You Are Winning

Once again, this is another open letter to any of the brave Iranian protesters who may be reading.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I hope you are doing well. I hope you are all safe. I am sure there are still many of you feeling afraid or pessimistic about the current situation. While I certainly hope this is not the case, I feel I must say a few words in case you do have such feelings.

First and foremost, I must say this: You are winning. Now, I’m sure many people might feel I may be exaggerating or just plain naïve, but I am not. I have seen all that has happened in the past two weeks. I might not be right there with you, as I am halfway across the world, but I have seen the events as they have played out since the very beginning.

In the past two weeks, the firm hold the regime had upon its people has been shattered, destroyed as a result of their own unwillingness to listen to the voice of their people and their own acts of injustice. Their efforts to suppress the voice of the people have been cruel, inhumane in many cases, but they have not had the effect the regime wanted.

The regime wanted to silence those who disagreed with their decisions, but it has instead made even more people speak out against their numerous violations of human rights. Even many high profile clerics are speaking out against the Supreme Leader’s crackdown now. A prime example is the recent speech by Ayatollah Mousavi Ardabeli. Many other politicians and clerics have spoken out as well, some even joining the protesters in the streets, but still the regime continues with crackdowns. The more they continue, the more people are appalled, and the more people speak out. A rift has formed within the government that stretches to its very foundations.

All of this after just a two week period of time! Making such a huge impact in such a small amount of time is not easy (in fact, I’d say it’s downright unheard of) but you have done that, my friends. You are winning. It’s easy to think otherwise, seeing all the cruelty at the hands of Besij thugs and being fed demoralizing misinformation and lies from State TV…but the fact remains: You are winning.

The supporters of the crackdown are now cornered cats, clawing wildly in every direction. They are afraid. They are doing everything they can to stop you and it is simply not working. They are doing whatever they can to demoralize and depress you, but I know you will not give in. The world may seem dark at times, but at dawn, the sun will always rise. You are that sun, my friends. You and your hope for a better future will be the dawn.

Still, I’m sure many of you do not feel that way. Many of you have lost a lot over the course of the past few weeks. Many of you have had to endure heartache that no person should ever have to go through. Many of you probably feel that, in the end, this is a lost cause. While I can understand that feeling, I feel I have to tell you that you can win and, as I’ve said, you’ve already accomplished much.

I know sometimes it can seem that winning is impossible. It’s hard to see the people who have died, the people who are suffering, and not feel despair. It’s hard not to feel afraid all the time, to feel cold and empty as if your soul has left you. It is a terrible feeling, one I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I am sorry you have to feel such feelings and I wish I could do more to take that pain away…but I’m telling you, even though sometimes you may feel like things are hopeless and can never get better, look at what’s happening. More people are speaking out against the crackdown and supporting the protesters.

The majority of the people within the country, including many citizens who previously supported president Ahmadinejad, are now disapproving of the unjust acts the regime is inflicting upon their own people. More of the hardliners within the regime are beginning to become nervous, making ridiculous claims that other countries such as Britain are behind the protest and overall simply refusing to accept that their time is coming to an end. The State TV and those supporting the crackdowns are unable to keep their own lies straight, blaming at least four completely different sources for Neda’s death, none of which are even close to being remotely believable. You have shaken the very core of the regime. You are winning. So please, please, never feel that things are hopeless. That is simply what the regime wants you to believe, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You are not alone. You cannot be silenced. And you will win.

The Sea of Green is moving ever stronger. It’s gone beyond an election, beyond all of us. The Sea of Green now stands for all that is right, even in a world that can sometimes seem so wrong. Your voices all shout for justice, for a country where such cruelty cannot be committed against its own people, for a better future for you, your children, and your children’s children. Your voices are getting louder each day (the rally yesterday and the deafening chants in the night should be proof enough of that). You will never be silenced, no matter how much the current regime tries.

I hope this has been at least a little helpful to some of you. Please do not feel despair when you have already accomplished so much. I hope you and all those close to you will be safe. Never allow yourself to be silenced and never doubt yourselves. Take care.

Yours Faithfully,

Corey

Neda on Wikipedia

It seems that Wikipedia doesn’t like Neda. Having her own page there apparently violates their purpose, which is to be an encyclopedic reference. The deletion of this page could only be seen as offensive to those who remember.

 

This beautiful young lady’s entry will be preserved here, just in case such a deletion occurs:

Neda Agha Soltan (1982 – June 20, 2009 in Tehran) was an Iranian woman whose alleged killing by Basij militia during the 2009 Iranian election protests was captured on video by bystanders. The graphic videos were posted on the Internet, and her name quickly becoming a rallying cry for the pro-reform demonstration. Neda means "voice" in Persian, and she was dubbed the "voice of Iran" by some opposition groups.

An unnamed Twitter poster claimed on June 20, 2009 that Neda, along with her father, walked in protest down Karegar Avenue in the city of Tehran. They were participating in the protests against the 2009 Iranian election when she was allegedly shot by members of the Iranian Basij volunteer militia. Undated amateur videos of Neda's alleged death were uploaded to Facebook and YouTube, and spread across the internet virally. The videos were accompanied by an unverified message written by an anonymous individual who claimed that he was present when the amateur video was recorded:

“At 19:05 June 20th Place: Karegar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st. A young woman who was standing aside with her father watching the protests was shot by a basij member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim’s chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes. The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St. The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know."

Discussions about Neda on Twitter became one of the "trending topics" by the end of the day on June 20, 2009.

The authenticity of the videos, the location of the incident, and the identity of the alleged killer have not yet been independently confirmed by the main stream media. Neda's alleged death was not reported by the state controlled Iranian media, but was reported by international media. CNN showed the video of the incident multiple times on June 21, 2009, at first with her face blurred, and later without censoring.

Early reports listed her name as "Neda Salehi".

The name "Neda" can be heard several times on the video clip, presumably by her father. It has been reported that he can be heard saying (in Farsi) "Neda, don't be afraid. Neda, don't be afraid. [obscured by others yelling] Neda, stay with me. Neda stay with me!"

We will not forget. And forgiveness will be difficult. Neda was martyred, not because she was protesting, but because she was outside and watching the protests. We will not forget, because we are human beings with emotions. And through the streets of Iran, Neda has lived up to her name: she has given the people a voice because of the her illegal and unwarranted murder.

Neda: A Martyr, a Victim, a Child

Her name was Neda. We can hear the grief and shock of her father calling her name as she dies, her life's blood spilled by the shot of a gunman. She was watching the protests, but was not participating. Her crimes, as they are listed:

• Being too innocent of the danger of what she did.
• Being in public.
• Standing on the same street as protesters.

When someone dies an innocent bystander, it it always tragic. We see the graphic reality of violence, the blood spilling as it fills her inside to the point it cannot be contained. She is dead quickly, a mercy for which we can only be thankful. I can only shed tears at the tragic suddenness of her passing, with her father right there. No parent should have to outlive a child.

Her name has become a battle-cry in the streets: "Remember Neda," they call. And at least 24 web sites that I've personally seen carry her name.

We will all remember Neda. Those of us who saw will remember her whether we want to or not. We hope that those who committed such an act understand that this only furthers the resolve of those who are resisting. Violence cannot be a solution when there is a nation based on the principles of Peace.

We can only pray for you for now. But we must ensure that things of this nature do not happen again.