Saturday, June 27, 2009

Khwajah Moinuddin Chishty an Apostle of Peace

winds of war
on his territory cease
khawjah moinuddin chishty
apostle of peace
his protectorate beyond the seven seas
all faiths
all caste community
seeking ultimate release
from chaos dogmatic
dictatorship and all disease
of the body mind and the soul
caused by rabid politics and rabid priests
who divide humanity into tinier piece
vested interests and their caprice
hate on rent intolerance on lease
the poor the needy the disfranchised
the marginalized the eunuchs the hijras
all with love he protects and sees

Iran Says CIA killed Neda !

image courtesy hamex iranian

Iranian Ambassdor In Mexico Tells CNN That CIA Killed Neda And It Was All Planed Before It Happend !

courtesy
www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=202314015507&ref=n...

they the killers
continue with their lies
spirtual leaders
matrix of evil in disguise
destroying Iran
a Mideastern paradise
Neda Soltani
paid the price
the fallen foot soldier of freedom
the entire world cries
a change is imminent
in the government
of the Lord of the Flies

Flowers of Shame

in a garden of innocence
plucked used abused
living life is not the same
trampled flowers of shame
nice smiles white angelic
garments pedophile became
crimes protected by an edifice
hidden under a red carpet aflame
a slip between the cup and the lip
a chalice of his Holy Name
oh it was the child
who seduced us
they blame
In the Name of the Father
a Holy Truth they proclaim
spirituality desensitizing the flesh
the name of the game
watching silently
a mother a child on a frame

The Beggar Lady From Pydhonie

people pass her by
have eyes
her pain they do not see
or hear her painful plea
the beggar lady from pydhonie
mumbai rains batter her soul
only death will set her free
from her karmic misery

The Hijras of Ajmer

near the bulund darwaza
in the heart of moti katla square
a hijra paradise human souls
peace hope harmony spirituality
togetherness with the Khwajah
come to share ..
the Holy Saint the patron of the hijras
the Urus the greatest spiritual fair
their pain , their sufferings
their sorrow their despair
at the tomb of the Khwajah
they weep and bare
dancing on the hot marble bare feet
they hold mortality in a snare
babita the queen of najafgarh
exotic beauty rare
mona the eunuch child
little boys clothes loves to wear
gopal haji the nayak of the hijras
sitting close by on a chair
laxmi narayan tripathi
from mumbai my hijra guru
with her chelas will also be there
shooting them marc de clercq
who has ample time to spare
I will join them too tomorrow
the mystic of mumbai
bald headed no footwear
basanti the gypsy hijra
with the screaming
malang zubair
zeenat the siddhi hijra
your heart from your body
she will tear
the hijra bawas of char yaar
chanting mantras in open air
naughty mona from mumbai
simran heena salma
please beware
hijra damsels pursued
by fat filthy rich millionaires
madhurima ma from park site
baby hijra guru make a lovely pair
the cross dressers missing
as they walk the gay parade in Delhi
devil may care cursing Article 377
the criminal sodomy law
a hate filled anti human
a heritage of the Brirish Vampire
but our new government is not aware



hujra no 6
peersaab fakhru miya
my host his head bowed in prayer
the rafaees with shahenshah baba
the new head of the chancawallias
selected as handi sai's heir
the malangs of char yaar
siiting on the graves everywhere
chiillum smoke ganja fragrance in the air
in two days I will shoot an eternity
ajmer my crazy love affair
a 16 GB card pulling pictures
out of thin air
I will miss cousin Glenn Losack
this time as he wont be there
the chatti of the Holy Saint
qawwalis all night long
kaif trance dancing in the air
Peace the greatest instrument
the heart and soul
of a Sufi doctrinaire

I Am Arti the Beggar Girl of Mahim

at the traffic signal
of st michaels church
reliving her dream
arti
the beggar girl of mahim
happy full of life
it seems
collecting alms
her eyes lit up
by the car beams
with the other beggars kids
of the mori road slum she teams
unaware of the honking of the drivers
their abusive screams
her smile worth a million dollar
as it gleams

dedicated to randall joel..

I Am Neda


I Am Neda, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

photo courtesy
www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00577/Iran-LA_57...

you shoot one
a hundred
a hundred thousand
Nedas
will be born
to take her place
now that
she is gone
I am Neda
Freedoms Dawn
a bleeding rose
punishing a thorn
a shroud of green
taking the devil
by the horn
dont test the will of the people
the voice of the people we warn
to take vengeance on you
she will be reborn
she lives in the soul of Iran
we dont need to mourn

Friday, June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson " Invincible" RIP

photo courtesy
www.music-atlas.com/images/michael_jackson_3.jpg

Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)[2] was an American recording artist and entertainer. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, four of his solo studio albums are among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), while his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time.

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era. Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.

Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009, aged 50.[2]

Muslims of Behrampada Bandra East Need You !!!!

This ends the series of pictures I shot on 25 June 2009..at Behrampada Bandra East.

My title too make others read this and see the pain of the people of Behrampada ..political parties must cut through party lines and bring aid and relief to these helpless people.

The one party that can do a lot just a single word from Shri Bala Saheb Thackeray and Shri Udhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena..could almost be a miracle in disguise..the situation is not about appeasing the Muslims but standing up for them as Mumbaikars even if the majority hails from UP or Bihar..

Even the MNS and Mr Raj Thackeray should come out in support of these unfortunate people in a bigger way and see that rehabilitation process is done more speedily without bureaucratic delay .On July 29 200 we are expecting heavy rainfalls , so action should be taken much before this dangerous zone arrives.

What saddens me there is no other organization that has come forward to alleviate the problems off this helpless souls, I think even if they are Muslims they need sympathy , care as they are our Indian brethren ,this is the time for the other communities to come forward with an olive branch.. it takes two hands to clap..
The relief agencies at Bismillah Compund are looking for donors , well wishers, another sad thought , there has been no collection drive by the Bollywood producers , directors and stars , earlier they did it for the serial bomb victims ?

Or is because these victims of harsh fate are Muslims that apathy is being shown to them..
An American lady miles across the oceans sent me this message at Flickr..

"Your people need help, Fizore. And you may be the only one in this case who can get them that help. Flickr is fine and so are blogs but Youtube is often where the real power is, or on Facebook possibly ......

Have you written the Red Crescent and Unicef? How bout some celebrities like Americans? Get George Clooney or someone aware of it and something may happen .......I mean hello there was enough controversy about "Slum Dogs" but it got attention and so now people are aware.

Or write Oprah, that woman has incredible power ......

