martyrdom

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.