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Jul
30
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Iranians Gather in Grief, Then Face Police
Protesters chanting slogans at an opposition rally at the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery outside Tehran on Thursday.
By ROBERT F. WORTH and NAZILA FATHI (New York Times, July 30, 2009)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Thousands of people gathered in Tehran on Thursday to commemorate those killed in Iran’s post-election crackdown, but a vast deployment of police officers used tear gas and wooden batons to disperse them, in some of the largest and most violent street clashes in weeks.
The mourners gathered at the freshly-dug graves of protesters, including Neda Agha-Soltan, a young woman whose bloodied image has become an icon of the opposition movement. As opposition leader Mir Hussein Moussavi arrived at the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery, the police barred him from entering, and angry mourners chanted “Neda lives! Ahmadinejad is dead!” referring to Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, witnesses said. Read the rest of this entry »
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Jul
30
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Neda’s Mother Holds Solitary Candle Vigil While Her Memorial Service is Violently Attacked
(International Campaign for Human Rights | 30 July 2009) – Thousands of people gathered to commemorate the fortieth day of Neda Agha Soltan’s killing and to mourn all other recent deaths at Behesht Zahra Cemetery today. The peaceful gathering was attacked violently by Special Guards and plain-clothes Basij agents, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said. Security forces also prevented Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi from participating in the memorial services. Read the rest of this entry »
Reports of Prison Abuse and Deaths Anger Iranians
By ROBERT F. WORTH (Published in the New York Times on July 28, 2009)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Some prisoners say they watched fellow detainees being beaten to death by guards in overcrowded, stinking holding pens. Others say they had their fingernails ripped off or were forced to lick filthy toilet bowls.
The accounts of prison abuse in Iran’s postelection crackdown — relayed by relatives and on opposition Web sites — have set off growing outrage among Iranians, including some prominent conservatives. More bruised corpses have been returned to families in recent days, and some hospital officials have told human rights workers that they have seen evidence that well over 100 protesters have died since the vote.
Remembering Iranians fighting for their freedom
A tribute to all Iranians in videos and photos on this the Fourth of July
“United for Neda,” produced by Mams Taylor and featuring Dariush, Sattar and Morteza (July 1, 2009)
Mams Taylor produced and wrote the United For Neda song after he saw video footage of the young demonstrator shot and killed by the Basji during the Iranian crackdown in June. He and Shila Vosough produced the video. Together they brought together Iran’s most elite entertainers, poets, thinkers, actors and singers in one harmonious voice pleading for freedom, featuring three of Irans most iconic singers Dariush, Sattar and Morteza.
Parnaz and Askan, June 19, 2009
Hamed Nikpay – “The Owner of This Land”
U2 dedicates “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” to those protesting in Iran
“Sunday, Bloody Sunday” was originally written for the blood shed in a civil rights protest in Ireland in 1972. The screens above the stage are scrolling Persian poetry by Rumi.
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Jul
02
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IRAN: Women at Forefront of Popular Defiance
By Sara Farhang
Iran is home to one of the most vibrant women’s movements in the region. (Photo credit: faramarz/flickr/creative commons)
TEHRAN, Jun 25, 2009 (IPS) – When tens of thousands of protesters braved the ongoing government crackdown to gather in Tehran’s Baharestan Square in front of the Parliament building Wednesday in response to a call by supporters of Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, they were met with some of the harshest violence seen since Iran’s post-election turmoil erupted nearly two weeks ago. Read the rest of this entry »
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Jun
25
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Dear All,
Despite the continuation of uncertainty, and the heavy presence of anti-riot police on the streets of Tehran and other major cities, all the correspondence from the country shows that the general mood is improving. Somehow people have crossed the threshold of fear. But the main reason is that although large demonstrations are not allowed anymore, other events indicate that this protest is far from over. I hope this window brings you some of the reasons for this interpretation.
