Neda Speaks to Us Loud and Clear

We have seen the video; we know her name was Neda. Her story is slowly unfolding and knowing the specifics of her life adds to the tragedy of her death. Some online commentators have said that her dying image ranks alongside that of the 1989 unnamed man standing in front of a Red Army tank in Tiananmen Square. I remember that man in Beijing and I always will; so I know that I will remember Neda.

I prefer the picture of Neda on the left to that in the video. The photo shows the sweetness, depth and promise of the young woman who was murdered in Iran. I think she would like to be remembered like that.

We have learned that Neda means “voice” or “call” in Farsi. It seems sadly appropriate given the circumstances. Her spirit speaks out loud and clear.

It is not known who killed Neda, but according to a doctor on the scene she was gunned down viciously and purposefully with one shot directly to the heart. How much hate must someone have in their spirit to gun down another human being? Did he hate the young girl, because she was speaking out against the regime; or was it simply because Neda was a “she”? We’ll probably never know, like other cowards he shrouds himself in anonymity.

Revealing yet again its punitive, insensitive, and hateful nature, Iran's regime has issued a ban on memorials for the young woman named Neda, whose death has become the focal point of protests against the clerical regime. Like all bullies, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thinks he is invincible. But this time he may have gone too far, as Robin Wright points out in the June 21st issue of Time Magazine:

"Although it is not yet clear who shot Neda (a soldier? a pro-government militant? an accidental misfiring?), her death may have changed everything. The cycles of mourning in Shi'ite Islam actually provide a schedule for political combat — a way to generate or revive momentum. Shi'ite Muslims mourn their dead on the third, seventh and 40th days after a death, and these commemorations are a pivotal part of Iran's rich history. During the revolution, the pattern of confrontations between the Shah's security forces and the revolutionaries often played out in 40-day cycles…. The same cycle has already become an undercurrent in Iran's current crisis. The largest demonstration, on Thursday of last week, was called by opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to commemorate the deaths of protesters three days after they were killed. Shiite mourning is not simply a time to react with sadness. Particularly in times of conflict, it is also an opportunity for renewal. The commemorations for "Neda" and the others killed this weekend are still to come. And the 40th day events are usually the largest and most important."

A lot can happen in 40 days, especially when the world is watching. Neda and the other fallen of the Iranian election protest have cast a spotlight on the brutality of the Supreme Leader and the henchmen who do his dirty work. The eye witness accounts of Hezbollah and Hamas members in Iran attacking protesters adds fuel to the fire. In seeking to silence the protesters, Khamenei has given the dead a voice; they speak from the grave and the tragedy of their deaths is felt around the world.

They ask: "In what civilized, peace-loving country do leaders beat and kill their young over an election? Leave them dying in the street? Deny them proper burial?" We know the answers.

For those of us outside Iran, the protesters and in particular the fallen have become a symbol of the spirit of freedom, but for those who marched with them, Neda and the other fallen members of the Green coalition have become martyrs to the cause. In or out of Iran, all those who believe that every human being has a God-given right to breathe free hear Neda's voice loud and clear. She speaks to us.

Can you hear her, America? She is telling us to treasure what we have.