The footage of the death of Neda Agha-Soltan (Persian: ندا آقا سلطان – Nedā Āġā Soltān; January 23rd, 1982 – June 20, 2009) drew international attention after she was killed during the 2009 Iranian election protests. Her death was captured on video by bystanders and broadcast over the Internet and the video became a rallying point for the reformist opposition. Nedā (ندا) is a word used in Persian to mean “voice”, “calling,” or “divine message,” and she has been referred to as the “voice of Iran.”

Today is her birthday!

She made the world to hear our voice.

در آ ن شب سرد پاييز آهنگ سفر ميكردي از رهگذري محنت خيز ديدم كه گذر ميكردي از آن شب سرد خزان شبها گذشته داستان باده و مينا گذشته . روزگاري بر من تنها گذشته تو رفتي و دلم غمين شد قرين آه آتشين شد از آن شبي كه برنگشتي جهان كه شادي آفرين بود به چشم من غم آفرين شد از آن شبي كه برنگشتي لا لا لا لالا لالا لا لا از آن شبي كه برنگشتي

Today- January 15th- Dr Haleh Eesfandiari talked about her recent book , My Prison, My Home in Munk Center at University of Toronto.

The Campbell room was full, mostly by Iranian.

She mostly talked about her time in solitary confinement in Iran, and tough time she had in Evin; she also mentioned the current movement in Iran and she was asked to give her opinion on the conditions of political prisoners specially women who have been arrested recently in Iran. In addition she talked about the inflluence of Zahra Kazemi’s death on the attitude of the Islamic Republic with her; she believed that they tried to at least not to hurt her physically.

Dr Esfandiari believes that the Iranians who live outside of Iran has a n important duty which is to raise international awareness about the human rights abuses in Iran. Another major concerns of Dr Esfandiari was the Kian Tajbakh’s case and she puting lots of efforts to take some actions through international organisation.

She thinks that Obama has done a good job in case of Iran and taken a fair position, however, at the same time, she believes that because of the post-electoral events in Iran, Obama’s facing lots of difficulties to deal with Iran.

P.S1: She mentioned that her investigators were highly educated, and were professors.

P.S2: She is asked about the logic behind the Iran’s attitude toward the worlds; Dr. Esfandiari responded that Tehran does understand the situation; they’re suranded by America in Iraq, Afghanistan…They have this paranoia that they will be the next.

P.S3: She said: “Russia and china’s relation with Iran is kind of Let go and live!”  

For more information please see links below:

In English:

Book Review: My Prison, My Home

About My Prison, My Home, including the book’s description and price

In Parsi:

 زندان من، خانه من: روایت هاله اسفندیاری از روزهای زندان در ایران

1. Join to this group on Facebook: Click to join!

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Earthquake Haiti

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Finally, Please share this post with your friend.

This is my desk at G8 Research Group’s office at University of Toronto. 

It’s been a week that I started my new job; I’m working on G8’s summits and commitments on Iran.

FREE MY AUNT!
Zohreh Tonkaboni is the symbol of a generation; the generation of Iranian women and men who have dedicated their entire life to the struggle for freedom; the generation who had spent its youth protesting against the Shah and years of its adult life in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The generation whose path had been changed by the turns of history and whose once not so distant dreams of a better Iran had been taken away from them in the nick of time; the generation that had lost its vision of a better Iran after the Revolution of 1979. The generation who had endured years of prison and torture and had witnessed the execution of wives, mothers, husbands, fathers, children, brothers and sisters with disbelief and whose cries for justice had gone unheard.
Now that after many decades, the world has heard their struggle for freedom, now that after years of protesting they finally have the opportunity of hearing the voice of their nation for freedom, their basic human rights have been taken from them. The cold and heavy doors of Evin prison have closed behind them and once again this notorious prison has become the host of these well known and well loved personalities.
Zohreh is one of many who have lived this destiny; men and women who have shared these stories with my generation for years to raise our awareness about human rights abuses in Iran. We have grown up with them, have heard their stories and also tried to learn from their victories and defeats. Some of us have had the opportunity to get to know these personalities; they have been our “aunts” and “uncles”, the way in Iranian culture persons close to the family are designated by the young. They not only fought for freedom but they also sacrificed their lives and dreams for this cause. Now, many of them are in prison. Now we demand that our aunts and uncles be freed.
Now, it is the turn of our generation!

FREE MY AUNT!

Zohreh Tonkaboni is the symbol of a generation; the generation of Iranian women and men who have dedicated their entire life to the struggle for freedom; the generation who had spent its youth protesting against the Shah and years of its adult life in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The generation whose path had been changed by the turns of history and whose once not so distant dreams of a better Iran had been taken away from them in the nick of time; the generation that had lost its vision of a better Iran after the Revolution of 1979. The generation who had endured years of prison and torture and had witnessed the execution of wives, mothers, husbands, fathers, children, brothers and sisters with disbelief and whose cries for justice had gone unheard.

Now that after many decades, the world has heard their struggle for freedom, now that after years of protesting they finally have the opportunity of hearing the voice of their nation for freedom, their basic human rights have been taken from them. The cold and heavy doors of Evin prison have closed behind them and once again this notorious prison has become the host of these well known and well loved personalities.

Zohreh is one of many who have lived this destiny; men and women who have shared these stories with my generation for years to raise our awareness about human rights abuses in Iran. We have grown up with them, have heard their stories and also tried to learn from their victories and defeats. Some of us have had the opportunity to get to know these personalities; they have been our “aunts” and “uncles”, the way in Iranian culture persons close to the family are designated by the young. They not only fought for freedom but they also sacrificed their lives and dreams for this cause. Now, many of them are in prison. Now we demand that our aunts and uncles be freed.

Now, it is the turn of our generation!

خاله زهره را آزاد کنید

زهره تنکابنی سمبل یک نسل است، نسلی که تمام عمرش را به مبارزه برای آزادی گذرانده است. نسلی که دست زمانه رویای شیرین و نزدیک ایران بهتر را در آخرین لحظه نه تنها از دستشان ربود بلکه دوباره آن را به رویایی دور تبدیل کرد .نسلی که جوانی اش در مبارزه با شاه گذشت و دوران میانسالی اش  در زندانهای جمهوری اسلامی. نسلی که گذشته و آرزوی داشتن ایرانی زیبا بعد از انقلاب را از دست داد. نسلی که زندانهای طولانی، شکنجه و اعدام زن ،شوهر،مادر، پدر، فرزند، برادر و خواهر خود را در کمال ناباوری به نظاره نشست و فریاد دادخواهی اش به جایی نرسید. اکنون که بعد از بیست سال تلاش صدای فریاد آنان به گوش ما رسیده، اکنون که بعد از سالها تلاش آنها قادر هستند صدای آزادی را بشنوند، دوباره آزادی از آنها گرفته، درهای سرد و سنگین اوین به رویشان بسته و دوباره زندان اوین پذیرای این چهره های آشنا و دوست داشتنی شد
خاله ها و عموهای ما را آزاد کنید، آنها در راه آزادی فقط مبارزه نکردند، آنها زندگی و رویاهایشان را به پای آزادی ریختند، بی منت.
 نسل من! اکنون نوبت توست.

Well, I think the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs would answer this question!

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow’s_hierarchy_of_needs