Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Neda & Rachel

By Paul Iddon

Debunking a shallow political argument used by the shameless defenders of the Iranian regime in their attempt to belittle the brutality and oppression it afflicts upon its own people.


Rachel Corrie & Neda Agha Soltan


A tendency I find amongst many who defend the present Iranian regime is to divert attention away from the brutality the regime has exercised against its own people by instead pointing the finger at how harshly the Palestinians have been treated at the hand of the Israelis. On a personal level I've seen someone trying to belittle the murder of Neda Soltan by instead opting to point an accusing finger at Israel over the death of Rachel Corrie, who was an American political student activist who was killed when she was crushed to death by an Israeli Army bulldozer in Gaza.

While their deaths were similarly tragic there is a clear differentiation, in the sense that Rachel Corrie was an American citizen who after becoming enthralled in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict found herself highly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, this sympathy coupled with her political activism took her to the Gaza Strip during the Second Intifada, (a very dangerous time to say the least) where she was killed when she attempted to stop the bulldozer that ran over her from demolishing Palestinian houses by stepping in its path.

She was by all means a political activist who was killed while putting herself in harms way thousands of miles from her home, Neda Soltan on the other hand was generally considered to be for the most part apolitical, however she was like most of her compatriots was infuriated at the injustice the regime was presenting them with. Furthermore during the height of the political turmoil following the June 2009 elections in Tehran she was brutally murdered, when driving to participate in a protest in Tehran and upon discovering her car air conditioner had a fault she subsequently proceeded to step out onto the street a few feet away from a large conglomeration of protesters to escape the blistering heat when she was suddenly shot in the chest by a Basij gunman. The rest is history.

My central point is the difference between being as politically orientated as to go out of your way to protest the actions of another countries policy (Corrie's protesting of Israel's treatment of Palestinians) and getting killed while putting yourself in harms way doing so is in stark contrast to being apolitical and getting killed on a public street in the capital city of your own country for the simple act of taking a breath of fresh air. This to me is clearly a night and day difference.

Another underlining point this argument flat out presumes is that the Iranian regime is fit to represent the plight of the Palestinians, while at the same time suppressing its own people from publicly voicing their discontentment with their states foreign and domestic policies. A good example of this took place during the 2009 Al Quds Day ceremony where those in attendance as per tradition all came together in solidarity and chanted slogans stating in effect that they will give their blood and their lives for Palestine and bring an end to the 'Zionist entity' in Jerusalem, demonstrators who showed up at this parade solemnly chanted; “no to Gaza and Lebanon, I will give my life for Iran.”

This in effect clearly showed they were sick of the regime trying to subvert the discontent felt by them by fomenting hate for Israel and staunchly supporting the most extreme examples of Palestinian militancy and terrorism all while ignoring their genuine and heartfelt grievances with how the state in which they live is run.

I'm not going to insinuate or attempt to pretend that in death Neda hasn't been romanticized and used as a tool for the gains of the various democratic and anti-regime groups prevalently attempting to bring about an end to the present regime. But in death she has become symbolic of the cynical cruelty the regime has shown itself capable of inflicting upon innocent citizens.

The First Intifada in the Palestinian territories that begun back in 1987 put an abrupt end to the popular conception of Israel metaphorically being David battling Goliath (Goliath in this case being the millions of neighbouring Arabs hell bent on destroying Israel), this widely held perception was brought to an end by images and video clips of angry discontent Palestinians as young as 8-years-old throwing stones at heavily armoured Israeli tanks and bulldozers in their defiance against Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Neda Soltan in death has similarly stopped cold the present Iranian regimes capability of making any credible or believable claims to be neither legitimate, sane, or even merely humane.

Editor’s Note: Paul Iddon is one of the authors of Uskowi on Iran. His weekly columns appear here on Wednesdays.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Neda was in on the game and she was thrown to the wolves by those closest to her.

This has been proven and here is the video to it.

http://youtu.be/RQat_wWCzU8

Anonymous said...

Paul my friend you are a wise man.You seem to sense the pulse of the nation.Yes the regime is a hypocritical anti Iranian entity with a plan for the destruction of Iranian identity,environment and economy.Now lets wait for some juvenile comments by the fraternity. Best wishes Patriot

Anonymous said...

Paul, why can you not be more like Amir Taheri?

Anonymous said...

“no to Gaza and Lebanon, I will give my life for Iran.”

You are aware are you not that this slogan was beamed from a Washington DC studio via satellite TV, to be put forward by a small cadre of Iranian protesters on YouTube. I suppose Paul you find it acceptable for American financed TV to attempt to politically destabilize Iran.

As for the contention of a Baij gunmen in the death of Neda, you are aware are you not that the testimony of Dr. doctor Hejazi has changed from that previously provided, calling into question the credibility of his account. A number of attempts have been made in contacting Hejazi for an explanation on why he has provided two different accounts, but he ignores all such queries.

