For Neda
Posted by Michelle Moquin on June 22nd, 2010
It was a year this past Sunday, July 20th 2009, that Neda Soltan was brutally killed in the streets of Iran. And it was one year ago today that I wrote about her. I can’t believe that one entire year has gone by already. It feels like it was not so long ago when I first heard of Neda, the Angel of Iran.
Her death became a symbol of rebellion; her face, a symbol of hope. Her tragic death quickly went viral: Within just a few hours the rest of the world got to witness her last moments of life on Youtube. It was a vivid image, one so brutal, and yet so peaceful and innocent, that I like many others, will never forget.
How ironic that her name, ‘Neda’ means ‘voice’ in Farsi. Neda was the ‘voice’ of Iran, and a symbol of rebellion and hope, then…and continues to be to this day.
And now one year later, on the anniversary of her death, we get to see the kind of girl that Neda was. What did she want in life? What did she believe in? What did she like to do? Why did she die?
I ask, ‘What has changed for women, for the people of Iran since Neda’s death?’
On July 20th, HBO aired ’For Neda’, as part of their Summer Documentary Series. I believe it is also airing this evening on HBO. I watched it on Youtube last night. For those of you who won’t be able to catch it on HBO, I am including the entire documentary here. I encourage you to watch it. It gives us a good peek into the life of Neda and the disturbing treatment of women in Iran.
Filmmaker Antony Thomas’ look at the life of Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot and killed during protests in Iran last summer, when footage of her death went viral. HBO’s synopsis says that the production was done “without official approval and at great risk, [as] Iranian journalist Saeed Kamali Dehghan worked secretly inside Iran to locate and film interviews with Neda’s family for the first time.” The network calls the film “a portrait of a young woman whose ordinary desires for personal freedom and self-expression were confined by living in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and notes that “[e]ven as a young girl, Neda strove to lead her life in opposition to the regime’s restrictive treatment of women”
I found this write on the Muslim Media Watch written by Diana that I thought you would also find interesting:
As I snuggled on the couch to watch HBO’s documentary on Neda Agha-Soltan, I knew this wasn’t the time for popcorn. The first images that splashed across the screen were Agha-Soltan’s infamous last moments, which haunted viewers around the world exactly a year ago. The tone of onlookers and loved ones was agonizing, screaming as they crowded around her body, placing their hands over the bullet hole in her chest. As blood began to gush from her mouth and nose, Agha-Soltan’s eyes remained open. It was only a few moments before she died, but the video burned a memory in the hearts of many that will perhaps last for years to come.
The images of Agha-Soltan’s last moments were perhaps the most impressing images of the brutality and violence that unfolded after last year’s Iranian elections. Cell phone cameras and digital cameras became the weapon of choice for many of Iran’s population. They wanted to show the world the injustice they were suffering at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
HBO’s documentary For Neda delves into the life of Agha-Soltan to answer the questions of who she was, what she stood for, and why she died. The documentary elicits the testimony of Agha-Soltan’s family and recognized names such as Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, and Dr. Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian history at University of St. Andrews. The familiar voice of Shohreh Aghdashloo, an Iranian actress, narrates Agha-Soltan’s tale of courage. (Note: the trailer below contains explicit images of her death)
For Neda provides a limited understanding of the socio-political landscape of Iran and elicits only the testimony and experiences of those with a particular angle. The story of Neda Agha-Soltan was used here to paint a particular picture of Iran seen from the eyes of a certain kind of woman–a woman like Agha-Soltan.
For Iranian women who neither look like Agha-Soltan nor held the same desires or religious or political values as she, the documentary may be marginalizing. For Iranian women who are not like “any girl, anywhere,” it sends the message that their stories are not valued enough to be told and the injustices they face are not worthy of international attention. The diverse political and religious opinions of Iran’s population make it highly unlikely that any one woman could be the “face of the revolution.”
