Far From Tehran: For Neda

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Setareh Sabety
by Setareh Sabety
21-Jun-2009
 

It is Sunday and the weather is so pleasant that it seems too luxurious. The vast blue of the Mediterranean stretches in front of me but refuses to soothe. The contrast between how I feel and all this beauty surrounding me hurts.

I am glad that my children are out of harms way. (I decided to leave Iran after the election of Ahmadinejad because I did not want my children to grow up in the suffocating atmosphere of Iran.) I was one of the lucky ones who could make the choice to live outside of Iran.

But today I wish I was there. Not because I would be of any help to the street activists at this age and weight! Today I wish I was there so I could add my sorrow, my horror, and anger to the collective one of the nation. I wish I could add my sadness to that sea of sorrow. I wish I was there walking the streets where I grew up and first learned about life so that I could breathe the remorse and horror that they permeate. I wish I was there to share that anger, that grief, that hope against hope, of a people fed up with tyranny.

I wish I was there to mourn the death of the sons and daughters that are fighting for my dream. I wish I was in Tehran where Neda, the young woman we all watched dying on youtube, is being mourned by her parents. I want to shed tears not here in front of this, for me, grotesquely beautiful view but with the parents of those children.

If Tehran was a polluted city until yesterday it has now become hallowed grounds. Those streets where the blood of brave innocents has been shed are now sacred. I kiss the asphalt on which Neda died.

I want to go to the rooftop and cry Allah Akbar. Not because I believe that God is great or that I am a Muslim, but because it has become the cry that expresses horror and hope of a nation in the face of such savagery. I want to go and join my Allah Akbar to the many others and make it sound louder. I want to go and cry at the top of my lungs this lamentation against injustice.

Today I do not want to be here in this beautiful town of Nice where no one is above the law. Today I want to be there sharing the grief, the sorrow and horror of my dear Iran.

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more from Setareh Sabety
 
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I am truly sorry for this

by Rick (not verified) on

I am truly sorry for this young girls death. My heart is heavy for her father and family. I hope Iran will never forget her. A diamond didn't fade, but shines brighter in the heavens. Rick from Canada.


rosie is roxy is roshan

Thanks, Setareh,

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

if you want to get this type ofv'nuts and bolts' informationm you know, asvopposed to conspiracy theory and whatnotm the place I go to first is Huffington Post. It's sovimportant that the blogestanians just call it hufpo.

And while you're there, post an item or two,could you?


Setareh Sabety

I cannot stop crying. I cry reading your comments!

by Setareh Sabety on

thank you rosie khanoom. you should get an honorary citizenship of Iran! I will repost on twitter and fb your post here. thank you.
all other non iranian sympathisers thank you.


Monda

Neda

by Monda on

Tonight we attended Neda's candle light vigil in SF, along with many others...quietly in tears, hearing the sombre voices of speakers Mirkarimi, Banafsheh of Amnesty Int'l and others. I don't pray either, but when I saw Neda's video last night all I could do was crying God's name...


The Prince

Her Killers could be these. Please circulate

by The Prince on


rosie is roxy is roshan

A bit more on Neda

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

 //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_(Iranian_protester) 

 from huffingtonpost..com (please note the link to the original blog in persian)  

A bit more on Neda. A blogger apparently in touch with Neda's family members offers some new details (translated by reader Nima): she was born in 1982, apparently her full name was Neda Agha-Soltan, and she was at the protest with one her professors and several other students. She was, they said, shot by a basiji riding by on a motorcycle. Also, she was apparently buried today at a large cemetery in the south of Tehran. ABC News' Lara Setrakian writes, "Hearing reports Neda was buried in Behesht Zahra cemetery earlier today, memorial service cancelled on orders from authorities.

 

 khaharam ast -delara


Bavafa

Thank you Setareh jan

by Bavafa on

I think we all feel the pain and sorrow not only for her but for all the victims of this regime.

Mehrdad


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Barbara Thank you for your

by Anonymos (not verified) on

Barbara

Thank you for your kind sympathy with us Iranians.

Just take a look at her innocent beautiful face before her being shot:

//twitpic.com/811gn

Peace
Ardavan


Setareh Sabety

It feels good to see such a

by Setareh Sabety on

It feels good to see such a response. yesterday was my daughter's birthday .I wrote a blog about it, some of you may have seen it. june 20th has, ever since her birth 15 years ago, been a happy occasion a blessed date in my life. I hope that neda's day will mark the begining of triumph over tyranny for Iran. I hope that her death is not in vain. I am filled with shame when I think of her mother and how none of this talk and sorrow of ours could possibly soother her. I hope my daughter one day names her daughter Neda. thanks everyone for sharing your feelings and reading mine. Allah Akbar!


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Neda

by kurdish Warrior (not verified) on

Rest in peace....


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Neda - rest in peace angel

by Barbara (not verified) on

I wept with anguish when I viewed the video. May Neda be the symbol of hope for all peace loving people everywhere. Her family will be in my prayers.

Neda, your beautiful eyes will live in my heart for as long as I live.

To my Iranian brothers and sisters: I pray for your and cry for you every day. I love you all.

