Spring Break
In death, Neda fights on
Neda Agha-Soltan's death represents all that is wrong in Iran, and all that is right with Western-style protest.
By: Tracey Wallace
Issue date: 6/29/09 Section: Opinion
No matter which way the cookie crumbles, no matter which path is more worn, none of the daily choices made by any one peoples escape the influence of martyrdom. The death of Neda Agha-Soltan, an Iranian who was killed at close range during a protest against the outcome of the 2009 Iranian presidential election on June 20, will certainly be no different.
If you hadn't been concerned by any of the troubles in Iran up until now, chances are, her death has stirred some type of emotion about a Middle East region that, to many of us, might as well be on Mars.
The overwhelming circulation of the YouTube video that features Neda making eye contact with the camera moments before dying has caught and kept the world's attention. The first relatable martyr of the Iran protests, that eye contact brings her life in close connection with our very own.
Web sites, tweets and Facebook comments tell the story of the effect of this young woman's life, of this young woman's death and this young woman's destiny on the entire globe. Even in Iran, where access to the Internet is restricted and satellites have been disabled, people have found ways to spread the word, and more importantly, the image.
Neda has become the face of freedom, the icon of resistance for not only Iranians and their sympathizers around the world, but for our generation as a whole.
President Barack Obama has called the murder "a crime against all humanity," and thanks to YouTube, you can personally view the content that visually proves his statement.
"Justice will prevail," says Obama. But, no one is even allowed to gather to mourn Neda's death in Iran.
The victory of justice will be a long time in coming to Iran, if indeed it is coming at all.
But the rise of martyrs is exactly, tragically, what Iran needs. Martyrs propel change: they inspire people, they enrage people, they force people to get up off the couch and do something worth forfeiting the life they are living.
Especially in the Abrahamic religions, (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), the creation of a martyr is the beginning to the end of whatever reign created it.
Neda already has a Wikipedia page. Her death has already been witnessed by millions upon millions of people. Her name resounds through languages, through cultures, through beliefs.
She stood up for freedom of speech, for freedom of assembly and for the freedom to live her life. If you have not yet become interested in her story, in the Iranian peoples' fight for democracy, it is about time you change that channel to the news station of your choice, and begin to pay attention.
This event transcends political party. It transcends the barriers of nationality. The only thing the Iranian peoples' fight doesn't transcend is the deep American belief that freedom is inherent and a democracy that assures that freedom is worth fighting for.
If you hadn't been concerned by any of the troubles in Iran up until now, chances are, her death has stirred some type of emotion about a Middle East region that, to many of us, might as well be on Mars.
The overwhelming circulation of the YouTube video that features Neda making eye contact with the camera moments before dying has caught and kept the world's attention. The first relatable martyr of the Iran protests, that eye contact brings her life in close connection with our very own.
Web sites, tweets and Facebook comments tell the story of the effect of this young woman's life, of this young woman's death and this young woman's destiny on the entire globe. Even in Iran, where access to the Internet is restricted and satellites have been disabled, people have found ways to spread the word, and more importantly, the image.
Neda has become the face of freedom, the icon of resistance for not only Iranians and their sympathizers around the world, but for our generation as a whole.
President Barack Obama has called the murder "a crime against all humanity," and thanks to YouTube, you can personally view the content that visually proves his statement.
"Justice will prevail," says Obama. But, no one is even allowed to gather to mourn Neda's death in Iran.
The victory of justice will be a long time in coming to Iran, if indeed it is coming at all.
But the rise of martyrs is exactly, tragically, what Iran needs. Martyrs propel change: they inspire people, they enrage people, they force people to get up off the couch and do something worth forfeiting the life they are living.
Especially in the Abrahamic religions, (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), the creation of a martyr is the beginning to the end of whatever reign created it.
Neda already has a Wikipedia page. Her death has already been witnessed by millions upon millions of people. Her name resounds through languages, through cultures, through beliefs.
She stood up for freedom of speech, for freedom of assembly and for the freedom to live her life. If you have not yet become interested in her story, in the Iranian peoples' fight for democracy, it is about time you change that channel to the news station of your choice, and begin to pay attention.
This event transcends political party. It transcends the barriers of nationality. The only thing the Iranian peoples' fight doesn't transcend is the deep American belief that freedom is inherent and a democracy that assures that freedom is worth fighting for.
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