Posted on 07/31/2005 6:10:08 PM PDT by nuconvert
Thousands Hold Candle Vigil for Ganji
July 31, 2005
Potkin Azarmehr /Iran va Jahan
More than a thousand Iranians gathered outside Akbar Ganji's house in Tehran to mark 50 days of his hunger strike. The Iranian dissident is continuing his hunger strike and is demanding his freedom and the end of the dictatorial rule of the "supreme leader".
The participants lit candles, recited poetry, prayed and sang patriotic anthems.
Iran's prominent dissidents and poets took part in the event. Present in the vigil were Abbas Amir-Entezam, Mohammad Maleki, Simin Behbahani, Ali-Ashraf Darvishian, Fatimeh Haghighatjoo and many other well-known Iranian public figures.
The event started by announcing the news of the latest arrests, Abdolfatah Soltani, one of the lawyers representing the family of murdered photo-journalist Zahra Kazemi, and several student activists who were arrested shortly before the vigil began.
Simin Behbahani, the most admired poetess in Iran, read some of her latest poems in appreciation of Ganji's resistance. Her poems were followed by several speeches by some of the student activists and then the crowd sang a classical Iranian song depicting the end of dark nights and the coming of a new dawn.
Also amongst the speakers were Saeed Hajjarian, one of the architects of Khatami's era, and a past high ranking member of the Islamic Republic's intelligence services. Hajjarian started crying during his speech saying it was him who should be in Ganji's place. "I tried to come to a compromise with the establishment and the judiciary but they broke all their promises and now there is nothing more I can do but to pray".
The last speaker was Ganji's wife, Ma'soomeh. She described how Ganji has lost 27 Kilos in weight, and talked about his deteriorating health. However, she said in praise of her husband "He is one of those men who show more courage and toughness, the harder the situation gets. Despite his deteriorating health, I can tell you that his spirits are higher than ever".
At the end of her speech the crowd sang the banned Iranian national anthem, Ey Iran, and the student solidarity anthem.
Plain clothes vigilantes as well as Law Enforcement Forces watched the entire ceremony but did not disrupt the vigil.
Amazing. After the treatment by some of the the Hightest Authorities in the Muslim "religion" these women are sill dressed as they are.
How many Catholics would attend mass and carry the rosery around if the Pope and the Bishops usurped authority in Italy and started executing people, and armed the Swiss gaurds with machine guns, and built nuclear weapons under the Vatican.
Time to choose a new religion.
Expecting Iranian flames any second now....
Howard Stern's show must be popular there?
Duuude I held a vigil For ganga the othere Day man. Then i got really hungry dont know why though... HAAHHHAAA HAAAHAAA
{SARCASM ON}
I knew some Iranians in college back in the 70s. Wonder if any of them are still alive.
hOpefully his death will be the straw that broke the camels back in Iran and it propels the people to raise up and confront the mullahs and their henchmen.
Revolution? I hope so but doubt it.
The folks there will just keep letting themselves get crapped on by Islam.
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