Iran Zendabad

image courtesy Hamed Rad

a nation
crying out to be free
free it surely
is going to be
the voice of the people
the will of the people
protected by the Almighty
God is not Blind
He can see
Truth Equality Liberty Justice
he will guarantee
the Oppressor the Tyrant
he will bring to his knees
Iran Zendabad
Quest for Peace
a captive bird
He will release

We Will Not Pay To Use Facebook.Need As Many Members Possible To Stop This!

link courtesy
fred miller master blaster blogger

www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=74781782039&...


Common Interest - Current Events
Description:
Because of Facebook's huge popularity Mark Zuckerberg is getting a lot of offers from people wanting to buy Facebook. People Who WILL turn it into a paysite.

Lets all stick together on this one and let them know that we will leave Facebook if they decide to charge us to use it.

Please join and use the "INVITE PEOPLE TO JOIN" tab on the right hand side and invite all your friends to join.

WE WILL NOT PAY TO USE FACEBOOK!!!


All you have to do to help STOP this is:

► 1 Join this group.

► 2 Click on "Invite People to Join" button in the right menu.

► 3 Select all of your friends.

► 4 Click on the "Send invitation" button


...........(0 0)
.---oOO-- (_)-----.
╔═════════════════╗
║ INVITE ALL YOUR FRIENDS ║
╚═════════════════╝
'---------------oOO
........|__|__|
.......... || ||
....... ooO Ooo
Contact Info
Website:
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=74...
Location:
London, United Kingdom

natarsim natarsim, ma hame ba ham hastim

image and post courtesy mona irani

www.facebook.com/home.php#/note.php?note_id=100822597605&...

Before reading consider the fact that real change comes from within, as you have seen during the last weeks.قبل از خواندن توجه داشته باشید که در این هفته ها دیدیم که چگونه تغییر واقعی از درون می جوشد

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

هموطنان عزیز

ایرانیان شرافتمند دور از وطن
حضور گسترده و پرشور شما هموطنان در انتخابات 22 خرداد امسال نمایانگر دلبستگی شما عزیزان
به ایران عزیز و دغدغه هاي قابل تحسین شما نسبت به آینده کشورتان است و همانطور که در پیام
انتخاباتی به شما عزیزان اعلام کردم ایران متعلق به همه ایرانیان است و همه آحاد ملت در داخل و
خارج نسبت به آینده آن مسئول و در آن از حقوق یکسان برخوردارند.ا

بر خود فرض میدانم که از حماسه حضور شما در تعیین سرنوشت کشورتان قدردانی نمایم .ا

استقبال گسترده شما عزیزان از این انتخابات و حضور سبز و بانشاطتان در پاي صندوق هاي ر أي
آنچنان وسیع بود که حتی منابع دولتی و برگزار کنندگان انتخابات ر ا وادار نمود که به افزایش
سیصد درصدي مشارکت هموطنان خارج از کشور در انتخابات دهمین دوره ریاست جمهوري
اعتراف نمایند.ا

اعتماد وسیع شما به این خادم کوچک ملت و رأي قاطعتان به اینجانب در اکثریت حوزه هاي رأي
گیري خارج از کشور مسئولیت سنگینی را بر دوش من گذاشته است.مایلم به همه شما اطمینان
دهم به عهدي که با شما عزیزان و تمامی آحاد ملت بزرگ و حماسه ساز کشورمان بسته بودم
پایبند بوده و با استفاده از تمامی راهکارهاي قانونی حقوق حقه شما را، که در صندوق هاي ر أي
متجلی شده بود پیگیري خواهم کرد.ا

متأسفانه چنانچه شما نیز از طریق رسانه هاي بین المللی مشاهده میکنید ، بر خلاف نص صریح
قانون اساسی و آزادي هاي مصرح در جمهوري اسلامی کلیه امکانات ارتباطات من با ملت و از جمله
شما عزیزان قطع شده و اعتراضات مسالمت آمیز مردم سرکوب می شود . رسانه ملی که از بیت
المال کشور اداره میشود با سیاه نمایی مشمئز کننده اي به قلب حقایق پرداخته و راه پیمایی
مسالمت آمیز قریب به سه میلیون نفر در تهران را به اغتشاشگران نسبت میدهد و روزنامه هایی
که از منابع دولتی اداره میشود به بوق و کرناي غاصبان رأي مردم تبدیل شده اند.ا

اینجانب ضمن تشکر مجدد از اعتراضات مسالمت آمیز شما هموطنان خارج از کشور که انعکاس
وسیعی در جهان داشت از شما میخواهم که با استفاده از کلیه راهکارهاي قانونی و وفاداري به نظام
مقدس جمهوري اسلامی، صداي اعتراض خود را در تقلب گسترده انتخابات به گوش مسئولین
کشور برسانید. من کاملاً بر این نکته واقفم که خواسته مشروع و برحق شما هیچ ارتباطی با فعالیت
گروههایی که معتقد به نظام مقدس جمهوري اسلامی ایران نیستند، ندارد. بر شماست که صفوف
خود را از آنان جدا کرده و اجازه سوء استفاده از موقعیت کنونی را به آنان ندهید.ا

میرحسین موسوي
1388/4/3



In the Name of the God, The Compassionate, The Merciful

Dear compatriots,
Honorable Iranians living abroad,

Your widespread and energetic presence in this year’s 22 Khordad elections is indicative of your ties to our beloved Iran, and your admirable worries about the future of your country, and as I mentioned to you in my election message, Iran belongs to all Iranians and all layers of the populous are responsible for its future, and enjoy the same rights in it.

I feel obliged to thank you for your epic presence in determining the future of your country. Your widespread welcoming of these elections and your green and energetic presence at the ballot boxes was so large that it even forced the government and the organizers of the elections to admit to a 300% increase in the participation of Iranians in the tenth presidential elections outside of the country.

Your trust in this insignificant civil servant and your decisive vote for me in most of the voting stations outside of the country has placed a heavy burden on my shoulders. I would like to give you my assurance that I remain true to my existing pact with you and all layers of the great people of Iran, and using all legal avenues will demand your deserved rights that have been violated at the ballot boxes.

Unfortunately, as you witness in the international media, contrary to the letter of the constitution, and the stated freedoms in the Islamic Republic, all my communication with the people and you has been cut off, and people’s peaceful objections are being crushed. The national media which is being financed with public funds, with a revolting misrepresentation is changing the truth, and labels the peaceful march of close to three million people as anarchist, and the media that are being controlled by the government have become the mouthpiece of those who have stolen the people’s votes.

I’d like to thank you again for your peaceful objections which have received widespread coverage across the world, and would like to ask you that by using all legal channels, and by remaining faithful to the sacred system of the Islamic Republic, to make sure that your objections are heard by the authorities in the country. I am fully aware that your justified demands have nothing to do with groups who do not believe in the sacred Islamic Republic of Iran’s system. It is up to you to distance yourself from them, and do not allow them to misuse the current situation.

