She Was There With Her Father, Standing Next To Him, Watching The Protests...

Her name was Neda.

<snip>

Earlier this afternoon, doing the same thing I've done every day this week, scanning thousands and thousands of tweets coming out of Iran for those I thought needed to be tossed back out into the universe for wider viewing, a particular tweet caught my eye.

Someone was trying to get the attention of CNN with a video, a video of violence in Iran, not so unusual the last few days, but noteworthy because this one contained images of the last moments of a young girl's life, and people rushing to her side to help her.

She'd been shot in the street in Tehran. 19:05 June 20th. Karekar Avenue, at the corner crossing Khosravi Street and Salehi Street.

She was there with her father, standing next to him, watching the protests, when she was shot directly in the heart by someone hiding on the rooftop of a nearby home, a Basij. The bullet shattered her heart and took her life almost instantly, despite the efforts of a friend of the video poster, a doctor, who had rushed to her side.

<snip>

Link (with uncensored video): http://open.salon.com/blog/kathy_riordan/2009/06/20/her_name_was_neda

:cry:

:mad:

:kick:

Thanks so much for the information. So very tragic. ;(

Please don't jump on the messenger. I'm just relaying what I've read. There are reports of Palestinian and Lebanese mercenaries in Iran, sent by Hamas and Hezbollah, doing the mullahs' bidding for cash, and that it was a Palestinian who shot Neda, not Basij.

I don't know what to believe. But I do know mercs of any stripe will do near about anything for money.

wondering if it really matters who killed her at this point.

I mean it definitely was somebody suppressing dissent at the behest of the regime, no???

:shrug:

I had no idea Hamas might be involved in this too. Guess I'm still naive...but learning.

Hamas, Hezbollah, Basij, Revolutionary Guard...

:shrug:

:hi:

and Hezbollah here.....? Hmmmmmmmmmm...... I think a major grain of salt is indicated right now...

find out on a wide scale that arabs or other outsiders are were brought in to quell the protest, this will turn even uglier. It would also speak to the lack of support the Aytollah has from his military.

I know it's a heady time there, but I sure would not have taken my 16 yr old child to a riot..even as a spectator.. I would not want to be in that father's shoes.. Poor girl:cry:

what is wrong with you?

and feel terrible for her father. If he brought her because she wanted to be a part of it, perhaps he got caught up in the moment, and did not see her protection from harm as the primary thing..or if he wanted to be there and she tagged along, she paid a horrible price for doing so.

I guess it's a historical moment, and they want to participate, but as a parent, I think I would do everything possible to discourage my own children from possibly being killed.... and would certainly not accompany them into a dangerous situation.

protest area. I read they were 1 km away, so it wasn't considered a dangerous area.

who knows. FWIW she looks older than sixteen to me, but again, who knows. I watched the video, which was extremely disturbing. For what little comfort this might be, she probably didn't feel a thing.

and protesting .

I don't believe you should discourage a 16 year old from 'standing up and being counted' for a good cause if they want to. There were plenty of 16 year olds -- and 15, 14, 13 too, for that matter -- fighting in our American revolution.

In our culture, 16 year olds have been sheltered from the real world of work for years and many have been fed a steady diet that alternates between being mostly passive listeners throughout their school day to being consumers of consumer products and pop entertainment by night. THroughout most of history, 16 year olds were expected to begin shouldering adult responsibilities..

How tragic, in any case.

from the streets at 16 if such events were happening in my city. I can imagine the daughter begging to go and the father relenting and agreeing to accompany her.

:kick:

<snip>

10:27 AM ET -- What Neda's father said. The image of Neda, a young Iranian woman, being shot and killed in the streets yesterday has become a rallying cry for Iranian reformists and their allies internationally. If you haven't seen the video, I'm reposting it below, but please be warned, it is very very graphic.

A reader who couldn't quite make out what her father was saying in the video understood after learning that her name is Neda. He sent in the transcript: "Neda, don't be afraid. Neda, don't be afraid. (There is yelling and screaming.) Neda, stay with me. Neda stay with me!"

<snip>

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html

:cry:

<snip>

11:20 AM ET -- "El pueblo uNEDA jamás será vencido." Reader Marco:



Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html

WORD!!!