IRAN: Campaign launched to annoint Neda Agha-Soltan Time magazine's Person of the Year 2009

The flickering images of Neda Agha-Soltan’s last moments in a Tehran street on June 20 before she died from gunshot wounds gripped the world, galvanized the nation and made the 26-year-old music student the face of Iran’s recent protest movement.

Five months after an unknown assailant took her life at a demonstration in the Iranian capital staged by pro-reform activists, supporters across the world have spearheaded a grassroots initiative in a move to immortalize her.

Through the use of various social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, they are pushing to make Agha-Soltan Time magazine’s Person of the Year 2009.

Each year, the U.S.-based magazine grants the title to one or several persons who "most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year."

Administrators of the more than 1,000-member strong Facebook group "Nominate Neda Agha-Soltan as the Time Woman of the Year" say she deserves the title because she has become “the symbol of the recent Iranian movement towards democracy and freedom" through her tragic death that shocked the world.

Members of the group are encouraged to send letters to Time magazine to vote for Agha-Soltan and spread the word to their friends.

The campaign is also triggering traffic on the micro-blogging service Twitter, where supporters of the initiative are "tweeting" their thoughts on why Time magazine should choose Agha-Soltan as its Person of the Year and calling on fellow Twitterers to give her their vote.

Last year, Time magazine named President Obama its Person of the Year.

When he won the Nobel Peace Prize last month, a surprised and humbled Obama made, perhaps, an oblique reference to Agha-Soltan when he said in his acceptance speech that the award was not only about the work of his administration but also about the "courageous efforts of people around the world" who strive for "justice and dignity."

While giving examples of whom he considered courageous, President Obama spoke of "the young woman who marches silently in the streets on behalf of her right to be heard even in the face of beatings and bullets."

Coinciding with the calls for Agha-Soltan to be named Time magazine's Person of the Year, Glamour magazine recently named the women activists behind Iran's One Million Signatures initiative its "Women of the Year 2009." The campaign calls for more women's rights in Iran and urges an end to alleged discriminatory laws against women in Iran.

-- Alexandra Sandels in Beirut

Photo: Supporters of Neda Agha-Soltan are campaigning on the Internet to make her Time magazine's Person of the Year 2009. Credit: Facebook

Comments

[fara]

I agree with it 100%. The world had watched this innocent girl die and remembers her innocent face. And that's not all, she is a symbol of freedom not just in Iran but also for all women in the world and for democracy.

[Nick]

It should have been Marwa al-Sherbini, a 32-year-old Egyptian pharmacist stabbed to death in a German courtroom.

The "headscarf martyr."

On July 1, 2009 as a pregnant Sherbini prepared to give evidence against a German man of Russian descent who had been convicted and fined for trying to remove Sherbini's headscarf and calling her a terrorist, the man ran across the courtroom and stabbed her 18 times.

[Sheri Alvandian]

Most disappointing decision on behalf of Times Magazine, first to block voting for, and then not award the people's first choice: Neda. What is going on?

[chris]

I just heard the news that Time Magazine had selected its candidate for 2009 to be covering the the next addition and it is not Neda.

The most voted candidate was Neda Aghasoltun who her murder in the hand of most vicious regime after the Natzi Germany in the modern history of the man become the symbol of Iranian people to freedom.

I am very disappointed by not being able to see her beautiful young face on the cover of Time. I am canceling my subscription to Time and will be suggesting my friends and collages to do the same.

Please relay my thoughts to the jury selecting the person of 2009.
They will be pleased to know that their decision against a nation will be not doing the magazine much favor.

Much Regards

Chris

[Yvette Gharibian]

Freedom for Iran is start with Neda

[Hamid Hamidian]

yes I am Hundred per cent agree to choose Angel Neda Agha Soltan for Women of the year of 2009, Yes this Angel is the symbol of FREEDOM MOVEMENT and PEACE in Iran, All the world is supporting this women's FREEDOM MOVEMENT , Please choose Neda with other MARTHYER WHICH they gave thir blood and lifes for FREEDOM,
they never DIE, they are allways alive,

[jila saeed]

Neda agha sultan picture should be on the magazine volume for the
person of the year 2009 symbol of Iranian movement .

[Berivan Botan]

kurdish girl Zeinab Jalalian Sentenced to death in Iran

Please support the signature campaign to

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-zeynab-jalalian.html

please watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_INYOXrRVGM

اسم من زینب جلالیان می باشد

من دختر 27 ساله‌ی کورد زندانی سیاسی ایران هستم حکم اعدام من از طرف شورای عالی دادگاه‌ انقلاب اسلامی تایید شوده‌ است ، من بخاطر شکنجه‌ی زیاد در حال حاضر مریض ، و هیچ وکیلی ندارم که‌ از من دفاع کند محاکمه‌ی من فقد چند دقیقه‌ طول کشید و ان هم این بود که‌ دادگاه‌ به‌ من گفت تو دوشمن خدا هستی و باید اعدام شوی من از حاکم خواستم که‌ پیش از اعدامم به‌ من اجازه‌ بدهد برای اخرین بار صدای مادرم و فامیلم را بشنوم حاکم از من خواست که‌ دهنم را ببندم و در خواست مرا رد کرد .

26/11/2009 (زینب جلالیان)

"""""Dear Human right organisations

My name is Ms Zeinab Jalalian (زینب جلالیان)

I am 27 years old Kurdish female ,political prisoner, in Iran prison.

My Death sentenced was confirmed by Iranian Supreme Court.

I am currently ill ,because of torture and I don’t have any lawyer to defend me. i want to tell you that . trial took only few minute.

Court told me: “You are a God's enemies. Have to be hanged very soon” That was all my court process

I asked judge to give me permission to say good bye, to my mother and family,

Before execution, he told me "shut up" and rejected.

Zeinab Jalalian (زینب جلالیان)

26/11/2009"""""

http://www.zeinabj.webs.com/

[Mike]

Neda is the right person & should be The human of the year

[Mohsen]

Yes
Neda is in our heart for ever

[Nahid]

Neda should be The woman of the year.

[Shabnam]

I agree.
But why World, UN, .... always wait for worst result without taking any action? Do they want more young and innocent people to be murdered and then take action against this Government? If World was supporting this movement, maybe Neda , Sohrab and many others were alive and between us.

[NASER ERFAN]

Neda Agh Soltan became the famous woman in iran in 2009
ندا آقاسلطان از نظر من مستحق برگزیده شدن برای شجاع‌ترین و سمبل زنان مبارز ایران است

[Ahmad Nazeri]

Neda Agh Soltan became the famous woman in iran in 2009

[Koroush]

I believe she is the most effeccted women in politics world in 2009.

[Tatiana Ghaffari]

I agree with all my heart and vote for Neda Agha Soltan.
She deserves to be on the cover of Time magazine,shi is
a martyr.Tatiana Ghaffari.

[محمدرضا شفیعی]

ندا آقاسلطان از نظر من مستحق برگزیده شدن برای شجاع‌ترین و سمبل زنان مبارز ایران است

[Javid Iran]

Hello

SHE is always with me and all of iranian for IRAN FREEDOM ...

Please go on the Site:
www.gatha.org

Thank you so much,
Javid Iran

[mahisa]

i'm totally agree,she was killed for freedom,we have to remember it always,Down with islamic republic

[kaveh]

I agree to choose Neda Aghasoltan as the "woman of the year"

She ia a martyr to the cause of freedom.