Mir Hossein Mousavi
1388/4/3

Special thanks for the Translation: iranshahamat@yahoo.com

Michael Jackson Superstar RIP

image courtesy
imspeakingtruth.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/michael-jacks...


Michael Jackson, Pop Icon, Is Dead at 50
aka Mikaeel

www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/arts/music/26jackson.html?ref=...

The One Who Flew the Cuckoos Nest

photo courtesy
www.seedsofdoubt.com/images/bush-prison-face.jpg

poem inspired by linda schaefer

the one who got away
a war criminal
need i say
American flawed
justice
protects its own
a sucked system
at play
being white
is better than
being black or gray
blood littered
of the sons of America
Iraq Afghanistan
wont repay
unless Obama
has his way
Injustice
is here to stay

Behrampada As Is Where Is

I have decided to post the balance pictures of Behrampada shot today , without tweaking, to show you the stark reality in color , the rains the people and the pain that lingers on, I used my creativity in my earlier pictures ,I made the statement I had to make.. now back to my pedestrian photography of pain as seen on the viewfinder of my soul.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Behrampada Weeps With The Rains

This evening I went back to Behrampada the area where the fire had taken exactly a week back, I shot this from the sky walk at Bandra East facing the disaster site.
It was raining and the place below is muddy , dirt and filthy as hell..
On the right is the area where the homeless have been housed in a temporary makeshift cover..and the medical relief van belongs to Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust , thanks to the MP of the Congress party Priya Dutt Roncon..
Late Nargis Dutt the versatile actress who worked in many movies the most famous being Mother India directed by the doyen Mehboob Khan, was the wife of late actor Mr Sunil Dutt, parents of Namrata , Priya and actor Sanjay Dutt .

I have shot all this in color but tweaked it to show you the stark reality of pain..the fire was extinguished but the flames of deprivation , attack the homeless and the poor, the rains too have played spoil sport to this test test of endurance and despair.


I did not have the courage, to go back to the lanes I had shot, I did not have an umbrella and no cover for my camera either..

Later after taking several shots I came down and shot the make shift structure where some families have been housed..


The Relief camps are doing their very best but hope the government chips in wholeheartedly, the house and people survey continues , a week has elapsed its not over yet.

Bodies still lie buried under the debris, the bulldozers can only move in once the survey is over.. the stink of death they say is odorous , and the fear of an epidemic haunts the survivors.

Behrampada weeps in the torrential rains of Mumbai.. the window panes of the corridors of Sachivalya the seat of the State government should hear the pitter patter too....

Thank You Glenn

photo courtesy
www.flickr.com/photos/glosackmd/3659038526/in/photostream/

I wish to dedicate "Darkness" a new GLOSACK to my dearest friend for life
a man dedicated to documenting human suffering and without whose guidance, caring and
love I would not be alive.I toast to you FIroze Shakir. I hope you approve of this gift i give to you Dr Glenn Losack MD

MY POEM TO GLENN

Darkness
is the search of the human soul
that never ends ..brittle hard strong
an urge that one never suspends
it neither bows nor bends
through its bounty
the human flesh it tends
broken hearts broken dreams
broken homes it mends
a path it follows as it wends
from Mumbai to Manhattan in a bottle
a message of peace this mystic sends
from shadows of a picture
into the silhouette of a poem he blends
if you take away honor ..what else is left
for a man to defend

We Will Overcome

photo courtesy
www.churchtimes.co.uk/uploads/images/p8_Iran elections#1#.jpg


a single chant of freedom
the beatings of the drum
natarsim natarsim, ma hame ba ham hastim
in a single voice they hum
tyranny dictatorship accursed basiji
we will overcome
silently suffering
as the whole world watches
we will not succumb
neda soltani
angel of peace
a symbol of our freedom
has become
no more riding piggy back
under their evil thumb

Behrampada Weeps

the monsoons lashing the soul
on roads , pavements street corners they sleep
homeless hopeless as the night creeps
on the soul of humanity
behrampada weeps
promises that politicians
perhaps might not keep
houses as debris
on garbage heaps
from under a tattered newspaper
as bed sheet
a little child peeps
fate from the fire
into the frying pan leaps

THIS PROJECT NEEDS URGENT ATTENTION.

I received this in my G Mail inbox.. I would like too share with all of you..

Hello friend,

My name is Scott Wright, I am an American soldier, I am serving in the military with the 1st Armored Division in Iraq , as you know we are being attacked by insurgents everyday and car bombs. We managed to move part of funds belonging to Saddam Hussein's family in 2003.

The total amount is US$ 3 Million dollars in cash, mostly 100 dollar bills, this money has been kept somewhere outside Baghdad, with security company in Madrid Spain, for some time but with the proposed troop in increase by president Barrack Obama, to end the suicide bombing and make peace with Iraq militant and terrorist, we are afraid that the money may be discovered hence we want to move this money to you for safekeeping pending the completion of our assignment here.

READ THIS WEBSITE VERY WELL AND GET BACK TO ME.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm

We are ready to compensate you with good percentage of the funds, No strings attached, Iraq is a war zone, and we was able to move this money through diplomatic means to ship the money out as military cargo to your to Madrid Spain and upon good arrangement with us and the security company in Spain, it will be moved to your home, under diplomatic immunity cover.

I am contacting you in confidence, all arrangement for the successful delivery has been put in place, all we need from you is to receive the cargo from the diplomat, If you are interested I will send you the full details, my job is to find a good partner that we can trust and that will assist us. Can I trust you? When you receive this letter, kindly send me an e-mail signifying your interest.

Regards ,

Sgt. Scott Wright.

The Wisdom of the Goat of Behrampada

says the wise goat of behrampada close to the office of a political party

the fire
the destruction
will soon fade away from
public memory
other matters need
the politicians attention
dont you see
how could structures
four floors high
like a tower of babel
held by iron channels
actually
on a repair permission
allowed to be built
illegally
hopes
dreams
buried
in the debris
life lived precariously
where even god
gives no guarantee
assembly elections
round the corner
an issue politicized
completely
law and order governance
apathy
narrow lanes of death
ladders leading to the sky
illegal electrical connections
safety and prevention
gone to the dogs
death doing its rounds free
those who built castles in the sand
the future did not foresee
a tear rolled down
the cheek of humanity
the sacrificial wise goat
ponders
at the foolishness of man
silently
paper wings
trying to touch
fiery eternity
vulnerable fragile
man at the mercy of
mortality

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Silence of the Lamb

photo courtesy hamex iranian

in iran a single chant
"natarsim natarsim, ma hame ba ham hastim
all over tehran echoes
only the supreme counciil of tyranny
does not know
to the voice of the people
the will of the people
no respect does it show
baton wielding basiji
kicks slaps and blows
a crusade for justice and truth
a mandate of the people
will eventually overthrow
the silence of the lamb
from every blog overflows
facebook flickr twitter
poetry pictures and prose

THEY WHO STOLE THE VOTES

photo courtesy
hamex iranian
www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1913997&id=605123259&a...

they who stole the votes
in the darkness of treachery
to keep themselves afloat
using the will and the voice
of the Iranian people
as sacrificial goat
spiritual terrorism
the accursed basijis
cut throats
on the streets of Tehran
a battle for Truth
the people fought
Peace A New Dawn
of Iran
to promote
Yazidiyat
on the souls of the tyrants
from time immemorial
God wrote
“Meejangam, Meemeeram, rayam-o-pass meegeeram”
“I will fight, I will die, I will get my vote back.”
to quote

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or9aiGBh3YQ&feature=related

A Curse Called the Basiji of Iran

This story pictures courtesy salon news @Mike Madden link given by Steve Kowalchuck Facebook..

www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=93955294799&h=eeso...