Agha-Soltan was described in the documentary as “a free spirit that is confined by a regime that does not value these qualities in a woman.” She is portrayed as an ordinary girl who loved to dance, listen to music, read books, and who wanted to be loved. Aghdashloo narrates, “In so many ways, any girl, anywhere, but this wasn’t anywhere, this was the Islamic republic of Iran, where even the clothes you wear have a political meaning.”
In between narrated commentary on the politics and status of women in Iran, the documentary gives a look into the life of Agha-Soltan through the testimony of her immediate family. Her story was used as platform to speak about the general status of women in Iran: Googoosh, a superstar who sought asylum outside Iran, and Rudi Bakhtiar of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran give their testimonies of living in Iran post-revolution. Both women offer the same perspective on the treatment of women in Iran and echo the same sentiments about the regime.
Nafisi posits that women seem to be irreligious as a result of the Iranian regime’s hijacking of religion, which translated into government control over women’s clothing. This was unbearable for Agha-Soltan, whose mother points out that she refused to wear the chador in school. There is only one picture shown of Agha-Soltan wearing hijab, perhaps to garner sympathy by reinforcing this sentiment that she was like any other woman and had to abide by Iran’s dress code.
I wondered if Agha-Soltan were pictured wearing the chador, would viewers feel as though they could identify with her? Would she have amassed such support? Or would she have been like many other women who died that year: forgotten? What about other women who were killed during this time? Why weren’t their names and images splashed all over the media and celebrated internationally?
In the days of protesting that followed the elections, Agha-Soltan was approached by three Basij women who said to her, “Dear, don’t come out looking so beautiful… do us a favor and don’t come out because Basiji men target beautiful girls and they will shoot you.”
These disturbingly ominous words, expressed that men, feeling threatened–in this case by a woman’s beauty–place the responsibility of the destruction of religious values on women and therefore attempt to make women invisible or disappear in order to preserve religion and culture.
On, June 20, 2009, this is what happened. However, the attempt to make Agha-Soltan disappear or to make her invisible was to no avail after the video of her death surfaced. Agha-Soltan, a girl like “any girl,” became a martyr. Activists and photojournalists like Reza Deghati went to task making “Neda masks.” They were distributed to over 100 capital cities around the world and were worn by protesters chanting, “We are Neda!”
The video of her death was one among many shocking videos; but unlike the other videos, the video of Agha-Soltan’s death were widely used to garner public sympathy. HBO’s documentary leaves the impression that Agha-Soltan became “the face of the revolution” mainly because she was like any girl anywhere. Through her death, she was able to focus international attention on the violence in Iran and elicit a response from international leaders.
However, Neda Agha-Soltan only represents one of the many faces of Iranian women and of the revolution. Had this been another face, a different Iranian woman, the international response and HBO’s documentary may have been very different.
Readers: I really enjoyed this documentary. Neda has been the symbol of Iran, to me. She was the face that I thought of whenever I heard from the girls in Iran…whenever they got the opportunity to blog me. Her death was the image that reminded me just how strong women are, just how much women can endure, in spite of their daily living conditions, in spite of being valued as half of a man.
The most ‘basic freedoms’ that we American women would never even think about, are daily restrictions women are forced to live by. Can you ever imagine calling ‘the ability to wear make-up how you please, or the clothing of your choice’ a ‘basic freedom’?
I have a new image that I now see when I think of women in Iran, and really any woman who is forced to be and act a certain way. And that image is of women freeing themselves from their hijab, exposing their beauty in all ways, smiling and celebrating their attainment as a whole human, equal to men. I hope to see that day soon.
Comments? Blog me.
Zen Lill: I thought you would enjoy this little bit of fun. Got your message. I was out in the backyard enjoying the last few moments of summer solstice sunlight. Would love to hear what you come up with in your research. Keep us posted – thanks.
