Facebook, July 2-3
I Know How the Caged Bird Flies
The past two days have brought one piece of bad news after another: friends, colleagues, and innocents in prison; loved ones despondent; riot police on rampages. During the last two days much information has been shared on Facebook. Khatami and Mousavi's statements; routes for planned demonstrations; tons of stuff in Persian that takes me way too long to read (Shervin will review those pieces). The past two days, however, was not a time for more images of demonstrators being beaten; it was a time of music and poetry. We were treated to an interview with the great Iranian poet Simin Behbahani on NPR and heard new music from Mohsen Namjoo, among others.
One friend writes that this time has helped her bridge the generation gap that separates her from her parents, aunts, and uncles: "I never thought I would see similar days or make such a strong emotional connection to these lyrics..."
In what is probably Friday's video of the day, you can watch this wonderful video of young people passing out "Where is My Vote" signs all over Amsterdam. If you are in Iran, please know that people outside have not forgotten you even though we are no longer seeing dramatic images of demonstrations in the streets.
A song inspired by Neda by Runk (rap funk artist) Mams Taylor (who I never heard of until today) and performed by Persian All-Stars is being passed around Facebook today.
United For Neda by Mams Taylor Ft. Dariush, Satar, Morteza, & Friends from Mams Taylor on Vimeo.
A piece first published here "Commandos at the Door" is also going from friend to friend as is this coming Sunday's event "Iranian Artists in the Netherlands Solidarity in Iran," and its accompanying poster designed by our very own Kamran Ashtary.
An LA Times blog post about security forces on the rampage in Tehran's streets features video that has been shared all over Facebook.
A friend shares a post at About.com features political cartoons from US newspapers about Iran. I laughed at many and actually cried at one. (Everything makes me cry these days, so I don't see it as any sign of profundity anymore.)
From Tom Toles: Back into the Bottle
The most passed around video on July 2, was a song by The Freedom Glory Project:
I'll end this post with their lyrics:
It's a silence the lonely know
in the fire the rainbows grows
you can push it down my friend
it will come up ten fold again
we will erase your name, we will show no restraint
how much blood must be shed
on the streets of unrest
we will bleed as long need be
that river will remove you from history
we will erase your name, we will show no restraint
you have robbed us for many years
but we have saved every last tear
we have suffered all of your hate
and now we march down to your gates
we will erase your name, we will show no restraint
Freedom, Glory, Be Our Name
Freedom, Glory, Be Our Name
you think your power is secure
when you startle us with the threat of war
but fear has its limits too
we are no longer scared of you
we will erase your name, we will show no restraint
we will burn your temple to the ground
we will tear all your prisons down
your gallows will be set for burning
just before one last hanging
we will erase your name, we will show no restraint
Freedom, Glory, Be Our Name
Freedom, Glory, Be Our Name
now we give you one last chance
to do what's right and to let us dance
or the hand of fate will become a fist
a force your thugs can not resist
The fields where soldiers practice their killing
can be a spread of green grass
where the boisterous rainbow children may dance
while the one who beams with
ultimate command
will merely be a smile (Written by Shamloo)
Shoukoeh Azadi Ba Mast
You can see all the Facebook Reviews (mine are the English ones) at voteforiran.com.
1 comment:
Beautiful, beautiful post, Tori.
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