The torture of a 17-year-old in Iran

A teenager's story, with graphic photos, of abuse at the hands of Iran's religious paramilitaries, the Basij
Editor's note: Salon has obtained an e-mail, written in Farsi, circulating among Iranian American activists that tells the story of a 17-year-old boy who says he was tortured by government agents in Tehran. The e-mail, with attached photos of the victim, was sent by a friend of the boy's after his release. Though it's unclear exactly when the events in the story happened, the e-mail arrived in the U.S. late last week. The activist who forwarded it to Salon wanted it published to show what's happening as Iran is gripped by ongoing protests and a harsh government crackdown. The message was translated by a different Salon source, who raised some questions about a few specific details in the narrative -- the boy says he was moved around more than seems to make sense; at times he seems to confuse the police with the Basij paramilitaries; and, especially, his belief that non-Iranians were assisting in the abuse, a rampant but unsubstantiated rumor in Iran and among exiles. But the translator said some confusion is understandable for a scared teenager in his situation: "It is obvious that he was tortured."

To protect the people involved and their friends and family in Iran, Salon is not identifying those who sent or translated the message. The first paragraph below is the introduction circulating with the story, and the rest is from the boy.

By Mike Madden

June 24, 2009 | The pictures you are about to see are not from someone who supports anarchy, he is not even a part of the "DUST" that Ahmadinejad called his opponents. He is just a 17-year-old boy who was supposed to take the university entrance exam within a month before his fingers were broken and the finger webs were cut with a blade. He was arrested violently in the parking lot of a living complex without even taking part in any of the recent activities, and after more than 24 hours he returned home while his face was fully covered with blood and one could only see his eyes. These pictures are taken hours after his return home, his bruised face and broken nose cannot be shown due to his and his parents fear from the security guards. This is a summary of his story:

"It was around 12:30 a.m., and I was with my friend, his brother and his brother's wife. We were talking right in front of his place, which is about 2 to 3 blocks away from my place, while a group of people escaping entered the alley and took refuge in houses with open doors. My friends' place is in the middle of the alley so nobody took refuge there, and we went in and closed the doors. His brother and his wife went in building and asked me to join them as well, but since I was not feeling comfortable with his family, my friend and I stayed out in the parking."

"All of a sudden agents in black uniforms and helmets carrying batons broke the door and entered. We tried to hide behind the big trash bin at the end of the parking but one of them saw us, whistled and informed the rest of them who were just leaving the parking. It was just baton strikes all over my body after that, and we were transferred to the minus 4 level of Ministry of Intelligence building. There were a lot of riot police in black uniforms like those on the streets there. They were mostly non-Farsi speakers, and those who spoke Farsi kept telling us they could kill us right away and no one would ever know, they were also insulting us with very bad words."

"One of them asked me if Mr. Khatami would come save us, while they were breaking my fingers and cutting the finger webs. Although I swore a thousand times that I had not voted and had never participated in any demonstration, they didn't care and just kept beating me hard. I fainted once or twice but there were some of us who fainted every time their bones were broken, and as soon as they gained their consciousness, the riot police started beating them again. I was trying to contract my muscles to avoid further bone fracture."

"This continued till around 1 p.m., when they took us to another place, where security guards were in charge. We were then interrogated by the militia. Again, they kept beating me although I told them that I have never participated in any demonstration. In general, they were less harsh than the previous ones. In the evening, we were transferred to a police station where normal police with green uniform hung us by our hands (you can see the signs of the string around my wrists on the pictures), they hung some of us upside down and started beating us again."

"Around 2 AM, they took us to a police hospital where they just stitched the web of my fingers that were still bleeding and bandaged my head without any stitches. They released us in a highway, I think they knew we did nothing; otherwise they would not release us. I am surprised how I tolerated all the tortures and survived. I didn't see anyone dying there; a lot of people just lost their consciousness, but I guess the baton strikes were so harsh that brain injury or internal bleeding was inevitable. I can never forget the scenes I saw there."

Enough Dont Desecrate the Burqa Anymore

In your country do what you have to do
ban the burqa but don't desecrate it anymore
you the modern nobility of France
for you the Burqa a garment of oppression
a garment of subservience
for us our spiritual second skin and more
stop your racial profiling your irresponsible
racist remarks off the cuff for sure
as Muslim women we implore
get your head checked
prevention is better than cure
dont put Ms Carla Bruni in a Burqa
a thought our hearts wont endure
she is far too pretty and demure
as for us within the walls of our Burqa
we are spiritually morally secure
our path to freedom clean and pure

The Resilient Muslim Race

The resilient
Muslim race
it falls it rises
hardships calamity
it will face
leaderless
but collectively calm
by Gods grace
ancestry
to Peace and Brotherhood trace
indeed God is Great
a chant from the minaret always
Truth Justice Tolerance embrace
another mans religion
wont deface
living as Indians
giving other
Indians breathing space
through sectarian strife
sectarian hate
this religion
they have tried to erase
the enemies of Islam
are not outside
but within
they will one day
fall into place
the Holy Message
of Humanity
will once again
become their base
live and lets others
live peacefully
this planet a momentary
nesting place
for the final journey
when we meet him
in sheer human humility
face to face
Islam from a Muslim
or a Muslim from Islam
you simply cant replace

The Narrow Lanes of Hell

the narrow lanes of hell
the unfortunate
the miserable
the homeless
the houseless
of Behrampada Bandra East
now on the pavements dwell
through my pictures of despair
the story of their pain I tell
where there is hope there is life
soon they will get well
only god can sound their death knell
they will rise as they fell
breaking free from the hands
of the devil

Behrampada Cries

the death toll on the rise
building towers of babel
man pays a ransom twice
buried under the rubble
his family lies
on the soul of humanity
behrampada cries
homeless
houseless
jobless
as someone dies
living in ghettos
they pay the price
pound foolish and penny wise
fate like a gambler
a loaded dice
winning the game in disguise
the scourge of the monsoon
over their heads it flies
raindrops lashing their spirits
the flesh survives
man walking a trapeze
of a double edged knife
death where is thy sting
take my life


dedicated to tom andrews who saved my life once..

