Neda - symbol of Iran

31 Jul 2009, 3:43 pm   -   Source: SBS
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Neda - symbol of Iran

Neda - symbol of Iran

The violent death of Neda Agha Soltan, an Iranian protestor has been seen by millions around the world, but who is Neda?

A video of a dying blood drenched woman posted on social networking sites such as youtube and Twitter became the battle cry for the Iranian election protestors in June of this year.

The woman was 27 year old Neda Agha Soltan, known now simply as Neda.
 
But who was Neda?
 
In a recent BBC interview Neda’s mother gave an insight into the woman.
 
"Philosophy and theology were her favourite subjects," Mrs Motlagh said. "She was a spiritual person. She believed in God.
 
"She also loved travelling - she had been to Dubai and Turkey. And she loved Istanbul... she wanted to live there one day. "
 
Neda was also a gifted musician and singer, her mother added.
 
She had taken singing lessons for two years and it was with her music teacher that she went to the protest in Tehran on the day she died.
 
The Protest
 
Neda accompanied by her music teacher were traveling in her car to an election result protest on the day of the incident.
 
She stopped her car some distance from where the main protest were being held and got out on foot to cool down as the car’s air conditioner had stopped working.
 
While observing the protests, she was fired upon and mortally wounded in the chest.
 
An Iranian doctor, Arash Hejazi, was standing close to Neda and her teacher when the shot rang out.
 
"I turned back and I saw blood gushing out of Neda's chest," he said.
 
"She was in a shocked situation, just looking at her chest. Then she lost her control."
 
Despite his attempts to save her, Neda died within seconds, her final moments filmed by a passer-by on a mobile phone.
 
In the background, the doctor can be heard pleading: "Stay with me, Neda."
 
The footage quickly spread all over the world.
 
Aftermath
 
Days later, protesters supporting the Iranian opposition in cities around the world held aloft pictures of her and carried banners declaring: "I am Neda."
 
Her name has since become a rallying cry for Iranian pro-reformist campaigners.
Mrs Motlagh said that Neda had the same ambitions that many other young people have, but in particular she had wanted to become a mother.
 
"This for me is the most painful thing of all," she said.
 
She added: "I want... to thank everyone around the world, Iranians and non Iranians, people from every country and culture, people who in their own way, their own tradition, have mourned my child... everyone who lit a candle for her, every musician who wrote songs for her, who wrote poems about her... I want to thank all of them.
 
"Her death has been so painful - words can never describe my true feelings. But knowing that the world cried for her - that has comforted me.
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