Neda

Neda Agha-Soltan was shot 20 June last year by the Iranian militia. She was nonviolently protesting the Iranian election results. As many will remember, her death was captured on video and sent around the world via the internet. She quickly became the symbol of the Iranian suppression of free speech.

It's funny, if I had been told last June that I would be moving to the Middle East coming this September, I would have probably laughed. This June is a different situation. And this brings Neda's death into a different perspective for me. I feel far responsible for change in Iran then I did a year ago. This despite being in a nearly identical personal and physical situation. I'm not going to Iran, and I'm not even close to leaving for Abu Dhabi. Yet I want to do something radical to promote change. I've done the most I can for now, reposting Neda's story and sending an email to the Iranian government (go to http://nedaspeaks.org/ and click on act). But I wish I could do vastly more.

This is where my future situation in the Middle East becomes both an aid and a detriment. I will be in a position to voice my concerns to the area in which it happened. But, I also can't become to vocal of, say, Islamic oppression of women. This could anger the government of Abu Dhabi, the kind benefactors of my education. And I realize that morally that shouldn't get in the way. However, if I were to moralistically sacrifice my education for "the cause" I would have to come home per my student visa. So my ability to create change would be drastically reduced. So, I am stuck being partially muzzled instead of becoming put in a crate on the other side of the planet. I have a feeling that this will be an issue for the next several years. Huh.