Barbara
An American


Mona 19

She will be remembered

by Mona 19 on

Neda and father moments before things took a tragic turn.

May God give her family strength to bear this loss.As a mother I can't imagine if there is any thing more horrific to loss your child in front of your eyes in this way. May she rest in peace.

Mona :(


Ali P.

For Neda

by Ali P. on

Neda's Memorial :

 

www.Jaavdaanegaan.com

 

 


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neda

by Anonymous k88 (not verified) on

Allah Akbar !
Allah Akbar !
Allah Akbar !

Yes, let's shout louder.
Cry at the top of our lungs against brutality,inhumane & injustice.

Neda, may you rest in peace in heaven


Noosh Afarin

این شعر وآهنگ تقدیم به بانوی ایران زمین ندا

Noosh Afarin


 


Music,Lyrics & Singer: Pourang Azad
//www.onmvoice.com/play/6730
 

 

ایران احتیاج به شاه الله هان نوکر یا خر خمینی پرستان حزب الله ندارد.
«مرحم زخم  ایران و ایرانیان ازادی است»


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Neda: Every Father's Daughter Today

by Brian Brady (not verified) on

"I went to my church for the 7 AM mass, knelt and prayed for Neda and her Father and the incredibly brave and patriotic people of Iran."

...as did I. Today, Neda is every father's daughter.


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They Killed a Precious Piece of Iran

by 11101932 (not verified) on

Those vicious Islamists, posing as Iranians, have been killing Iran piece by piece. And yesterday, they killed an innocent magnificent young peaceful unarmed Iranian just to show how evil these savages are.
Dear Neda, it broke my heart seeing your young life extinguished by these murderers who are shameless and heartless. Are they Iranians? Maybe only in name. They are truly evil in their deeds.
Dear Neda, your heart-breaking death will forever remain in our national archives as evidence against these criminals and in the hope that in a very near future justice will be served.
Payandeh non-Islamist Iran


faryarm

Dear Setareh:

by faryarm on

Thank you for the piece...

I too saw the video hours after its first appearance on youtube..

Her last parting look..has left a haunting image on my soul..

As a Believer, I believe That "… All the sorrow and the grief that exist come from the world of matter- the spiritual world bestows only the joy..."

I wish Neda's parents and family the patience and faith to endure her tragic loss..

faryar 


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I can not stop my tears.

by David11 (not verified) on

I can not stop my tears. Neda you are in our heart and we will never ever forget you.


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RE: Neda

by TG (not verified) on

I watched this video lst night and all I could do was cry. It is totally heartbreaking, knowing that her family were there and they were all unarmed. What kind of people or society can shoot an innocent girl standing in a street? Those so-called "Divine" Clerics should preach love and not hate. How can they order to shoot their own people, let alone a teenager? My heart goes out to her family and the other brave protesters who have lost their lives just to get freedom from this oppressive regieme. If there is a God out there I hope that the outcome of all this will be right and the real criminals get justice.


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Inspired and sad

by Ryan (not verified) on

I am overwhelmed with grief and hope. I don't know what else to say. I hurt for the Iranian people. I wish I could help.


Nilo Siavashi

Today, my thoughts are with Iran but happy to be out of there

by Nilo Siavashi on

Honestly, I am glad that I am not in Iran today.  I left Iran in 1983 after seeing all the repression.  I have never been back even for a visit and I bet my bad memories from 1981-1983 have a lot to do with this.  I have been to 3 demonstrations this week. I feel for people of Iran but I DO NOT want to be in Iran today.  That is my honest feeling and I am not one bit ashamed of it.


Anonymously

watching that video on youtube was the last thing i did yesterda

by Anonymously on

then i ran away. i drove and drove to all the beautiful areas of the bay area... the backroads, the reservoirs, the cold, breezy city of san francisco, the sun peering through at the golden gate bridge. i did not turn on the radio for fearing of hearing news on iran. i did not attend the demonstrations. and every moment the image of the curtain closing behind those blood-drenched eyes... the image of the last gasp for air... the dying holler of the sounds around you. today i stepped out of my chores, out of responsibility, to live a little... for your sake, who were denied it. today i strolled a little with you: me in my heaven, you in yours. R.I.P Neda.


Shazde Asdola Mirza

نترسید، نترسید ؛ ما همه با هم هستیم !

Shazde Asdola Mirza



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Neda

by An American Friend (not verified) on

It's Father's Day in the United States.

I went to my church for the 7 AM mass, knelt and prayed for Neda and her Father and the incredibly brave and patriotic people of Iran.

My heart is heavy for having see her die, but from private martyrs come public movements.

Long Live the People of Iran!

I pray to our shared God that Neda's life will not have been in vain.


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You are unique

by Anonymous parisienne (not verified) on

I have nominated you as Iran's Rosa Parks. See this:
//iranian.com/main/blog/fred/irans-rosa-p...


farshadjon

Merci Dear Setareh!

by farshadjon on

This is a well written, heartwarming, and touching blog.

 

Thank you for sharing your feelings with us.

 

God bless Iran.