March 9, 2010
Exclusive: The Resistance of Iranian Women: We Are All a ‘Neda’ Now
Sara Ahmadi
When it comes to Iran, it is important for one to understand many things, especially considering the events of the last few months. I always think that nobody will know what our people – especially women – have gone through here in Tehran, the heart of Iran.
The bitterest reality is the presence of the mullahs who have imposed their rules on us. I was lucky to see a few years less of the misery these mullahs have brought for us because I was born a few years after the beginning of their rule!
Iran has attracted the attention of the world after the righteous uprising of its people for freedom and democracy; the decisive right of the people.
What is most outstanding in this uprising is the presence of the women of my homeland – the uprising that introduced the innocence of Iranians, especially Iranian women, to the world by the name of Neda (Neda Aghasultan) and the last scenes of her life in this world.
Though my friends and I had gone to her grave for several times and cried over it, we still feel national pride for introducing such a symbol to the world because all of us, the Iranian women, are all a “Neda.”
You know that you are living under the rule of the mullahs if you walk in the streets of Tehran the way you wish to walk. When you step outside of your home, you are forced to be something else. The eyes of these criminals watch you everywhere, watch all your moves, controlling everything from the way you dress to a sudden smile that forms on your lips. Your presence is like a dagger landing in their dirty minds; they cannot bear the free presence of even one woman on the street.
Before the years when I attended university, they only controlled the color of my dress, an extra band of my hair coming out of the compulsory veil and the length of my dress. Yet now they control everything – most of all, they wish to control my thoughts!
University! Just being able to be present there as a woman and not to be afraid that I am a woman is an everyday battle. I thought when I become a student I would have some authority in society as an adult, but this was just a dream. The natural right of every human being is a dream in my country.
I witnessed one of my friends being deprived of her education – someone who tried harder than I did. I got it, despite feeling that I would probably be next. But I didn't lose hope because I knew I wasn't the only one.
Since the beginning of our history and especially since the rule of the mullahs, the oppression of women has been “routine.” As I studied more and became acquainted with different people, I realized it is a misogynous state.
Of course there have been a great number of women who fought in the torture chambers and prisons of this regime and made the henchmen kneel. They proved themselves despite of torture and imprisonment and it must be said that it was because of their struggle that I, as an Iranian woman, am standing at this point.
Iranian women have learned that they will never give us our freedom on a golden tray – thus we have tried to be present where ever we could. The last election presented an opportunity. We found the outlet and took to the fields. We are present everyday, we fight everyday and the war is not over yet.
During the past eight months, my friends and I have had experiences each day; from being beaten to having our arms broken to being attacked by tear gas to being arrested, to name just a few. But what is important is that we have learned how to fight back. We have learned that we must move in front of men and throw stones, as maybe this would make those who still have something of humanity left in them to stop slaughtering our brothers. We learned that we have to seize the batons of Bassijies no matter what the price; we are no less. We understood that now that we have learned martial arts, we can defend ourselves and those beside us.
I well recall that one day a dirty Bassiji hit an old mother in her leg with his baton. A boy went to defend her but he couldn’t. I approached the Bassiji from behind and by my using two martial art techniques, the scene changed. The Bassiji was shocked.
This is the reality in Iran – this glorious presence of young Iranian women shoulder to shoulder with the men in the fields of resistance. Instead of being busy with everyday house chores, Iranian women are pursuing their rights with bravery that has astonished the world. The symbols of our struggle include Neda, Taraneh (Taraneh Mosavi was raped several times by Khamenei's henchmen after she was arrested and her body was burnt with acid to cover this crime) and others.
These days, in spite all the horror provoked by the regime, we realize we cannot just sit by and let them turn us into slaves. There have been thousands of political prisoners and those who have fallen for freedom from amongst us, like the martyrs of the massacre of political prisoners in 1988, who are all buried in Khavaran. The regime fears very much people's gathering in Khavaran. In this cemetery, I saw mostly the names of women, very young ones who were only as old as I am now.
I ask myself: didn't these women love life? Of course they did but what was important for them – as it is for me and other women of my country now – was the right of freedom of any human being, gaining the freedom of our homeland. What I wonder is whether the world is hearing our loud cry for freedom. Does the international society know our condition? Do they know that each day thousands of us are being crushed under the boots of these criminals, on the gallows or in torture chambers, just for reaching for freedom and nobody comes to their aid?
What I really wish from the bottom of my heart is for West, and especially the U.S., to stop their appeasement policy toward this fascist regime so that the people of Iran can uproot this demon of their history.
Contrary to what Ahmadinejad and his Supreme Leader think, the people of Iran do not have a tendency toward violence, we simply want our freedom. If this regime wanted to, it could solve the problem with by holding a free election – but we know that this is not going to happen. The only way left is uprooting this regime in its entirety.
As students and intellectuals residing in the capital, we understand the different political and social problems such as poverty, corruption, prostitution, addiction, unemployment and the pressures imposed by these problems on society. We well know that the wealth of our country is easily used by power-mongers, as atomic bombs and different terrorist acts ordered by the rulers. We are thus inspired us not to keep silent, but to be effective, our voices must be echoed.
World powers must stop supporting and appeasing this regime and must stand beside the Iranian resistance leaded by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, its president-elect.
The women in the Students Committee in Iran demand U.S. to delist PMOI as a terrorist group; a listing that was based on the dirty policy of appeasement with this regime.
