Iranian women at heart of protests

From MSNBC. Click the title of this post to read the whole article.

For years, women's defiance in Iran came in carefully planned flashes of hair under their head scarves, brightly painted fingernails and trendy clothing that could be glimpsed under bulky coats and cloaks.

But these small acts of rebellion against the theocratic government have been quickly eclipsed in the wake of the disputed June 12 presidential elections. In their place came images of Iranian women marching alongside men, of their scuffles with burly militiamen, of the sobering footage of a young woman named Neda, blood pouring from her mouth and nose minutes after her fatal shooting.

In a part of the Muslim world where women are often repressed, these images have catapulted Iran's female demonstrators to the forefront of the country's opposition movement. It is a role, say Iranian women and experts, that few seem willing to give up, and one that will likely present President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's hardline government with even greater challenges in the wake of the recent violence and protests.

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These Iranian women of several generations are tired of brutal oppression. Lift up you voices in prayer for them. They want our encouragement, but they don't want our involvement.

That was the request they made on a web site the Iranian government has since shut down.

Demosntrators out again, more violence by the regime.

There is a lot gong on in Iran, the seeming quiet was a brief respite apparently, and the Basiji militia have become even more brutal it seems as one Irani woman testifies of having seen them attacking people with axes.

It is not just young women and men anymore; the older women have joined in, not just in protesting, but throwing rocks at the state police and the hard line militia.

It is my sincere prayer to Almighty God that He grant these people their freedom from this repressive regime. It stirs me to tears to hear the cries of agony of those being shot, beaten, tortured and mutilated by these vicious oppressors of their own people.

Neda! Neda! Neda!

Tone of demonstration changes

TEHRAN, Iran - Overwhelmed by police and left with limited alternatives, Iranian demonstrators resorted Tuesday to more subtle ways of challenging the outcome of the presidential election: holding up posters, shouting from rooftops and turning on car headlights.

But the restrained expressions of discontent appeared to be scattered as Iran's ruling clerics dealt the opposition new setbacks, making clear they have no intention of holding a new vote and setting up a special court to deal with hundreds of protesters arrested in more than a week of unrest.

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Click on the title of this post to read the rest of the article and view more videos.

The Aftermath

The two videos, one at the head, one at the bottom of this post show a disheartening turn of events. The Iranian government has employed such violence against the demonstrator that they have caused great fear among them.

From the reports though, it is also clear, that although they no longer feel safe in going to the streets, they are continuing to protest in any small way they can.

They have even banned the people from their traditional mourning practices for the dead, and even forbidden them to cry "Allahu akbar", Allah is Great, a confirmation of their Islamic faith.

Let us keep up the cry of Neda! Neda! Neda!

Let us find ways to let the Iranian people know that we are supportive of them, and respect their wish to do this alone, without military intervention from the world. I have to admire and respect this out gunned, and cruelly treated people who for days faced the police and the militia, many dying, many more being severely beaten.

The echoes of our own American Revolution now resound in Iran, and among a people not well armed at all.

When tyranny triumphs, we are all lessened by it. May God give us the courage and the fortitude to stand in the face of tyranny when it comes to our shores.

Iranian Courts vow to make demonstrators pay.

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We must keep up the encouragement of the Iranian people, let them know we support their efforts for a free and democratic republic in Iran.

News from Iran here.

An Iranian Blog here.




Iran says courts will teach protesters a lesson

Neda! Neda! Neda!

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Neda has become a rallying cry in Iran. As it turns out in a turn of bitter irony, Neda is the younger sister of the writer of the note that I posted in my last post. Neda didn't support any of the candidates; she just wanted freedom, liberty, and the right to pursue happiness.

One of the links I posted now show a 404 page error, but the main web site is still up.

If you are one of those who feel we should not interfere in any way, do you consider praying for these people to be interference?

If you are an atheist, and I suppose there might not be any reading this, can't you at least express support, even a pagan word of good luck?

There are now more, many more who have died for the cause of freedom in Iran. Do we begrudge them that because they are Muslims? The truth is, there are Christians in Iran, also; they want freedom and liberty too.

Please, write letter to your editors, write call or e-,ail your Congressional representatives. Let us make our voices one with the Iranian people as we cry out:

Neda! Neda! Neda!

What now Iran?

The Iranian people are locked in mortal combat with their high leaders. They are dying for freedom as they see it, and freedom from the oppressive tactics of a regime that relies on medieval ways of enforcing Islamic Law.

Women are stoned to death in Iran, some for the effrontery of having been raped. Men are stoned less often and have a better chance of survival than the women they are caught in adultery with.
This is so, because women are buried up to their chin in a pit before the stoning begins, men only to their waist.

Islamic law says that if they can escape, they will keep their lives, but women are most often dragged back into the pit for the execution of misjustice to be completed.

In Tehran, demonstrators are continuing to openly protest the last election, in spite of the fact that many of them are dying at the hands of the security police.

Click on the title of this post to see video of a young college age girl who has been shot by the police, but be warned, it is graphic in it's clear portrayal of her death.

It is so graphic, YouTube has put up a link that asks to confirm you age. If you are under the age of 18, please talk this over with your parents before you watch this. In fact, encourage them to watch this with you.

Then think about the freedoms we enjoy in The United States of America; think about the soldiers and families of the American Revolution; think about the soldiers and families that have served to protect those freedoms.

For these young and middle aged Iranians are soldiers, fighting a new revolutionary war.

I have to add this note left by a young Iranian girl, maybe even the one in the video.

Link Here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2275539/posts