posted on Jun, 22 2009 @ 12:49 PM
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Election in Iran
Video turns woman into icon of Iran unrest
Amateur footage appears to capture death of woman identified as ‘Neda’
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
Amateur video of a young Iranian woman lying in the street — blood streaming from her nose and mouth — has quickly become an iconic image of the
country's opposition movement and unleashed a flood of outrage at the regime's crackdown.
They show people trying desperately to treat the woman, who is clad in blue jeans, white sneakers, a black jacket and the headscarf required by
Iran's Islamic dress code. Her eyes roll back and blood squirts from her nose, pouring across her face as those trying to help her scream.
People posting the video say the woman was shot by a member of the pro-government Basij militia.
A profile on Wikipedia identified the woman as Neda Agha Soltani, and said she was 26 or 27 years old.
The bloody imagery alone could have an important impact on public opinion in Iran, where the idea of martyrdom resonates deeply among a populace
steeped in the stories and imagery of Shiite Islam, a faith founded on the idea of self-sacrifice in the cause of justice.
[edit on 22-6-2009 by amyfriend]