ISRAEL: Iranian exile linked to Neda meets with President Shimon Peres

The pictures of Neda Agha-Soltan, whose violent death documented on the streets of Tehran in January became a defining moment and image of the young Iranian opposition, had reached around the world and Israel too. Nearly nine months after her death, another reminder reaches Israel: Caspian Makan.

Caspian Makan claimed to be Neda's beau at the time; they had planned to get engaged, he had told the press then.

Makan arrived in Israel last week. He arrived on an El Al flight and had his Iranian passport stamped at Ben Gurion airport, sure signs he doesn't intend to return to the Iran he fled. He asked to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres, who was glad to accept, and the two met Monday evening.

"I come to Israel as an ambassador of the Iranian people, a messenger from the camp of peace," the Iranian exile told his Israeli host. "I have no doubt that Neda's spirit and soul feels the sensitivity and warmth I received in this meeting." 

The fight will go on, he pledged.

Makan told Peres about Neda. She was a progressive person, a freedom fighter; these traits flowed through her veins and she loved people with every inch of her soul, he said. They had spoken about her goals and "both knew the danger," Makan said. 

After she was killed, she became a symbol of freedom across the entire world, Makan said, expressing the hope that "her actions will lead to change in the future."

President Peres said that what happened to Neda proves that although a young woman has been killed, "you can murder a person but not a spirit. One candle can scatter a lot of darkness. And this candle will not be extinguished." Peres expressed confidence that "the progressive and moral Iran will emerge victorious" from this struggle.

Peres, old enough to remember better days between Israel and Iran, told Makan that Israel feels a "historic connection to the Iranian people." Iran is not enriched uranium but an ancient culture, he said, whose honor was restored in the uprising. The struggle, he said, is a moral fight -- "and Neda was a brave soldier in that struggle."

"I know that you carry a burden of immense grief," Peres told Makan,"despite us being members of separate nations, you will feel and find in Israel lots of friendship, warmth and respect for your fight". The president expressed gratitude for the opportunity to express his condolences for the private tragedy-- "and also mention my great hope for your future."

Caspian Makan also told his story to Israeli Channel 2, who accompanied him as he landed in Israel. Asked if young people stood a chance of making change in Iran, he said certainly, yes. "Today, the Iranian people know their rights have been taken from them. They are determined the win and remove the present rule."

One blogger called Makan "Machiavellian," saying his trip to Israel would harm Iran's opposition movement.

President Peres has expressed his support of the young Iranians' protest against the regime before. "Let the young people raise the voice of freedom," he had said in June, praising their courage -- especially that of the women -- "Let them voice their thirst for equality, for freedom."

In a December interview to BBC Persian, Peres stressed that Israel was not fighting the Iranian people but Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "I am sure the Iranian people will judge him," he had said, adding: "Let's invest in the future of our children, not in the future of your missiles or uranium enrichment. They don't have a future."

Peres gave Caspian Makan a gift of a figurine of a peace dove -- and wished the Iranian people a happy Persian New Year.

-- Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem

Photo: Caspian Makan, left; President Shimon Peres, right. Credit: Jossef Avi Yair Engel.

Comments

[Kami]

Paula obviously does not know Iran and Iranians. By the name of the posters and english used, I can tell most of posters so far are Iranians and fighting the Iranian regime, however, we the green movement consider state of Israel the worst offender of human rights even worse than our own. What Caspian did brought shame to all Iranians and all human beings with a shred of dignity. Obviously you either lack in that department or are brainwashed by the Israeli controlled media you were raised with. Just click on the link on my name to learn a bid of history and find out why Caspian is a shame to humanity.

[Paula]

I believe Caspian has earned the right to speak out to anyone who will listen. The Iranian dictatorship took everything from him; they murdered the love of his life, they imprisoned him, tortured him, took thousands of his photographs which he was using to write a book about his beloved country Iran, he lost his home, his family, his country, his health has suffered and his life has been threatened. But yet he speaks out for the Iranian people, for the human rights abuses they have suffered. Through tears of his own personal loss, he bravely speaks out! So don't let anyone tell you lies about his motives or try to confuse you with propaganda that makes you lose focus or forget all the young Iranian people who have given their lives in the fight for freedom.

Caspian went to Israel on a peaceful mission to spread the word about what Neda thought and stood for, just as he has traveled to several other countries to speak out about Neda and the plight of the Iranian people. The Iranian government will try to use this trip as a wedge to divide the Iranian people and green movement as they always do. Remember, they will use any means, any gossip, any lies to take the focus off of their murdering, torturing, raping and imprisonment of their own Iranian people. Don't be fooled. Stay resolute in what you know, that the Iranian dictators have lied and murdered, and raped and oppressed its own people. Don't lose that focus.

Please don't fall for this bait and switch game that the Iranian dictators play. This isn't about Iran versus Israel, it is about the Iranian people and the green freedom movement against their own cruel oppressive government, only then will Neda, Sohrab and all the other freedom fighters who have suffered torture, imprisonment and death have not been in vain.

(To be clear, I think Palistine should be its own independent state and Israel should NOT be building more settlements in disputed areas. But, the Isreali people are not the enemy of Iran, they are praying for the success of the green movement in Iran.)

[Ahmad Irani]

Shame on you Caspian(Makan). shame on you.
plz do not make neda's name bad for us. u r making our name bad all over the world. we don need ur help.
all of us our members of Green movement. it's not ur right to place a bad name of us to the world. don't dream. world is not dream. world don't need neda's spirit. they watch u & listen to u, for what u have said to Peres.
if u don't come, will president congratulate Nowruz??? will he???
think harder.
altough we r fighting for fredom & democracy. but u shouldn't be selfish & shouldn't say i'm a messenger from Iran's people.
u shouldn't...

