- In a Death Seen Around the World, a Symbol of Iranian Protests, by Nazila Fathi (New York Times):
Only scraps of information are known about Ms. Agha-Soltan. Her friends and relatives were mostly afraid to speak, and the government broke up public attempts to mourn her. She studied philosophy and took underground singing lessons — women are barred from singing publicly in Iran. Her name means voice in Persian, and many are now calling her the voice of Iran.Her fiancé, Caspian Makan, contributed to a Persian Wikipedia entry. He said she never supported any particular presidential candidate. “She wanted freedom, freedom for everybody,” the entry read.
- Family, friends mourn Neda Agha-Soltan, Iranian woman whose death was caught on video, by Borzou Daragahi (Los Angeles Times). Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, ‘was a beam of light’ and not an activist, friends say. The video footage of her bleeding to death on the street has turned her into an international symbol of the protest movement.
- In Iran, One Woman’s Death May Have Many Consequences, by Robin Wright. (Time) – Neda is already being hailed as a martyr, a second important concept in Shi’ism. With the reported deaths of 19 people on June 20, martyrdom provides a potent force that could further deepen public anger at Iran’s regime.
On the protests in Iran, see also From Tehran’s Streets: Hope and Rage – A Photo essay from LIFE Magazine. (NOTE: The Tehran-based photojournalist who made these pictures is now missing).
Though ABC is now reporting her death may have been staged.
Though ABC is now reporting her death may have been staged.
Source?
From ABC radio citing a Reuters report that cited Iranian sources. Don’t have the Reuters report at hand but did read it and claimed this. Can dig the Reuters report up pretty quick if you want.
Here’s the Reuter’s link that ABC radio ran:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55F54520090623?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true
Googling around a bit, there’s a Reuters report out saying that the Iranian regime has put out a video in which they march out some arrested protestors to “confess” that they were gulled into protesting the regime by BCC and VOA propaganda. They say that now the regime has helped them understand it is the protestors who are causing all the violence and the regime in blameless.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55F54520090623?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
They go on to claim (without providing sources) that the bullet used to kill Neda was not of a type used by Iranian forces, and allege that the quick spread of the video proves it was planned ahead of time.
It looks like some conspiracy theory sites, which think that that the CIA, Israel and the BBC (who knew that the three were in bed together!) are the ones staging the protests in Iran, are running with the regime’s claim to assert that this is a mocked up excuse for Western powers to invade.
Doesn’t sound remotely credible to me, but take it for what it’s worth.
They say that now the regime has helped them understand it is the protestors who are causing all the violence and the regime in blameless.
Wow, the regime helped those protesters understand that, eh? How benevolent! Talk about Orwellian – or as they call it these days, nuanced.
Agree Darwin,
Just reporting what I heard ABC say this afternoon. They didn’t provide all the context of the Reuter’s report. Just a quick ten second blurb.
No prob. I’m kind of shocked that ABC ran with the claim so credulously…
and allege that the quick spread of the video proves it was planned ahead of time.
The Twitter threads related to the Iranian protesters are updated at a dizzying speed — literally thousands of posts every hour; once the video was uploaded to YouTube, it’s really no surprise how quickly it was conveyed through the networks.
It’s interesting — this is one incident where the protesters seem to have an upper hand with their fluency in social-networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
please see this movie