Thursday
Mar252010
UPDATED Iran: The Controversy over Neda's "Fiance"
Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 18:22 
UPDATE 25 MARCH: Masih Alinejad has posted an update, apologising for mis-representing the relationship between Caspian Makan and Neda Agha Soltan.UPDATE 2115 GMT: Developments tonight. BBC Persian is featuring an interview with Neda Agha Soltan's mother, Hajjar Rostami-Motlagh, who emphasises that Caspian Makan did not represent the Soltan family in his trip to Israel.
Rostami-Motlagh, contradicting stories on websites, said that Makan and Neda were in a relationship at the time of her death and were on their way to marriage. However, saying that her daughter was not political, Rostami-Motlagh asked that her spirit be "left in peace".
The Soltan family rejected the claim that Makan was representing the Iranian people and said that he was "abusing the legacy" of Neda.
Makan contacted Masih Alinejad to discuss the original article about him. Alinejad has updated her editorial to include their conversation.
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Journalist Masih Alinejad, formerly of Etemade Melli daily and now the lead editorial writer for Rah-e-Sabz has published a denunciation of Caspian Makan. Makan is the man who has commonly been identified as the "fiancé" of Neda Agha Soltan, whose death on 20 June by a Basij gunshot has become a symbol of Iran's post-election conflict.
We make no comment on Alinejad's assertions but post them, translated by an EA correpondent, in the knowledge that Makan, who has just met the Israeli President Shimon Peres, is being mis-identified by some observers as "a leader of Iran's opposition":
How many times should Neda Agha Soltan die?
The Latest from Iran (24 March): Regime Confidence, Regime Fear?
In Iran is it only the government that kills the protestors?
Besides those who are sitting on the chair of power, is there any one else who might be able to kill young Iranians? Who else, besides the autocratic rules of Iran is willing or able to break the heart of a mother over and over again? Does death only mean that you should fall over the cobblestones of a street, with blood spilling out of your mouth, and a mother who would never see her beautiful daughter again?
If the answer is yes, how come Neda is being shot at every day?
This time round, Neda Agha Soltan is being killed through an imposter who introduces himself as Neda’s fiancé. Caspian Makan is shooting at Neda’s forehead, just because for a very short time Neda was sentimentally attached to this man. She did, however, separate from him very soon after the beginning of their relationship.
A man named AliReza (Caspian) Makan travels around the world under the name of Neda’s fiancé and defines himself as a representative of the people of Iran. In this capacity, he met with the president of Israel, Shimon Peres. Mr. Makan is free to do whatever he wants but it is a disaster that everyone knows him in conjunction with Neda, a girl whose family has no agenda in Iran. On the other hand, he claims to represent the dead girl and has become her "voice" throughout the world.
I wanted to publish this article a long time ago but I believed that Makan was very well aware that in the last days of Neda’s life he did not maintain a sentimental relationship with her. And I was under the belief that after she was gone, he would respect the privacy of a dead woman who cannot defend herself.
During the days when a British friend of mine was producing a documentary about Neda, I accessed a letter from her sister, but I thought I should not go public with the letter and insult Makan in this way. But today Makan is insulting the entire family of Neda along with an entire nation. I guess it is time for me to pull the curtain and let the world take a look at the reality behind the scenes.
Neda’s sister wrote in an email that “…Makan and Neda were separated, they were together for a very short time…. The picture of Neda with short dress was taken by him… Makan and Neda were not together anymore but after Neda was killed we were forced to witness Makan sending Neda’s pictures to the media…”
Makan is neither Neda’s fiancé nor a representative of people of Iran in Israel.
Throughout our life we meet many people, men and women. Makan was just a by-stander in Neda’s life, and Neda soon broke the relationship up. And now this question has constantly occupied my mind: why should anyone disrespect a person who once laid her head against his shoulder but the day after decided that those shoulders do not constitute solace for her any more? How can he buy himself fame while Neda’s picture was a keepsake when they were together? Is intruding upon her integrity not a good reason behind his real agenda to meet with Israel’s president? He does not even genuinely believe in green movement.
