Tears For Neda

A young woman died yesterday. Neda Soltani. I didn't know her.

And yet when I heard about her today on the news, saw the cell phone video of her bleeding to death from a gunshot wound I cried.

27 years old, a philosophy student. Gone.

Sources told NBC that she was not involved in the protests yesterday, she was walking on a neighboring street when she was shot in the chest by alleged plain clothes Basij on a motorcycle.

She has come to symbolize the struggle over there now. Being called by some the Angel of Iran, by others the Voice of Iran. Either way, the government forbade mosques from holding memorials for her and she was quickly buried. They don't want her to become a martyr. Too late for that, she became one the moment she was shot.

Half a world away, knowing no one in her country there are tears tonight for Neda.

Comments

Lockwood said…
I had the same reaction, and posted a piece with the same title. Afterwards, I went looking to see if others had posted under the same title... it seemed to be an obvious choice. I'm awfully glad to have found someone who reacted as emotionally as I did to this terrible murder. Thanks for sharing.
9:41 PM
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