[Peace] Fw: Vigil Night this Friday

[Randall Cotton]

This is from one of the Iranian students that visited us at our weekly
meeting last Sunday. Another vigil has been organized like the one last
week. Again, please consider joining me in solidarity with the local
Iranian community.

R

:
: Dear Friends and Colleagues,
:
: You probaby have heard about the social unrest in Iran in the aftermath
of
: the presidential election which is highly suspected  to be a terribly
: fradulant one(to be academically cautious; otherwise, "obviously a fraud
: election"). Following the election, scores of people poured into the
street
: *peacefully* protesting the result and asking "WHERE IS MY VOTE?". The
: demand is very specific: re-election under free and fair conditions
: guaranteed by unbiased observers. In response, the state used the
military
: to contain the unrest and, among many other repressive actions, killed
many.
: The official report is a little less that 20. But the estimates, by
foreign
: media, is around 150 just on Saturday June 20(demostrations started on
June
: 13).
:
: We are holding a candlelight vigil to mourn and honor those who were
killed
: in Iran during the demonstrations for democracy and freedom. Your
: participation is not only supporting the Iranian nation in their
struggle
: for democracy and freedom, but also in comforting us who have family and
: friends in Iran.
:
: Time: tomorrow, Friday June 26; 8:30-9:15 PM
: Location: Alma Mater
: poster is attached.
:
:
: *Appendix:*
:
: *A conversation you might wanna read:*
:
: I was on the phone with a couple of my close friends in Iran on Sat
: afternoon(Iran time) right before they left for the protest in which
tens of
: people were murdered including *Neda*. I took notes of my last phone
: conversation with my friend right before she left for the protest. it
might
: be useful to quot a couple of her sentences(my translation of my notes
in
: Farsi). she was at work, and with her colleagues\friends they were about
to
: leave for the protest.
:
: she: "I'm sure they will be violent."
: Me: "What if they kill one of your friends?"
: she: "I don't wanna think about it."
: she, continued: "I'm leaving. I'm scared. I'm scared right now. But I
go. If
: I don't go, they think that they have frightened us. I want to tell them
: that they can't frightened us, and we stand by our rights to the end."
: Me: "Why?"
: she: "Its very important. because they get their legitimacy from us, by
out
: votes, by this huge turnout. I want to, at least, get back that
legitimacy
: from them."
:
: We knew that this can be our last conversation. She left the phone in
her
: office so that if she gets arrested, the security forces don't bother
her
: friends on the contact list. She was lucky that she didn't get shot.
Neda
: and many other protestors whose pictures were never taken were not.
:
:
:
: *An Introduction to the recent repression actions in Iran:*
:
: The government of Mr. Ahmaninezhad and his allies with the backing of
the
: military(the famous paramilitary force "Basij", the notorious
Revolutionary
: Guard, Police, Special Security Forces) have been attempting to repress
the
: peaceful demonstrations:
:
:    - widespread censorship including interruption to phone services,
:    blocking the internet communication and foreign TV channels,
expelling the
:    foreign media reporters,...
:    - widespread arrest of the protestors, activists, and journalists.
:    - beating, tear gas, raiding home, water cannon, and
:    - *opening fire on the protestors*
:    - the security forces collect the injured and wounded from the
hospitals
:    and move them to special hospitals under military control.
:    - ...and the list goes on
:
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