My homeland and its people are filled with the pain and suffering caused by appeasement policies with this religious fascist regime that have gone on for years. After eight months of uprising in Iran, the world must understand that Iranians defy this regime in its entirety.
Iranian women are under medieval pressures and limitations, but we will not retreat from our struggle and resistance. We all cry together that we are all a “Neda,” a “Neda” (Neda means cry for summoning) for the freedom of our homeland of Iran – and we need your support.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Sara Ahmadi is president of the Student Committee in Iran and a supporter of the PMOI.
So sad, I too watched that video footage like the rest of the world when Neda was murdered. The mullahs are in league with Satan,for they do only his will.
I only wish that kind of Neda spirit was alive an well in the USA.
Fact, we already have the equivalent of these Mullahs in every branch of our government now. With the head one giving the others orders from the Oval Office.
I wouldn't put it past my own country for purposely instigating all this wicked misery on those dear Iranian people for political gains.
Note: If this new independently funded 911 investigation proves conclusively that the US government staged the event. That will prove that we are no different than Iran now...
posted by: Paul West
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 02:22 PM
Many thanks for this excellent piece,
The Iranian women undoubtedly are tomorrow victorious against theocratic religious fascism ruling Iran.
Bless them all
posted by: Arash
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 06:09 PM
Have a look at below information given by Iranian main democratic opposition which shows who Iranian regime fear women in Iran:
The Iranian regime fearing another mass anti-regime uprising during the annual Fire Festival celebration (Chaharshanbeh Souri, March 16), has given special guidelines to its repressive forces to prevent participation of students in the festivity.
The repressive measures include:
- Summoning parents of students to schools to put pressure on them to prevent their children from going out on the day of festivity. Regime's authorities are warning them that if their children were to be arrested, they will not be released until the last day of Iranian New Year holidays in April.
- Members of Bassij force in schools have been told to write essays about the dangers associated with Fire Festival. Prizes will be given to 150 Bassij members for writing such essays.
The state-run radio and TV station have been ordered to broadcast series of programs with the theme of “enlightening and warning†families and the young general in the run-up to Fire Festival. To this end a 90-minute program has been recorded that shows the dangers of fire crackers and Fire Festival ceremonies in addition to another 30-minute program that introduces the Fire Festival in a way approved by the regime. These two pieces are going to be shown widely by various TV channels, which are all run by the regime.
The Iranian people, who have revolted against the clerical regime are not going to be intimidated and lured by such ploys and are going to continue with their uprising by chanting “Down with Khamenei†and “death to the principle of velayat-e faqih (absolute rule of clergy).†They are going to continue with their display of hate and rage at the entire religious fascism ruling Iran.
posted by: Saeed
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 06:14 PM
Dear Sara,
We haven't forgotten you, we remember Neda Soltan and we are with you in your struggle. Freedom is never free, and the Truth will set you free - pursue it. We are busy informing our governments about the UN for instance with its obsession with Israel whilst true atrocities of violation of basic human rights to women, gay people, Jews, Christians &. are happening in Iran at this important election time and of course other Islamic controlled lands.
Our prayers too are with you.
posted by: kate b
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 06:14 PM
Sarah: Thank you for your courage in writing as you have hear. I have not forgotten the women of Iran.
Neda will not be forgotten, and neither will you.
Freedom WILL come to Iran, as long as brave women such as you continue to raise your voices.
My voice, and my heart, is with you.
posted by: ros
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 11:38 PM
This story must be told friend to friend so that everyone in the world and all those millions who saw Neda's last moments of life should hear this. Neda did not die. She is alive in every human being who cares about other fellow human beings.
This is a moving story of resolve, determination, courage and most of all readiness to pay the price of freedom. With such women the brutal regime has no future and its place is, no doubt, in dustbin of history. The question remains what the western governments are willing to do to reduce the bloodshed. Proscribing PMOI is collaboration with the murderous mullahs who use this unjust, "perverse" (as British Lord Chief Justice called it), and illegal label to kill people like Sara for their support of democratic aspiration of Iranian people. This unjust and foolish collaboration must end right now.
I just hope Sara is using a pseudo name or else the brutal regime will arrest every Sara in the country and torture them to confess that they are Sara Ahmadi, the brave and courageous Sara.
Hail to brave women of Iran.
posted by: Masoud
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 05:11 AM
Thank you so much Sara for your courage in posting this excellent article.
As with all the Iranians I have met in London and Paris, coming from wherever in this world they are living out their exile until they can return home, the simplicity and clarity of your words speaks directly to my heart and tells me that you, like them, are my sister.
Never doubt that your Iranian family in exile have kept faith with their homeland through all these long years. They have also lit in non-Iranian hearts such as mine the flame of love for Ashraf as a beacon of hope for democracy not just for the people of Iran but anyone who yearns for justice and true democracy in this world.
What is wonderful is that, since the evidence of your courage is being seen more and more in the West through the photographic and written evidence you risk your lives to provide, all the misinformation that our governments have been choosing to tell us to believe, about the PMOI being terorists, the Rajavis being cult leaders and the PMOI having no support within Iran itself, can no longer hold any credibility in the hearts and minds of the British people.
I pledge to do everything I can to help our government to change their policy and give you and all the brave Iranian people the help towards self determination that you so richly deserve.
God bless you all and keep you safe.
posted by: Liz Carter
Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 07:18 PM