As for Neda's supposed boyfriend, he sold out to anti-Iran political figures in Tel Aviv, where he may still be residing.

Anonymous said...

Neda was a victim of MI6 to cause sensitivities. I saw the Video too and I am sure it to have been a hoax.
Who actually killed her I am not sure but Iranian security people certainly not.

Dariush A.
London

Anonymous said...

no to Gaza and Lebanon, I will give my life for Iran.”


is a stupid slogasn, it means your are sitting passive and do nothing for your allies and brothers in lebanon.
without Iran/hisbullah the Libanon should be a colonie of Israel. and iran will be occupied by American, like Irak.
libanon/Palestine is the first line of Defense
The peoplewho says this gibve their life for nobody else for money.

Anonymous said...

Neda was an ordinary Iranian lady going about her daily life until she was caught up by the tumultuous crowed and decided to see what was going on like any other normal human being then she was randomly shot by a member of the security forces.Is that hard to understand? Do people have to belong to MI6,CIA or BBC,CNN to be shot in Iran or the Western intelligence services to send a shooter to kill a normal girl? If people believe the bullshit propaganda that spews out the regimes mouth every time then they must be idiots or in on the game.You lot convince yourselves that Neda was a secret agent of the west while your siting on a warm chair in the comfort of the western world and typing your distorted garbage.May God Help Iran From Lies Drought And War.

Gifted one said...

"Neda Soltan in death has similarly stopped cold the present Iranian regimes capability of making any credible or believable claims to be neither legitimate, sane, or even merely humane."

Paul, by your standards, please tell us what government or nation meets with your approval in its conduct towards either its own citizens, or the citizens of other lands?

Anonymous said...

"Debunking a shallow political argument used by the shameless defenders of the Iranian regime in their attempt to belittle the brutality and oppression it afflicts upon its own people."

You sound objective.

Anonymous said...

---"You sound objective."----

Objective? What's there to be objective about a girl walking peacefully and getting gunned down by her government?

Is deliberately shooting to death someone who's innocent something other than clearly wrong?

Steve said...

@Paul Iddon - First and foremost: it is highly unwise to reckon up one human life against another one. Each violent killing of a human is equally disturbing, regardless of the personal background of that person or its political intentions.
Thus, your contribution is flawed from start and well below the journalist standards one would expect.
Secondly, the killings of both females occurred under circumstances of turmoil and struggle and in both cases no independent witnesses are available for attest, and no appropriate investigation was carried out. Most of the stuff you bring forward is unsecured hearsay and even these scarce tokens you still selectively use to buttress your opinion that the death of Miss Corrie was 'self-imposed', whereas the death of Miss Soltan was 'deliberate murder'.
I consider your piece to be highly manipulative and far from objectivity. It only serves your (zionist ?) political agenda and thus has no intrinsic informative value.
My impression is (also from earlier pieces of yours), you constantly underestimate the cognitive abilities of your readers and have no scruples to waste their time.
I guess there are more tolerable ways to demonstrate one's incabability.
My advice: Just stop wasting our time.

Anonymous said...

Steve, unless you have some information that suggests that Neda's death wasn't a murder committed by agents of the Iranian government, It's you who is wasting our time.

Rachel Corrie's death and responsibility for it is being argued in court and the investigation of her death which the Israelis conducted and which it has avoided publishing is being dragged into the open, piece by piece.

It has escaped my notice if anything comparable has transpired in Iran that would cast doubt on the obvious conclusion or would suggest a different conclusion.

Anonymous said...

Steve...It was not only Neda that was killed but also countless other protesters and hundreds more still missing.The regime tries to make it one to one that means by them killing an Iranian is less than Israel killing a Palestinian or the case of the Arab girl who was stabbed in Germany because she was a Moslem then the Iranian regime printed stamps in her honour what utter hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

This poor girl Neda was not killed by Iranian security people but she was a victim of a plot to create a clip in order to cause havoc.

The clip became a hit and she was then killed to make real what was a fake.

Bless her naive soula dn damn those foreign services who killed her.This was proven and I have seen the footages and reports on it. Those claiming otherwise are actuially supporting her murderers, or are her murderers.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:19...I said some IRGC agents will come and spew their garbage on this page regarding Neda.People like you do not have any shame about a innocent girl who was murdered by regime security forces.How much do your masters pay you to write this kind of impudent drivel every week on this and other sites?I hope you can live with yourself knowing fully that by twisting and altering the facts so that it can benefit your paymasters will come back and haunt you.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:19 AM..The only person NAIVE is you...Haramzadeh!

Anonymous said...

---"This poor girl Neda was not killed by Iranian security people but she was a victim of a plot..."----

bullsh1t.
just more "foreign conspiracy" bullsh1t...from another foolish tool unable to look at the Iranian regime and see it for what it is...and admit what it does.

