Recognizing Iranian Martyrs

Regardless of the outcome of the ongoing unrest in Iran, I sincerely hope that the news and blog coverage of events will have opened the eyes of thinking Americans - yes, that excludes Sarah Palin and most of the GOP base - to the fact that the image of Iran disseminated by the Bush/Cheney regime was NOT the full story. Young Iranians have risked their lives and died (like 18 year old Ashkan Sohrabi pictured at left) in the hope of finding more freedoms and true democracy. It is true that the current government is as horrible in many ways as depicted by the Chimperator and Emperor Palpative Cheney as evidenced by the fact that the current dictatorship seeks to prosecute the doctor who tried to assist the mortally wounded Neda Aqa-Soltan and then spoke to the press about her murder all as reported by Nico Pitney at Huffington Post:

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Fars News Agency in Persian on 1 July 2009 reports that the commander of the Law Enforcement Force said: Arash Hejazi who as the witness of the murder of Neda Aqa-Soltan has created uproar is being prosecuted by the International Police (Interpol). Speaking to a gathering of reporters, General Esma'il Ahmadi-Moqaddam added: Arash Hejazi is being prosecuted by the Ministry of Intelligence and Interpol forces.

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He stressed: The murder of Neda Aqa-Soltan is a scenario which has no links to Tehran's riots. Arash Hejazi, the doctor who was present at Neda Aqa-Soltan's murder scene, has held certain sensational interviews with foreign media on this murder case after departing the country. Hejazi fled to London shortly after Neda's murder. He conducted a lengthy interview with the BBC last week, acknowledging he would probably never be able to return to Iran.

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In contrast, there is this interview with the sister of Ashkan Sohrabi who was killed by thre bullets to the chest. Here are some highlights via Andrew Sullivan's blog:

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Rooz: Tell us about Ashkan

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Elham Sohrabi (Sohrabi): He was my younger brother, born in 1989, very smart and full of potential for education and sports. He was extremely kind and compassionate. Despite his young age, he made very wise decisions.

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Rooz: Where were you on the day of the event?
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Sohrabi: My mother and I were at our house. Ashkan had just returned from the gym. He told us people were protesting on the streets and that fires were burning everywhere. He said he had trouble getting home as anti-riot guards had closed off all surrounding streets and were dispersing people. My mother asked me not to let Ashkan return to the streets. I tried my best to distract Ashkan with things other than the street, but the crowds on our streets (Azadi) continued to get bigger. People sought refuge in alleys and homes. We heard different chants and the sound of bullets and smell of tear gas were everywhere. I asked Ashkan not to go to the street. But he said his last words to me and left the house: "Don't worry, I'll come back."

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Yes, the current government needs to be overthrown, but we in the USA must recognize that the government does not represent the people of Iran who have shown amazing courage and a fearlessness in fighting for democracy and the rule of law.