Peter: What I don’t understand is why you think I would prevent you from posting? Do you think I enjoy getting hell from my readers, accusing me of preventing them from commenting? Hell no. Even if I could prevent you from posting, which I can, why would I only to hear the wrath of readers such as yourself? I’m not into self-infliction. The only thing I inflict upon myself is pleasure. :) Got it? So, that being said, your statement is a bit illogical don’t ya think? And the accusing gets very old.
Please don’t take this personally. This is meant to be a message to all of my readers who may, and do, think the same ridiculous thoughts. Although I seriously doubt this will be the end of it.
Hamilton: Perhaps you can think on it and get back to me? :) I will look forward to it.
Oh…by the way, Peter, George and Simon: You will get more.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:04 pm
I tuned in to see more of Zen Lill. What-up?
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:39 am
Peter
Be patient. The good stuff will come soon. Right Michelle.
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:09 am
UNHAPPY? THREE WAYS TO TURN IT AROUND (PART ONE)
We all know people who never seem to be happy. Ask how life is and they’ll give a sad little shrug, and you just know that whatever they are about to say will not be cheerful
. Unfortunately, this state of chronic unhappiness is not at all uncommon, says life coach and regular Daily Health News contributor Lauren Zander, and truth be told… it isn’t always someone else.
Indeed, many of us cling to unhappiness to one degree or another. I’m not talking about clinical depression, which is a medical problem that calls for medical treatment, or mourning, which is obviously profound sadness about an important loss.
This is about the generalized feeling of being not happy… slightly glum… disappointed with life… having no zest for living. For such people, the glass is always half empty.
You might think that these folks are so committed to their unhappiness that they actually love being in that state, but Lauren says that isn’t really true.
It’s not love but rather devotion, she says. “People become devoted to the thinking and actions that are the very things creating their unhappiness,” she explains, adding that this kind of unhappiness is absolutely curable. “It’s not something that happens to you, it is something you created — and you can uncreate it.”
While it is easy to blame the modern world with its multitude of disruptions and distress, what goes on outside of you isn’t really the problem. “The reality is that unhappiness develops from within.
Most often, when people are unhappy they are themselves the reason,” she says. This may sound frightening, but Lauren said it’s actually incredibly empowering.
“If the problems are within you, so is the means to change — you can fix the reasons that you are unhappy… and it isn’t that hard,” she says.
WHICH WAY ARE YOU UNHAPPY?
According to Lauren, there are three distinct types of ways people experience unhappiness as a generalized condition. Do any of these seem familiar to you?
A Hungry Beast: The first is based on what Lauren describes as “feeding the beast.” To explain: People sometimes desperately hang on to past drama from their lives — a person who did them wrong or a dream that went sour — or a current state of affairs that they don’t like.
They continuously cycle their thoughts and conversations around it. We all have unpleasantness in our lives, but these people turn it into a beast that rules them, and they nurture it by constantly thinking about it, talking about it and being unhappy about it.
“The beast has no ongoing role in their lives, but people use it to drive themselves crazy — and they drive everyone around them crazy as well,” says Lauren.
Are you feeding a beast in your life? This might be the actions of your ex-spouse or a difficult colleague or boss… it could be a family dynamic from your childhood… or even current politics or a neighbor whose dog drives you crazy.
Your beast is whatever you use to fuel your perpetual unhappiness. You’ve allowed it to become an “unhappiness addiction,” says Lauren.
You can tame and finally shoo away the beast forever by taking action. Here is what to do:
Think (be honest now!) about whether there are any past or present issues that you have turned into a beast in your mind.
Then write down your feelings about them. For example, you might write, “That dog barks too much. It annoys me, and I feel powerless and justified and righteous… and grouchy.”
Afterward, follow your thoughts and conversations for a few days to keep track of the ways you feed the beast — this includes sad, sarcastic or critical comments you make… negative thoughts you harbor… actions you justify due to your unhappiness about the beast.
Finally, refuse to feed the beast any longer. Make a bold resolution to immediately stop doing every single thing you have done to feed the beast in the past.
