The Face of the Iranian Revolt

The Face of the Iranian Revolt

She is now the face of the rebellion in Iran. A fraudulous election has brought thousands into the streets. If the re-election of Ahmadinejad had been legitimate, do you think government thugs would be killing young innocents like Neda?

Women in Iran are treated like dogs. They have no rights since the revolution in 1979. Neda died at Tehran's Azadi Square when she stepped out of the car she was riding in after getting stuck in a traffic jam. Watch the brutality of her murder at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vtvCMhWuU. Take caution, this is very graphic.

Her lungs filled with blood and it poured from her mouth and nose. She moaned her last words as her friends looked on, "I'm burning. I'm burning." She was rushed to the emergency room of the nearest hospital where staff made a heroic effort to save her life but she was already gone. Family and friends are not absolutely sure who is responsible for her death but they strongly suspect that a zealous pro-government paramilitary group called Basijis may be responsible. Another suspect group is Ansar-e-Hezbollah.

Neda was a lovely 26 year old woman in her prime. She worked for a travel agency and she was very intelligent. She had an exuberance for life and a sense of humor that made her family and friends laugh. She now lies in a cemetary in Tehran. Her life cut tragically short.

Where is the voice of the world's women's rights groups? Where is the National Organization for Women (NOW) when they are needed? Are women's rights only worth fighting for in the U.S.? Where is our president's voice on the revolution in Iran? People are dying in the streets because they want to live free. It seems we as Americans should certainly be able to relate to that. Will we help those who love democracy and freedom...or will we take the cowardly route of sitting down with Ahmadinejad over coffee?

Last year I was disgusted to hear Michelle Obama say she had never really been proud to be an American but I'm beginning to relate to that feeling. I'm ashamed that my president isn't voicing strong support for freedom lovers!! Why is the strongest player sitting on the bench instead of participating in the game??

Neda Agha-Soltan