Dust to Dust Ashes to Ashes

All gone ...
dust to dust ashes to ashes.
.more pain and sorrow
the human soul encashes
in the minds eye
the burning machines
the bales of fabric
surmounting losses
as lightning flashes
a world of profit
a world of hard work
to the ground crashes
on the vulnerable fragile soul
some more godly lashes
bleeding flesh some more gashes

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Memories


Memories, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Aftab (Persian: آفتاب ) (means sun in Persian)

memories
through your pictures
on our souls you freeze
touching an eternity
we call peace
dreams
bound to
a golden fleece
billowing blowing
like cool breeze

dedicated to aftab..

Sitting on the Grave of a House

the burning fire of fate
calamity doom
they did douse
all lost with
the supreme maker
they have no grouse
sitting on the grave
of what was once their house
the sleeping children
buried under the debris
who will rouse
a woman searching for
her missing spouse

Dedicated to the CM of Maharashtra who came saw the tragedy and has promised that the State machinery will help the homeless and the needy..

A Ruined Man Profile in Pain

This was a readymade Tshirt manufacturing unit -the machines the fabrics , the raw material, the stocks all burned down at Behrampada Bandra East.. what you are seeing is the profile of a ruined man..there is nothing left just hardcore raw pain..facing gloom and a future of despair.
Most of these small scale units are not even insured , they buy electricity illegally from touts and it is perhaps a short circuit overloading that caused the unprecedented disastrous fire..

And one man Richard Higgins aka Yorrik felt this pain, before I could write the text on this post..does pain need words for translation...

".but it is a very moving image and i am glad you took these.

all the best my friend, to everyone there or at least the very basics " yorrik

The Accursed Basiji of Iran

Feared Basij militia has deep history in Iranian conflict

By Samira Simone
CNN
edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/22/iran.basij.militia...

They may wear a uniform, or ordinary street clothes. Their numbers are unclear. They rush the streets with brute strength.

They are the Basij, Iran's volunteer paramilitary group that for more than a week has cracked down on the thousands of protesters in the bloody aftermath of the Islamic republic's disputed presidential election.

Amateur video shows members of the Basij, wearing plain shirts and pants and wielding clubs and hoses, dispersing protesters and beating a handful of Iranians at a time.

"The Basij militia forces tried to break up the demonstrations using batons, electric shock and water cannons," a student in Tehran, whose name was withheld for his safety, told CNN's Don Lemon on Sunday. The student said he was injured at a protest by the feared militia.

Monday's demonstrators dismissed a warning from the Revolutionary Guard that people who "disturb the peace and stand up to security forces" would be met with a strong response. "The guardians of the Islamic revolution and the courageous Basiji together with the security forces are following the orders of the supreme leader and following him unquestioningly," the Guard said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. Video Watch protesters clash with Basij militia »

While the Basij -- the word means "mobilization" in the Farsi language -- is often described by outsiders as shadowy and mysterious, Iranians have had run-ins with the militia for three decades.

The Basij was established in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who famously declared that Iran could never be destroyed with a 20-million-man militia. Khomeini, who ushered in the Islamic revolution that ousted Iran's ruling shah 30 years ago, felt that his country suffered from Western influences that the shah embraced.

He created the Basij as a popular auxiliary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, a military unit under the direct control of Iran's supreme leader, to defend the principles of the movement.
Don't Miss

* Iran election fallout: Complete coverage
* iReport.com: Images tell the story
* From rooftops, a view of protest and violence
* Riot police confront protesters

The group, at least at first, was made up of men either too old or young to serve in the Revolutionary Guard. Until now, they were perhaps best known for the "human wave" attacks during the Iran-Iraq war that reportedly cleared out minefields for the professional military. Many of the Basij reportedly received plastic keys to wear around their necks like dog tags, marking their entry to "paradise" when they died in martyrdom.

"Basij members made up with zeal what they lacked in military professionalism," said Michael Eisenstadt, a senior fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.

After the Iran-Iraq war, the Basij returned to its role as an internal security force to enforce Islamic morality. While Iran in recent years has claimed more than 12 million in the ranks of the group, Middle East experts put the figure closer to 300,000 -- though they concede it's difficult to quantify a sprawling militia that has full-time and reservist cadres.

The militia is known to recruit members from rural and urban areas and to organize mainly at mosques around Tehran and other major cities. Video Watch report on Basij militia »

"Through the mosques, they have funds, ideological and political indoctrination and military training," said Ali Alfoneh, a fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute who has researched the relationship between Iranian civilians and the Revolutionary Guard.

The Basij has had a growing role since 2003, when it was beefed up as a first line of defense amid suspicions of a possible U.S.-led invasion, Eisenstadt said

"I think cannon fodder is a fair way to characterize them," said Eisenstadt, who noted the militia seems to emerge during the initial moments of an uprising as the Revolutionary Guard and law enforcement forces organized their reaction. See timeline of events in Iran »

While experts say there is a hardline ideological core to Basij, its members, who often come from lower-class backgrounds, are attracted to the perks that the Basij (and its superior agency, the Revolutionary Guard) has to offer: a little cash, a seat at a university and a bit of authority.

"Not every single one is devout, not every single one is ready to kill," said Alfoneh, a native of Iran.

The Basij noticeably took the lead in crowd control last week when tens of thousands of Iranian demonstrators spilled into the streets of Tehran to protest the presidential election. Iran's election authority declared hardline incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the winner of the presidential race, sparking outrage in supporters of popular opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi.

"The first people who were really available were the Basij," Eisenstadt told CNN. "There are Basij bases throughout the city and beyond, and they were able to respond quickly."

As the government got a handle on the massive demonstrations in recent days, the Basij remains present and vigilant in the aftermath of the June 12 election.

Badi Badiozamani, an Iran analyst, has sifted through scores of amateur video from the frontlines of the protests. Dozens of those clips show Basij members, wearing black shirts and pants or plainclothes with camouflaged vests, detaining young men outside their homes as their mothers and sisters scream in the background.

One clip shows a young man whose head is hooded in a dark cloth, squatting behind a car, while another man is shown face down with his hands tied behind his back.

"We saw that these forces took the detained person out into the alley, and into an unmarked car," Badiozamani said. "Today I saw again Basijis grab a young man, put him on a unmarked motorcycle and take him away."

Burqa - My Birthright

"Burqas not welcome in France ", says Sarkozy .
This is the heading of the Times of India Mumbai front page dated 23 June 2009..