Starve it into oblivion by speaking and thinking about things that make you happy instead. It will take time, but eventually the beast will shrivel up and disappear and, with it, your chronic unhappiness.
Poor, Pitiful Me: The second form of unhappiness is more subtle but also surprisingly common.
The star of this show is an individual’s quiet but ongoing disappointment in who he/she is and how life has turned out. Nothing is quite what you had hoped it would be…
the dreams you once had linger unexplored and unfulfilled… every day is perceived to be another experience of living in a flat and ordinary fashion.
This, too, can be corrected, but Lauren notes that it requires real effort because to do so requires taking on a well-known principle of physics, the one that says an object at rest tends to stay at rest.
“The difficult part is to set your life in motion — it requires energy, but nothing is going to change if you don’t change,” says Lauren.
In this case, the motion needs to be away from the parts of life where you feel like a victim with no control, no say-so in what goes on. This pattern of thought is what Lauren describes as “habitual unhappiness thinking.”
To change this pattern, she urges you to start a list that fills in the blank after “I am unhappy because….” Include every area of your life that makes you glum –
whether the state of your health or possibly your home, a diminished income, voids in the areas of activities and friends, lack of energy and/or disappointment in the direction your career is taking.
After writing it all down, ask yourself what specific actions you might take in these areas to spur movement. Even small moves can help kick change into gear, says Lauren. Stop watching TV for a week and see what happens.
Call one friend each day, and notice how you feel. Exercise 10 minutes twice a week, and watch how your mood and body change. “Any small effort you make will help you see that you have the power to change your situation, and that will help you feel better,” she says.
Chronic Overachievers: Finally, there are people who seem to be doing it all and have it all — who already have everything that makes for a good life and happiness.
They work hard, play hard, exercise, eat well, have friends — so what’s the problem?
Lauren says she sees this often in people who should be happy but instead are edgy, moody, not quite satisfied and, well, just a little out of sorts all the time.
These are the classic overachievers for whom nothing is ever good enough… which is exactly why they are miserable. They can’t stop pushing for more, and they’ve allowed their dissatisfaction to become the state of their mind.
But if unhappiness is a state of mind, says Lauren, then happiness is a state of mind as well. The reality for these people is that they simply don’t know how to be happy — which means that they need to learn.
If you are in this last group, your first lesson is to define what your life would be like if you were happy — that alone can start the process of transformation, says Lauren.
What is your ideal way of living and being, the way things would have to be for you to feel happiness? You may be surprised to discover that the changes you need to make are very small.
Begin your project by working on your general outlook. Turn it toward happiness by recognizing the bounty that is your life and feeling gratitude that it is yours and that you created it.
Then look for the small tweaks you could make to your everyday existence to improve its quality. If you feel that your life is too harried, what could you do to bring a greater stillness into it?
If you feel disconnected from your loved ones, how about making up a schedule to follow that brings you together more regularly?
If you miss reading, turn off the TV early each evening… and read. Simple things all, but all lead to meaningful change.
“People are destined to evolve and grow,” says Lauren. “The moral of the story here is that if you are unhappy, it is because you have allowed yourself to be that way. Once you realize this, you can allow yourself to make it different — and be happy. ”
Source(s):
Lauren Zander, cofounder and chairman, The Handel Group, http://www.thehandelgroup.com.
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:17 am
Michell
The Spill is making Guam politicians start to look into ways to raise money to be on hand in the event Guam needs emergency money.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Guam – Senator Tom Ada has introduced a bill that would create an environmental risk mitigation fund that could generate close to 3 million dollars annually to be used to in the event of an environmental emergency.
The money would also be available for environmental awareness programs and to help plan mitigation efforts for petroleum spills. Ada says the money would be generated by removing the current tax exemption from liquid fuel that is transshipped through Guam.
