What makes Neda and other Iranian protest victims different from other "martyrs" to me.

[YOY]

After seeing a young woman die yesterdays before my eyes on You Tube I was really deep in thought (well...deep for me at least) all through the day. Going over in my mind just what makes this person standing for what she believes in and risking her life (and losing to the odds) to express her opinion and demand her rights different from those who would use violence to further their agenda.

Other "martyrs" say like...

...A suicide bomber who kills dozens in Iraq.
...A homicidal so called "Christian" willing to gun down a doctor in cold blood.
...An ultra-religious man willing to assassinate down the leader of his own country for trying to make peace with it's neighbors.

All these people risk (sometimes without chance of survival and sometimes with only risk of imprisonment) but they took a risk based on what they believe in.

Two things stand out strongest as a difference regardless of what these people ultimately believed in.

First and foremost, other than the simple fact that she was not using violence to further her political agenda. She was protesting and standing up for herself in a way that is both admirable and accepted world wide all before the our very eyes. It's not just the use of public and visible non-violent protest but the sheer visibility of it all. Actually using the world wide web to show the world what is happening. The concept is phenomical..the result...well anyone who saw that video of this beautiful young woman's death knows the result.

Second, and more interesting to me...she had everything to lose and still stood up for her rights and gambled. They all stand/stood up for what they believe in but this woman had so much more to lose. Where do the religiously insane recruit? From those with no education and/or future. This woman had both. Even if she remained silent and business as normal ensued in Iran...she had a future. Do any of the other "martyrs" really have that future?

I don't think they do/did.

Of course your opinion may vary...

Your thoughts/takes/flames?

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Her courage reminds me of Rachel Corrie.

[Taverner]

2. good luck with that one

:popcorn:

[shadowknows69]

3. Apples and oranges, but the result in impassioning people toward a cause is similar.

[aquart]

5. Yeah, look at the thousands and thousands who flocked to the Palestine banner.

Riiiiight. She sure is a symbol, she is.

[aquart]

4. Good god, not me.

Rachel Corrie died of her arrogant belief that the bulldozer would stop for HER. (And it would have if she hadn't been out of the line of sight.) But Rachel Corrie was sittting there alone. She wasn't with her group. Her parents were not with her. Nobody was shooting at her and she never thought she might die that day. The bulldozer was scrupulously stopping and changing course to avoid pesky protestors.

Neda went with the assumption that she wasn't anyone special. But that she was a number to count among many. That anything that happened would be random. Could be her, could be someone else with even odds. She took the risk with everyone with her. And she knew that the enemy had guns and batons and that they beat women and especially aimed for the eye, which meant blindness and disfigurement. Or death. Neda knew all that and went with her father anyway. She stood with her people, not without them.

[roody]

6. Rachel was standing, not sitting.

[Johonny]

7. Reminds me of Roger Waters song Watching TV