Mourning Neda

The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of a student shot dead in Tehran to take down mourning posters as they struggle to stop her becoming the rallying point for protests against the presidential election.

Neda Salehi Agha Soltan, 26, was killed as she watched a pro-democracy protest, and mobile phone footage of her last moments have become a worldwide symbol of Iran's turmoil.

The authorities had already banned a public funeral or wake and have prevented gatherings in her name while the state-controlled media has not mentioned Miss Soltan's death.

Today it was reported that they had also told her family to take down the black mourning banners outside their home in the Tehran suburbs to prevent it becoming a place of pilgrimage. They were also told they could not hold a memorial service at a mosque.

I posted here the horrific story of her death with a link to the video that showed her at the moment God called her home.

Ahmadinejad doesn't want her mourned? Too bad - this is my blog. Let's hear about Neda.

-- She was 26

-- She was engaged to be married.

-- She studied Islamic philosophy.

-- She loved to travel and wanted to work in tourism.

-- She loved Persian pop, took piano lessons, and was a talented singer.

Denied a public funeral, the mourners travelled in minivans to Behesht Zahra cemetery where Neda was laid to rest on Sunday afternoon. It was a muted affair, as they were - to their fury - under official orders not to sing her praises loudly or to mourn her loss.

Réquiem ætérnam dona ei Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei.

Requiéscat in pace.

Amen.

I encourage all bloggers to post a picture of Neda and give public recognition of her death.