Some Excerpts..
Says Sarkozy "The burqa is not a religious sign,it is a sign of subservience and a sign of debasement- I want to say it solemnly "he said.
"It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic"

"In our country , we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen,cut off from all social life , deprived of all identity."Sarkozy said.



To President Sarkozy from Marziya


says the little one
burqa my birthright
why it gives Sarkozy
the strong man of France
a shuddering fright
at the very mention of the burqa
he gets uptight
his mind in hysterical flight
or is it because he is
French and he is white
racial profiling souls to spite
undemocratic irresponsible words
from a leader of his height
c'est dommage ..
religious fires hate ignite
ban the burqa
in your country
but please stay quiet
dont make statements
against Islam
derogatory
racist
and not right

ps
I am a Francophile some of my best friends are French my French teacher at the Alliance Francaise in Mumbai Dhanraj Mahal was Alain Ficat..early 70s..

Behrampada RP Construction

These are the channels on which the structures of Behramada are built reaching five floors , no pillars no plinth , no foundation....dangerous living precarious living - survival on the edge,,

Another Bleeding Brick In The Wall

This is the four or sometimes five tiered structures built without pillars or foundation, this is known in local parlance as channel or RP..itis bricks and iron channels , the staircase is inside a makeshift narrow iron one..a single person can come up or go down..this is Behrampada Bandra East..the largest slum predominantly Muslim,living on the edge..precarious survival of lesser mortals.The structures hug each other cheek and jowl..

The Bandra East Railway Station is close by where this incident took place..this is area is dense with over spilling humanity barrow by lanes completely choked and congested a nallah runs on the road..

NEDA SOLTANI LIVES IN THE HEART OF IRAN

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_Soltani

Neda Agha-Soltan (Persian: ندا آقا سلطان - Nedā Āġā-Soltān; b 1982 - d June 20, 2009)[2][3] was an Iranian woman whose killing, during the 2009 Iranian election protests, was captured on video by bystanders.[4] The graphic videos were posted on the Internet, and her name quickly became a rallying cry for the opposition.[4] Neda means "voice" or "calling" in Persian, and she has been referred to as the "voice of Iran" and "a symbol of pro-democracy protesters battering the Islamic regime" in the world.[5][6][7][2] Her last name has also been spelled as Soltani in some media reports.[8]

Circumstances of death

On June 20, 2009, Neda, a philosophy student[9], was sitting in her car in traffic on Kargar Avenue in the city of Tehran[4], near the Amir-Abad area, accompanied by her music teacher. Having gotten out of the car because of the excessive heat, she was allegedly targeted and shot in the chest by plainclothes Basij paramilitaries who were attempting to subdue a protest march.[10] Undated amateur videos depicting Neda collapsing to the ground, being tended to, and apparently dying, were uploaded to Facebook and YouTube[4], and spread across the internet virally.

The videos were accompanied by a message from a doctor, allegedly a frontline physician during the Iran-Iraq war, who claimed to have been present during the incident:

At 19:05 June 20th Place: Kargar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st. A young woman who was standing aside with her father [SIC, later identified as her music teacher] watching the protests was shot by a basij member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim’s chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes. The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St. The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know."[11]

Neda was taken to a morgue outside Tehran, where her family agreed to the removal of her organs for transplanting to medical patients. Her body was buried at the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran. Iranian authorities had allegedly set aside empty graves for those killed during the protests.[12]

Discussions about Neda on Twitter, using a hashtag of #neda became one of the "'trending topics'" by the end of the day on June 20, 2009.[4] The authenticity of the videos, the location of the incident, and the identity of the alleged killer have not yet been independently confirmed by the mainstream media. Neda's death was not reported by the state-controlled Iranian media, but was reported by international media. CNN has shown the video multiple times, both with and without censoring of the blood as it poured out of her mouth and nose.

Sources have variously identified Neda as a 16-year old and a 26 or 27-year old.[13] She is almost uniformly identified as a university student.[13] The authenticity of a portrait of her that has been used for many news stories is unknown. The Guardian has stated that Neda worked part-time at a travel agency.[14]

There are two videos depicting Neda's death; one shows Neda collapsing to the ground, apparently still conscious. The second shows Neda only after she appears to lose consciousness and begins to bleed heavily.

The first video appears to have been recorded using a mobile phone.[15] The cameraman approaches a group of people huddled together in front of a parked car at the side of the street. As he moves closer, Neda can be seen collapsing to the pavement with a large bloodstain at her feet. Two men, one initially assumed to be her father, but later confirmed to be her music teacher, are seen trying to revive her; as seconds pass, her eyes roll to one side and she appears to lose consciousness. Blood begins to pour from her nose and mouth, and screams are heard.

At this point in time, the second video begins.[16] The cameraman approaches Neda and the two men; the camera passes over them and centers on Neda's face; her stare is blank and she is bleeding profusely from her nose and mouth. Loud screaming can be heard.

The man next to Neda can apparently be heard speaking in the first video, saying her name;

"Neda, don't be afraid. Neda, don't be afraid. [obscured by others yelling] Neda, stay with me. Neda stay with me!"

A third video appeared which purportedly shows Neda at the protest march, before her death.[17]

On 22 June, 2009, Iranian presidential candidates Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi, who are contesting the validity of the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called upon Iranian citizens to commemorate Agha-Soltan.[18] Karroubi announced his appeal on Facebook, asking demonstrators to gather in the center of of the Iranian capital at 4:00 pm local time.[18]

Twitter entries announced that Neda Soltani was buried at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, denied a funeral by government authorities.[18] The refusal of the government to allow a funeral was also alleged by a family acquaintance.[19] The Iranian government has issued a ban on collective prayers in mosques for Agha-Soltan in the aftermath of the incident.[20]

Time magazine and other news sources[21] have speculated that due to the widespread attention given to Neda's story by social media networks and mainstream news organizations, she is already being hailed as a martyr. There is also speculation that the Shi'ite cycle of mourning on the third, seventh and 40th day after a person's death may give the protests sustained momentum, in similar fashion to the Iranian Revolution, where each commemoration of a demonstrator's death sparked renewed protests, resulting in more deaths, feeding a cycle that eventually resulted in the overthrowing of Iran's monarchy.[22]

TRIBUTE TO NEDA SOLTANI ON YOU TUBE


On 22 June, 2009, Iranian presidential candidates Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi, who are contesting the validity of the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called upon Iranian citizens to commemorate Agha-Soltan.[18] Karroubi announced his appeal on Facebook, asking demonstrators to gather in the center of of the Iranian capital at 4:00 pm local time.[18]

Twitter entries announced that Neda Soltani was buried at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, denied a funeral by government authorities.[18] The refusal of the government to allow a funeral was also alleged by a family acquaintance.[19] The Iranian government has issued a ban on collective prayers in mosques for Agha-Soltan in the aftermath of the incident.[20]

Time magazine and other news sources[21] have speculated that due to the widespread attention given to Neda's story by social media networks and mainstream news organizations, she is already being hailed as a martyr. There is also speculation that the Shi'ite cycle of mourning on the third, seventh and 40th day after a person's death may give the protests sustained momentum, in similar fashion to the Iranian Revolution, where each commemoration of a demonstrator's death sparked renewed protests, resulting in more deaths, feeding a cycle that eventually resulted in the overthrowing of Iran's monarchy.[22]

Behrampada Weeps ! As the Rest of the World Sleeps

I shot several frames of this structure it kept beckoning me ..the sounds of silence, the party was over no hustle bustle .. no cacophony of Muslim women fighting with each other as to will put clothes on the clothesline, no fighting for tap water, no fighting for the communal toilet.., these rooms don't have attached toilets ..friends that were foes have become friends again a bit too late at the end of the day..

