperately worried for her well being and survival. Revolution is no dinner party, and this is why the U.S. needs to put away its silverware.

    • 2 years ago
  • jadasic
  • FallenMorgan
  • CoveredInPaint
    • 0
      CoveredInPaint  

    • What I want to know is: Why shoot an unarmed civilian? As I was told, she was shot by the Basij, a group that is supposed to protect Islam against foreign influence, but killing muslim civilians is no form of protection. Neda was not a threat to the government or Islam. Shooting unarmed cilivlians is only a form of fear, and shows weakness in the Iranian government. If they cannot control their people by non-violent means, they cannot control the country.
      I'm glad at the least that Neda's story was told, may it help the Iranian people in their quest for a better government, and let them remember her as they cast their ballots for years to come. Whether or not they chose a leader that is sympathetic to the west, I hope they can at leat find a leader that is sympathetic to the people of Iran.

    • 2 years ago
  • clownpuncher
  • cabinettags
    • 0
      cabinettags  
    • Image

    • Iranian regime targets family of 'Angel of Freedom' Neda Agha Soltan

      Iranian security officials have begun pulling down posters of Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman who has become the face of the country's pro-democracy uprising after her death in Tehran was captured on video.

      Relatives said images of Neda Agha Soltan, 27, who has been described as Iran's "Angel of Freedom" after she was apparently shot dead on Saturday, had been targeted by plain-clothed officials.

      They had removed any material commemorating the 27-year-old student that had been erected near her home by sympathisers in the Iranian capital.

      more at link....

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5614391/Iranian-regime...

    • 2 years ago
  • GodsnLiberals
  • clownpuncher
  • Rorenado
    • 0
      Rorenado  
    • GodsnLiberals:

      By doing what? Forcing their hand?

      There is already severe tension with Iran already. All we can do at this moment is pressure Iran diplomatically, and support the Iranians. How do we make the Middle East better? By imposing our ideology? That's worked in the past... There is really nothing we can do besides what I just mentioned. Anything else is going to be seen as an act of war.

      This is a delicate situation, and we cannot force ourselves into it. It'll be like driving a wedge into a cracked piece of wood. It'll eventually break, and who'll be at fault? We will. And we'll never live it down. It's going to take us a long time to recover from the Iraq War.

      Let's use our heads, and come up with a plan, instead of spouting rhetoric without any way to back it up.

    • 2 years ago
  • cabinettags
  • KSirys
  • cabinettags
    • 0
      cabinettags  
    • KSirys:

      KS, if you're a member of twitter they were tweets all afternoon saying you could do just that. The thread is #iranelection I won't recommend it - have no clue whether it works or no. There are a lot of Iranian tweets there. The Iranian Govt is also there and you can't tell the sheep from the wolves. But I thought I'd pass it along.

    • 2 years ago
  • RaceBannon
    • 0
      RaceBannon  

    • Ughh this is soo conflicting for me. I despise the waste of human lives going on in Iran but there's two more things wrong with this:

      the son of the shah is on the cause
      the U.S. is on the cause

      something doesn't seem right.

    • 2 years ago
  • rockfrek3
  • cabinettags
    • 0
      cabinettags  
    • Allorno1:

      Allorno1 - please remove the name and use a non-specific one. It's because they DO care that you see nothing.

      The folks that have these girls look at things really different than we do. Any other site in the world is OK, but not this one. It's for the girls protection.

      If you don't, it will probably just get pulled.

    • 2 years ago
  • clownpuncher
  • boogieman
  • Zippodog
  • cabinettags
  • cabinettags
    • 0
      cabinettags  

    • At RFE/RL's Radio Farda, the e-mails and phone calls come in continuously from Iran.

      "It's really important that Radio Farda send reports every moment to us, because we do not have any access to news inside Iran," says one listener in Tehran. "Now the VOA and BBC have been jammed."

      The listeners are helping the U.S. Congress-funded Radio Farda, which broadcasts 24 hours a day in Persian from Prague, to play an escalating cat-and-mouse game with Iranian government censors.

      As the game has escalated, foreign broadcasters have dramatically increased the number of satellites and short wave frequencies carrying their programs.

      From broadcasting originally only on Hotbird 6, a satellite whose "footprint" covers the Mideast and South Asia, Radio Farda now also broadcasts on four more satellites covering the region: Telstar 12, Nilesat 101, Arabsat BADR4, and Asiasat 3-D.
      more at:
      http://politicom.moldova.org/news/iran-jams-foreign-satellite-news-in-bid-to-iso...

      And today there were mullas joining the protestors.

      Twitter reports students shot within the hr.
      http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23IranElection

      Getting serious.

    • 2 years ago
  • lolitanimatronic
  • JCunliffe
    • 0
      JCunliffe  
    • lolitanimatronic:

      nobody's ignoring the other tragedies. the fact is we can literally see the life leave this woman's body on video. by talking about her so much we don't ignore the others but rather the exact opposite. she is the face of all those who have lost their lives during this travesty. she is their representative.

    • 2 years ago
  • rohnin
  • Acedia
    • 0
      Acedia  
    • lolitanimatronic:

      The American media had nothing to do with the video of her death or its circulation around the globe. If you recall, there's been a media blackout for several days now. All of the recent videos, including the one of Neda's unfortunate death, were all recorded and sent out by Iranian civilians. The media in most countries will show what it gets, and this is clearly one of the most powerful and well-recognized symbols of what is going on in Iran.

      Maybe you should think about what you're saying before you wildly point fingers. Go vent about your vendetta against mainstream American media in a place where its more relevant.

    • 2 years ago
  • Theekshani
    • 0
      Theekshani  
    • lolitanimatronic:

      We're so used to hearing of death that causalities are only numbers. When you focus in on one person and see them as something more than a number, then it brings a sense of humanity. All the people who have died in the protests now seem more tragic because we can see that just like her, they all had potential to do so much more.

    • 2 years ago
  • Systematik
  • shutter318
  • boywhocould
    • 0
      boywhocould  

    • HEY by the way someone beautifully smart and promising just died 5 secs ago. . .and now. . .and 5 secs from now. . .and so on and so on and so on, its tragic but keep in mind its a symptom and not the main event, the franchise of slaughtering of the innocents has too many branches to be counted.

    • 2 years ago
  • GodsnLiberals
  • snanders
    • 0
      snanders  
    • slarabee:

      true that-- I can't believe this cruelty!

      It's so frustrating how history seems to keep repeating itself; even though Obama made an effort to reach out to Iran we still see governments cracking down on their people to maintain power!

      I can't imagine what they're going through... my heart goes out to the family and Iran.

    • 2 years ago
more from Community:
from the community

top videos