According to Ada, “These fuels which amounts to about 28 million gallons a year, basically are off loaded at the Guam Port, piped up to storage tanks and then later back loaded onto small tankards for distribution throughout the CNMI and Federated States of Micronesia.”
For the past 17 years, an exemption has been placed on these fuels. According to Ada, by removing the tax exemption its estimated that between 2 1/2 to 3 million dollars could be generated each year.
This money could become a source of funds for the Guam EPA. Although GEPA gets federal funds from the US EPA, this new source of money could provide an adequate level of local funding to help carry out what GEPA is mandated to do.
=========================
I especially like the part were some of the money is used to educate.
Hafa adai
Anna
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:33 am
Hi Mischa, I saw an edited version of thus but just watched again now. It makes me outraged that women have to bear the brunt of mens shortcomings, they are so easily threatened it makes me ill. And if they are so distracted by womens beauty why don’t THEY wear Head covering or how about we remove their eyeballs? And I know women can’t lead prayer bc it causes men to think carnal thoughts, hmmm, don’t they know they can keep their fantasies to themselves and no one need bear the blame fir their personal desires? This kind if control is just plain barbaric though in defense of Nedas immediate family I think her father and brother are like your commented the other day, they dont agree euth how women are treated but no they don’t stand up in her defense either, Iranian women are much more courageous than any male there.
I have more commentary that I’ve typed in fits and starts bc I forgot this week that thus child o miiinnne is home and we’d be goofing off having fun : ) I’m going to slink outta here while my precious one slumbers and get to the gym…catch you all later.
Jackie, I do not have contact with Al and Howie anymore but I know they tune in, just my intuition : ) hi Al a mode and Howie, hope your both feeling well and enjoying life to the best of your abilities.
Ruth, no word yet? : (
Luv, Zen Lill
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:42 am
Hafa adai
Anna
I like the idea too But when are we going to get rid of the snakes the mainland brought to our island? I am scared of the things and sick of what they have done to my home.
All I ever here is we are trying.
————————————
U.S. Interior Department Re-programs Brown Tree Snake Funding For Guam
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 17:26
Written by Patti Arroyo
Wednesday, 23 June 2010 07:18
Guam – Guam News
Guam–More money is being thrown at Guam to control the brown tree snake.
Interior Assistant Secretary Tony Babauta says another $2M is available to enhance current brown tree snake operations on Guam. Guam has continuing programs to trap and bait the brown tree snake, renovate facilities, and for public education.
In a news release, Babauta said, “Guam’s ecosystem has been devastated by the brown tree snake and it is important to address this invasive species on the island without it spreading and destroying other island communities.”
Congresswoman Madeline Bordallo says funding for the program has focused on eradicating and controlling the brown tree snake from spreading to other islands in the region. Bordallo says this funding will address strategies for the rejuvenation of the ko’ko bird and other threatened species.
———————————
How long does it take to kill a few snakes?
Lea
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:46 am
Michelle
Have you heard about this General McChrystal who dissed Obama? Why hasn’t he been fired? I Obama expects to have the people continue to believe in his leadership abilities, he better fire an asshole who says he can’t take orders from the President of the United States of America.
Norman
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:01 am
Zen Lill
There is such a quiet about Anonz that it frightens me. I am not sure what has happened but it seems to be serious.
Ruth
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:10 am
Norman
This is what I read in the Huff.
_________________________________________
The military is retreating on attacking Kandahar. Now McChrystal has handed Obama a crisis in relations with the military. McChrystal said Tuesday, “I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened. Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard.”
The General is on the road to Canossa — he’s been ordered to return to Washington — but will it be enough to smooth over relations with Obama? Obama doubtless feels betrayed by McChrystal. But perhaps he betrayed himself by signing on to the Afghan war in the first place.
=============================
I think the general has no clue how to win in Afghanistan. He is just attempting to scape boat Obama. He should be fired.
Eric
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:20 am
[...] As Kent said to Peter, ‘Be patient’. As the writer of this blog, I reserve the right to post [...]