Allah Will Provide - Behrampada Bandra East

This was her house , her children have gone out to scrounge for relief aid, she was sad but had come to terms with her fate, she did not curse herself , nor did she blame God for this horrendous calamity..

Every bit of her belongings charred forever only hope remains unscathed ..yes she told me Allah will Provide..

Stairway to Heaven- Behrampada Bandra East

From the ground floor this ladder went up the fourth floor sometimes the fifth floor , now when the fire struck, imagine their plight , families lived as tenants on the top floor , the landlord on the bottom floor, or in some cases the industrial units were on the ground floor the land lords on the top floor..
Now imagine running out from these houses where only one man can move out of the lane , the other man has to wait till the first man crosses..this was a calamity of negligence .

The fire was allegedly a short circuit, there were touts who sold illegal electricity..to the industrial units..I am told ..the fire started at the Makrani Lane ..as I entered inside there was fire that had not yet died down..

The Mumbai Police cadres were taking the survey of the houses and the people, bedsheets , utensils were being offered as relief by various Muslim institutions , the Jamatis were in great strength here with a medical camp as the denizens of this area were Sunnis..predominantly.. mostly migrants from Uttar Pradesh.

The Maharashtra Cheif Minister had visited the disaster area and offered relief..his detractors say it is all a political gimmick to garner votes for the assembly elections..so beneath the layer of this disaster there is a power struggle too, everyone wants to take credit ..I gathered this from the talk all around.,

The Bhangar guys were having a field day buying the iron , the burnt machinery and other stuff..the homeless selling off their junk to feed hungry mouths..it is a very sad day for this community of deprived souls..

Monday, June 22, 2009

Behrampada After The Fire

I start a new set at Flickr of the after effects of the disastrous fire at Behrampada , a sprawling slum of 70000 people or more , with houses built right up to 4 floors or more mostly illegal.
On 19 June 2009 certain areas of this slum caught fire killing a child and a few adults, there are more bodies under the debris, that I shot this afternoon..this area is very congested , very narrow lanes that even after 4 days after the fire one can hardly move in..calamity has struck at a bad time as the rains has begun.

I am very close to Mr Shabbir Shaikh the local Samajwadi Corporator , he has done a lot with the locals to help the homeless and the needy..opening of relief camps , medical aid, and a common kitchen including clothes.

I normally dont shoot disasters, house crashes or floods, I would not be able to shoot pictures while people are running helter skelter for their lives as saving lives is more important than shooting a tragedy... this is my opinion I adhere to it. I am human first , a photographer later.

There was a blaze close to my new house at Bandra Reclamation , before I came here I never shot it.,.I shot the train serial bomb blast late in the night after all the bodies had been removed from the tracks and the train compartments.

After the shoot I sat at Mr Shabbir Shaikhs office at Bismillah Compound, he has not slept for couple of days, and is coordinating with political heads of various parties , the human angle cuts through all party lines ..

Mr Shaikh told me the bulldozers cant move in to remove the debris as the survey is not yet over, the residents are sitting out in the open, to mark their houses, the landlords and their tenants.
There were a lot of industrial units , ready made garments, masjid, provision stores all gutted down..

Many resident begged me to shoot them next to their gutted houses or what remained of them..it was very sad and the pain to touched me , kids looking blank into what was a comfortable home a few days back.

A lot of relief has come in , people are giving out cash to those who lost everything.. the saddest is a family of ten on one slum, a two story structure , they managed to throw their 14 year old out of the window but could not save themselves .. members of this family lie buried in the debris..

There are people living under the sky walk, or where ever they can find shelter..you will have to see my pictures and gather their story of loss..all dreams gone with the fire and the wind.

Iranian Terrorists in Uniform

iranian terrorists in
police uniform
with batons in hands
a peoples will they storm
kicking out a mandate
that asks for reform
tyrannizing the soul
of a nation
their norm
along with the basijis
the streets
of Tehran they swarm
killing innocent people
a land of peace
into wastelands
transform

bringing them down
through facebook twitter flickr
a task bloggers perform

WHERE IS THEIR VOTE ?

image courtesy Anthony Posey..
www.flickr.com/photos/60053005@N00/

Anthony Posey has done a commendable job posting pictures of the unrest , the chaos in Iran..It was Anthony who inspired me to create this set as a tribute to the Iranians an indomitable race .. fighting for a just cause..


People like Fred Miller, Nauman Umair all pitching in from wherever they are.

Hamed Rad on Facebook and others like him..all holding on to a single tag..#iranelections


www.facebook.com/home.php#/video/video.php?v=105464765623...

Neda Soltani - Symbol of Sacrifice To the Cause of Freedom

image and text Hamed Rad

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=661750555&v=feed&...

Hamed Rads Notes on Facebook

At last I could talk my friend in Iran who he has made the movie of Neda dying and he has sent the video to me.
I write here exactly as he told me:
.
"we were in the street and we heared that a sound like gunshot
we thought it is a firecracker
for the second time we heard it and I saw that Neda is not normal
and we ran toward her. I was is a one meter distance to her when she was shot.
my friend (the friend of my friend in Iran) is a doctor and he went to her and I took the movie
I deny any news about motor cycle Basijis, I am sure that she is shot from a roof by sniper
I deny about arresting the Basiji by the people and I have never seen some thing like that"
.
I asked him is he ready to talk with repoerters and journalists who they asked me to make them in touch with him?
He answered: "I can be in touch with them via you (me, Hamed Rad) for security reasons"
This is my latest news about this movie which is taken by my friend
Please Publish these authentic information through medias
Reverently: Hamed

