The Calling 1
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Her name was Neda. A young woman whose name means ‘The Calling’. Her voice was just one among many peacefully protesting on the streets of Tehran yesterday. I never knew her. I saw her for the first time on the news, after she had been gunned down by the Basij militia. Neda was shot through the heart while she stood watching the demonstration, alongside her music teacher. As she lay bleeding on the pavement, her teacher cried out, in anguish: “Neda , don’t be afraid. Neda, don’t be afraid. Neda stay with me,” even as blood poured from her mouth and nose, even as the light left her eyes. 3
Her brutal murder, and that of many others at the hands of the militia, has only served to strengthen the resolve of many Iranians, who are sick of living under a repressive regime. In death, Neda has been called ‘the voice of Iran’.4
It all began last week with the Presidential election. Polls showed that Iranian opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi was holding a tight race against incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and a sense of hope was building in the country. But when the polls closed, and votes were counted, Ahmadinejad had won by an overwhelming 62.6 percent. Allegations of election fraud rang out, and hundreds of thousands of Iranians rose up, in peaceful protest, demanding a re-count. 5
Not surprising, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came out in full support of Ahmadinejad, stating that his victory was ‘divine’, and banning further protests from Mousavi supporters. His words only stoked the fire, for the people took to the streets once again, many of them chanting Allahu Akbar (God is greatest), while straining to be heard over shouts and the sounds of gunfire. 6
Even with a media ban in place, brave protestors managed to use cell phones, and Twitter to get their stories out: images of people, young and old, being shot, or beaten on the head with batons, made their way to news stations around the world. Included in these was the video of Neda, the beautiful young woman slain by the Basij, and whose name has become a rallying cry for the people of Iran. 7
Neda didn’t know she would die that day. But, like the other protestors, she knew it was a possibility. Yet she did it anyway. She did it because she knew that change was not possible without sacrifice. She was a courageous young woman who forfeited her life in the name of democracy.8
If history has taught us anything, it is that the will of the people is stronger than any dictator. Neda’s death will not be in vain. Her voice can still be heard, and it reinforces the determination of the Iranian people in their struggle against tyranny. 9
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