Anonymous said...

http://youtu.be/N6DO9bo4HeI

http://youtu.be/BrVgfpRXRos

http://youtu.be/J1Byz_Hw5sM

http://youtu.be/-oze7rvDJU4

The one person cursing and swearing like a true royalist, look at these interviews and dont be such a "Vatanforush".

Anonymous said...

Steve...What is so Zionist about telling the simple truth???

Anonymous said...

It's easier for a Steve to call people Zionists than it is to try to present a defense for the malodorous actions of the theocrats.

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:50 AM..Those "interviews" by the Press TV and Islamic Republic media are a joke your so gullible you believe that hogwash.But when you call some one a Royalist just because they where there that day and witnessed the regimes brutality is more than naive than I thought.As for "vatanforush" I served my country 1980-84 then I did other duties as well.So this Royalist Vatanforush whom served his nation and still will do so still says you and this regime not Iran is a Haramzadeh.

Anonymous said...

Now you have to decide who is haramzade me or the other guy you called one prior to me.

lets simplify it for you, whoever is not of your opinion is a haramzade and your mother was the only one for daddy.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:45 PM For your information Mr keyboard warrior my deceased parents excrement is more valuable than your entire sad family which has unfortunately given birth to such a useless and gutless excuse of a human being.But it still says a lot about you and the regime you worship which is cowardly illiterate and barbaric.So now you know the meaning of Haramzadeh.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:17 above.Leave them alone in their juices your wasting your time with them let them stew...LOOOOL !!!

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:45 PM..Let me simplify it for you...You are both Haramzadehs.Happy now? You are so gullible.

Anonymous said...

Another good blog has been ruined by Neocons. These vermins pollute everything they come in contact with.

Anonymous said...

I am confused now,

Who is haramzade and who not. pro who and contra who

Simplify it again. I think those accusing others of what they are themselves is the best way to recognize whose Mama was under who in the Pahlavi Officers club.

Anonymous said...

To the Gent or whoever calling people names !
Its not that people like or dislike any present system in Iran,
Its the fact that people dislike the likes of you MORE ! and what you stand for than my be Irans system of Governance.

Comparing it, they are by far the lesser evil. I mean come on Monarchy ??? MKO????

Dariush A.
London

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:10 PM...Says the Intel unit of the IRGC couch warriors division AKA..noxious and parasitic anti-Iranian subhumans.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:31 AM...At least in the Pahlavi Officers Club all of them came from a good Iranian family and where highly educated patriots not like your Mama who was in a Palestinian camp and been seen to by god knows who.Now you know your origins what ever my mother was or did at least she was an Iranian and so was my father.

Anonymous said...

Last anon,
I don't know what your Mami told you but she told me that you were the result of a "Switch Party" gone wrong.

Anonymous said...

I wonder whether we really need to respond to a post about the deaths of two young women ....

by insulting people's mothers.

certainly there are better ways to discuss and even to argue.

Anonymous said...

Its all an effort to diver the attention from the real murdrers of Neda and the other girl

Neda wa killed by the MKO at the behest of MI6 and Mossad to cause sensitivities.

Now insulting my Mother wont change the fact

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:42 AM..You are making yourself sound very foolish stop taking crack and watching Press TV then go and educate yourself that is if you have a brain left.

Anonymous said...

----Neda wa killed by the MKO at the behest of MI6 and Mossad to cause sensitivities.----


of course.
and cancer is caused by Zionism, earthquakes are the result of women not covering their hair, and diamonds come out from Khamenei's bunghole

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:42AM You are sounding very silly stop taking substances and watching to much Press TV.

Anonymous said...

http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9005180783

when its proven that Neda was also killed by the MKO then a street will be named after her in Tehran.

Anonymous said...

Fars news? Come on who would believe Farce news do you know what it stand for "Farce".. comedy based on ludicrously improbable events!
They are so impertinent!

Anonymous said...

"staunchly supporting the most extreme examples of Palestinian militancy and terrorism all while ignoring their genuine and heartfelt grievances with how the state in which they live is run."

Would that be instead of those who staunchly support the most extreme examples of Israeli militancy and terrorism, all while ignoring the occupied Palestinian people's genuine and heartfelt grievances with how the state which occupies them, is run?

The hypocrisy, double standards of anti-Palestinian, muslim-hating, fanatical zionists like the author "Paul Iddon", never ceases to amaze me. Brutality and oppression of civilians is just fine with them, as long as its against those civilians they hate, like the occupied Palestinian people. They only show any interest or condemnation when it is committed by the enemies of their fellow zionists and imperialists. Unlike certain people, I don't support one side and not the other, regarding Iran and the zionist regime. They are both reprehensible.