بالاخره توانستم بعد از چند روز با دوستم در ایران که فیلم بردار صحنه شهادت ندا بوده و آن را برای من ایمیل کرده، صحبت کنم
تمام مکالمه ام با او را به شرح زیر می نویسم
.
ما در خیابان بودیم و صدایی شنیدیم که اولش فکر کردیم صدای ترقه است
صدای دوم که آمد من دیدم ندا خون بالا می آورد
من در فاصله یک متری او بودم که تیر خورد که بسویش دویدیم
دوستم (دوست دوست من در ایران) یک پزشک است که بسویش دوید که متن گزارش کشته شدنش را نوشت
و من هم شروع به فیلم برداری کردم
اینکه موتورسواران بسیجی او را زدند را قویا تکذیب می کنم و مطمئنم که از روی یکی از پشت بام ها به او شلیک شد
همچنین دستگیری بسیجی ضارب را تکذیب می کنم و من چنین چیزی ندیدم
.
از دوستم پرسیدم: تعداد زیادی خبرنگار و ژورنالیست هستند که می خواهند به هر طریقی با او ارتباط داشته باشند، آیا تمایلی به این کار دارد؟
پاسخ داد که به دلایل امنیتی ترجیح می دهد از طریق ایمیل و از طریق من (حامد راد) این کار را بکند و گفتگوی مستقیم نداشته باشد
این ها آخرین اطلاعات کاملا موثقی است که می توانم در مورد این فیلم و فیلم بردارش بدهم
لطفا این اطلاعات موثق را منتشر کنید
با سپاس: حامد

RIP -Neda Soltani

image courtesy hamed rad facebook


In Iran, One Woman's Death May Have Many Consequences
by ROBIN WRIGHT
www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1906049,00.html

Iran's revolution has now run through a full cycle. A gruesomely captivating video of a young woman — laid out on a Tehran street after apparently being shot, blood pouring from her mouth and then across her face — swept Twitter, Facebook and other websites this weekend. The woman rapidly became a symbol of Iran's escalating crisis, from a political confrontation to far more ominous physical clashes. Some sites refer to her as "Neda," Farsi for the voice or the call. Tributes that incorporate startlingly upclose footage of her dying have started to spring up on YouTube.

Although it is not yet clear who shot "Neda" (a soldier? pro-government militant? an accidental misfiring?), her death may have changed everything. For the cycles of mourning in Shiite Islam actually provide a schedule for political combat — a way to generate or revive momentum. Shiite Muslims mourn their dead on the third, seventh and 40th days after a death, and these commemorations are a pivotal part of Iran's rich history. During the revolution, the pattern of confrontations between the shah's security forces and the revolutionaries often played out in 40-day cycles. (See pictures of terror in the streets of Tehran.)

The first clashes in January 1978 produced two deaths that were then commemorated on the 40th day in mass gatherings, which in turn produced new confrontations with security forces — and new deaths. Those deaths then generated another 40-day period of mourning, new clashes, and further deaths. The cycle continued throughout most of the year until the shah's ouster in January 1979.

The same cycle has already become an undercurrent in Iran's current crisis. The largest demonstration, on Thursday of last week, was called by opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to commemorate the deaths of protesters three days after they were killed.

Shiite mourning is not simply a time to react with sadness. Particularly in times of conflict, it is also an opportunity for renewal. The commemorations for "Neda" and the others killed this weekend are still to come. And the 40th day events are usually the largest and most important.

"Neda" is already being hailed as a martyr, a second important concept in Shiism. With the reported deaths of 19 people Saturday, martyrdom also provides a potent force that could further deepen public anger at Iran's regime. (See the Top Ten Players in Iran's Power Struggle.)

The belief in martyrdom is central to modern politics as well as Shiite tradition dating back centuries in Iran. It too helped propel the 1979 revolution. It sustained Iran during the eight-year war with Iraq, when over 120,000 Iranians died in the bloodiest modern Middle East conflict. Most major Iranian cities have a Martyrs' Museum or a Martyrs' cemetery.

The first Shiite martyr was Hussein, the prophet Mohammed's grandson. He believed it was better to die fighting injustice than to live with injustice under what he believed was illegitimate rule.

In the seventh century, Hussein and a band of fewer than 100 people, including women and children, took on the mighty Umayyad dynasty in Karbala, an ancient city in Mesopotamia now in modern-day Iraq. They knew they would be massacred.

Fourteen centuries later, Hussein's tomb in Karbala is one of the two holiest Shiite shrines — and millions of Iranians still make pilgrimages there every year. Just as Christians reenact Jesus' procession bearing the cross past the fourteen stops to Calvary before his crucifixion, so too do Shiites every year reenact Hussein's martyrdom in an Islamic passion play during the holy period of Ashura.

Because of Hussein, revolt against tyranny became part of Shiite tradition. Indeed, protest and martyrdom are widely considered duties to God. And nowhere is the practice more honored than in Iran, the world's largest Shiite country.

The revolutionaries exploited the deep passion about martyrdom as well as the timetable of Shiite mourning in whipping up greater opposition to Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. With the deaths of "Neda" and others, they may now find the same phenomena used against them.

RIP -Neda Soltani

image courtesy hamed rad facebook

she gave her life
so others could live
the basiji her killers
one can never forgive
her freedom
her peoples freedom
the only motive
by the spiritual laws of terror
still held captive
on the revolutionary
streets of Iran
a peoples mission still active
a regime of tyranny and deceit
shall outlive

Basiji Thugs of Tehran

photo courtesy
www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=1788660&id=4...

basiji
civilian thugs of tehran
monsters of a matrix evil
of a ruthless clan
to demolish the pillars
of humanity
their spiritually
government sponsored plan
an insult to a mother who
gave them birth
the ignominy of man
a dictatorship
where a cleric
is a superman
missing votes
the story that began
the chaos the uprising
that made every blogger
a newsman

Fathers Day

my father late mohomed shakir lakhnavi
of n swamy rao and sons colaba
later new lords tailors
smart wear tailors
seated next to him
my mother late shamim shakir
daughter of nabban saab
descendant of poet Mir Anees Lucknow.

She Was , Is and Will Be Neda Soltani

image courtesy Hamid Rad Facebook

photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs096.snc1/5165_901...

shot down in the prime of her life
by an accursed basiji
she has
from a gilded cage of deceit
finally flown free
she was, is and will be
a martyred soul
neda soltani
she died
so others could live
through her destiny
a green revolution
on the soul of humanity
on facebook flickr and twitter
a message of peace
hope and harmony


title and picture courtesy hamid rad of facebook

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Face To Face

image courtesy
www.topnews.in/files/irani.JPG

two diverging paths
face to face
holding the soul
of a nations fate
spiritual terrorism
built on hate
basiji killings
innocent people
used as bait
baton wielding hoodlums
no escape
a green shroud
bleeding bodies drape
the world watches in silence
in disbelief a nations rape
a new militancy
in a spiritual cape

Natarsim natarsim, ma hameh ba ham hastim
We must not be frightened, we are all together

a collective call for a new democratic landscape
a new beginning will inshallah surely take shape

inspired by hamid rad of facebook..

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