[Reza]

Mr. Makan do you know how many child and women (like neda) killed by direct order of peres?
i'm really ashamed of what you are doing.
please speak from yourself not all of iranian cause most of iranian hate isreal and peres for what they're doing with palestine and how they kill them.

[c0mmentator]

If he(Makan) came to express any sympathies for the Palestinians while in Israel, you wouldn't be seeing him in the company of Peres as he wouldn't exactly be so welcome there.

[slowpoke]

wasn't it recently proven that the pictures of Neda was forged....hmmmm

[Reza]

Makan is a self-centred person and want to show off. Why should he go to Israel? just to make a news about himself? He will damage green movement which he doesn't believe at all any way

[Mehdi]

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ISRAEL: Iranian exile linked to Neda meets with President Shimon Peres
March 23, 2010 | 10:41 am
The pictures of Neda Agha-Soltan, whose violent death documented on the streets of Tehran in January became a defining moment and image of the young Iranian opposition, had reached around the world and Israel too. Nearly nine months after her death, another reminder reaches Israel: Caspian Makan.

Caspian Makan claimed to be Neda's beau at the time; they had planned to get engaged, he had told the press then.

Makan arrived in Israel last week. He arrived on an El Al flight and had his Iranian passport stamped at Ben Gurion airport, sure signs he doesn't intend to return to the Iran he fled. He asked to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres, who was glad to accept, and the two met Monday evening.

"I come to Israel as an ambassador of the Iranian people, a messenger from the camp of peace," the Iranian exile told his Israeli host. "I have no doubt that Neda's spirit and soul feels the sensitivity and warmth I received in this meeting."

The fight will go on, he pledged.

Makan told Peres about Neda. She was a progressive person, a freedom fighter; these traits flowed through her veins and she loved people with every inch of her soul, he said. They had spoken about her goals and "both knew the danger," Makan said.

After she was killed, she became a symbol of freedom across the entire world, Makan said, expressing the hope that "her actions will lead to change in the future."

President Peres said that what happened to Neda proves that although a young woman has been killed, "you can murder a person but not a spirit. One candle can scatter a lot of darkness. And this candle will not be extinguished." Peres expressed confidence that "the progressive and moral Iran will emerge victorious" from this struggle.

Peres, old enough to remember better days between Israel and Iran, told Makan that Israel feels a "historic connection to the Iranian people." Iran is not enriched uranium but an ancient culture, he said, whose honor was restored in the uprising. The struggle, he said, is a moral fight -- "and Neda was a brave soldier in that struggle."

"I know that you carry a burden of immense grief," Peres told Makan,"despite us being members of separate nations, you will feel and find in Israel lots of friendship, warmth and respect for your fight". The president expressed gratitude for the opportunity to express his condolences for the private tragedy-- "and also mention my great hope for your future."

Caspian Makan also told his story to Israeli Channel 2, who accompanied him as he landed in Israel. Asked if young people stood a chance of making change in Iran, he said certainly, yes. "Today, the Iranian people know their rights have been taken from them. They are determined the win and remove the present rule."

One blogger called Makan "Machiavellian," saying his trip to Israel would harm Iran's opposition movement.

President Peres has expressed his support of the young Iranians' protest against the regime before. "Let the young people raise the voice of freedom," he had said in June, praising their courage -- especially that of the women -- "Let them voice their thirst for equality, for freedom."

In a December interview to BBC Persian, Peres stressed that Israel was not fighting the Iranian people but Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "I am sure the Iranian people will judge him," he had said, adding: "Let's invest in the future of our children, not in the future of your missiles or uranium enrichment. They don't have a future."

Peres gave Caspian Makan a gift of a figurine of a peace dove -- and wished the Iranian people a happy Persian New Year.

-- Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem
Photo: Caspian Makan, left; President Shimon Peres, right. Credit: Jossef Avi Yair Engel.

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I am ashamed of Caspian Makan. Shame on him for selling out iranian Pride, And Character by kissing the bloody hands of israel. A country which is NO friend of Iran or Irans interests. A hand which is full of blood of innocent palestenian women and children.
For his own personal Gains and selfish reasons he has Tarnished the name of Neda and Iranians who strive and Advance in the Century long hope of Independence and Freedom.

[Mehdi]

I am ashamed of Caspian Makan. Shame on him for selling out iranian Pride, And Character by kissing the bloody hands of israel. A country which is NO friend of Iran or Irans interests. A hand which is full of blood of innocent women and children.
For his own personal Gains and selfish reasons he has Trnished the name of Neda and Iranians who strive and Advance in the Century long hope of Independence and Freedom.

[omid irani]

this meeting will harm iranian green movement badly. we are all sorry about this. iranian present goverment will surely have very hard and violent reactions to the peaple inside iran.

[Kami]

As an Iranian, I'm ashamed of Mr Makan! Israel is an illegitimate, violent, terrorist nation whose record of human rights and treatment of Palestinians is much worse than Iranian government's. This stupid move surely plays into the hand of mullahs. Today is a sad day for people who stand for freedom of all people including Palestinians and indeed a sad day for Iranian green movement. Makan's move seems more like a selfish act to secure a political asylum at the expense of Iranian green movement and disregard for the oppressed people of Palestine. Neda was an accidental hero and may she rest in peace, but true heros are the likes of Rachel Corrie which the zionist controlled American media does not want you to know about: youtube.com/watch?v=ugOiF4araMg