Then the revelation that 26 civilians were killed in Afghanistan by mistake, because US troops did not follow proper procedures, and the 25 dead, including 3 US soldiers, from a bomb in Iraq, following the 41 killed yesterday, and an estimated 1 billion hungry people in the world. Is there no end to sorrow and misery? No, there is not, but we must find a way to go on, "that we may not...be overcome by adversity."
Update on Neda from a blogger friend who wrote about her "sister":
Yesterday I wrote a note, with the subject line "tomorrow is a great day perhaps tomorrow I'll be killed." I'm here to let you know I'm alive but my sister was killed...
I'm here to tell you my sister died while in her father's hands
I'm here to tell you my sister had big dreams...
I'm here to tell you my sister who died was a decent person... and like me yearned for a day when her hair would be swept by the wind... and like me read "Forough" [Forough Farrokhzad]... and longed to live free and equal... and she longed to hold her head up and announce, "I'm Iranian"... and she longed to one day fall in love to a man with a shaggy hair... and she longed for a daughter to braid her hair and sing lullaby by her crib...
my sister died from not having life... my sister died as injustice has no end... my sister died since she loved life too much... and my sister died since she lovingly cared for people...
my loving sister, I wish you had closed your eyes when your time had come... the very end of your last glance burns my soul....
sister have a short sleep. your last dream be sweet.
Thanks to Anne Marie in the comments for calling my attention to the note.
There is a post about "Neda" on Huffington that is a tribute from a young blogger who wrote yesterday about joining the protest today.
ReplyDeleteI first read about the young blogger at Episcopal Cafe and then saw the most recent writing on the live-blogging. My heart has been reaching out to the people on the streets of Iran and their families all day.
Love and Prayers,
Ann Marie
"He said not thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be afflicted. But he said thou shalt not be overcome."
ReplyDeleteAct in faith Grandmere. In hope.
And you shall be in my prayers.
Oh yes --I forgot to say --that quote was Julian of Norwich.
ReplyDeleteAnne Marie, thank you for calling to my attention the beautiful and heart-rending words about Neda.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, thank you, thank you. What a day for tears!
I've been following several Iranians on twitter,but I've tried to avoid some of the videos. One med student I was following has stopped posting, and I hope he's safe. He was trying to help the injured.
ReplyDeleteOh Dear God! Prayers and more prayers. I do wish our national media would report on and show such video more widely. It might change some people's minds about guns, violence, angry rhetoric, war, etc. May God have Mercy on us, and forgive us our sins.
ReplyDeleteIt seems, according to the television channel Al Arabiya, that Iran's leading clerics are considering removing both Khamenei and Ahmedinejad (referred to in this news release as "former president Ahmedinejad") and broadening the theocratic structure at the apex of Iran's political system.
ReplyDeleteLapin, I saw that. I'm taking most of the news coming out about the leadership in Iran with a grain of salt. I see the situation as fluid at the moment. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteMimi, et al., may I draw your attention to a lovely post by Mark found here? Scroll past the Bulgarian portion to the English version below. I included it, wholesale, in my sermon this morning.
ReplyDeleteIt is a call to hope and fidelity amid the storms.
Paul, thank you for the link to Mark's blog. His post blew me away. He either read my mind or this post, because he gave the answer that I needed.
ReplyDelete