I never wanted to be disrespectful to Makan. But as a woman, if I didn’t stay with a man while I was alive, clearly I would never want him to climb on my corpse once I was dead. It hurts my soul as much as a policeman’s gunshot would hurt my body.
I am not Neda’s family’s spokesperson, but I know that these days Neda’s mother is enveloped in pain while she witnesses other people shooting her daughter in other ways. The mother of Neda is hurt. She is hurt from those who shot her daughter and herself once as well those who presently want to kill her soul.
If Makan had a motivation to meet with Israeli President, he should have done it on his own. Standing on the corpse of a girl who long before her departure has ended her relationship with him is the pinnacle of scorn. The innocent girl who once put her hand on Makan’s shoulder trusted him and never thought that tomorrow their once private pictures will roll around the world from media to media, so that he can accomplish his plans. Neda had never contemplated that this man could take over as the representative of the people of Iran.
Neda Agha Soltan is a clear example of the ailment in Iran, from the days that the political and social leaders decided to ignore honor and moral. Instead they began to raise individuals from all layers of society who have an enormous talent of killing their countrymen despite being unarmed.
Neda was an unassuming girl. She, like many other girls, became the victim of the protests against this regime. But this is not the end. There are still people who are targeting at our long-gone sister. All those boys who derided Neda’s death and those women who made a cloth doll of Neda with the slogan “Satan’s martyr” are still shooting her. They broke her tombstone and….
I write in the hope for a day when morality comes back to the Iranian society and its members correct themselves first instead of using each other’s corpses for reaching fame and fortune. Their bodies stink of blood and betrayal.
Reader Comments (57)
Just a shameful display of how politics and self interest will treat the dead to futher their own agendas. One can only wonder at the grief and state pressure Neda's family is under. I think it is about time to leave her family out of it and cut off the people trying to profit from it. Even if Neda's family is pro reform how can anyone reasonably expect them to air their views with the regime watching their every move. One wrong step and it is their lives as well. Just let Neda rest in peace she has already paid the ultimate sacrifice for what she believed in.
My prayers go out for Neda and her family. May God watch over all of you!
Hi AsdollahMirza,
Thank you for correctly clarifying (your post 8) my short comment about Makan "carrying on a bit like Makhmalbaf". That's exactly what I meant; my comparison of the two men was narrowly focused on them either claiming to be or allowing others to introduce them as the “spokesman” of parties who haven't made the same claim.
Where Makan's case greatly differs from Makhmalbaf's, and this is what makes Makan look suspicious, is that in all Makan's initial interviews he made it clear that he was against Neda attending the protests and tried to persuade her not to go. Then after her death all of a sudden he's the champion of the cause out doing the Green Wave Road Show. I'm exaggerating a bit here, and maybe he underwent a conversion as a result of grief and imprisonment, but it just looks bad.
Although I have no idea why Makan went to Israel, his trip made me think of another Iranian who did the same thing and even made a documentary about his visit: the blogger known as "blogfather" (can't remember his name), who has been languishing in prison for a couple of years now because of his people-to-people peace venture. Admittedly, hanging out with like-minded Israeli bloggers and rappers isn't the same as giving interviews to Israel's Channerl 2 TV and meeting Simon Peres.....
Catherine,
I final read your link about the Iranian hardliner and South American lefty conference gone bad. I almost pissed in my pant laughing so much. At least we know the left is not totally lost. These socialists realize the only "justice" is through equality regardless of faith unlike the Iranians who attended. Also got a laugh how it mentioned Iranian press edited(as they always do) out the rebuke issued by the socialists for the Iranian hardliners trying to portray their atheist leader as a follower of God. This is just another shameful action in which Islamists will use revisionist history to ply their trade. At least they were caught red handed this time.
On an ironic note this is not the first time Iran's myopic focus on religion has got them in hot water. In 2009 they funded a hospital in Boliva and actually forced the staff to wear Hijabs. Boliva is almost 100% catholic and to put it lightly this did not sit well with the people of Boliva. Just shows how tyranny sees no truth but its own.
Thx
Bill
Dave - that one was especially for you! It still cracks me up whenever I think of it.
RE the Iranian-funded Bolivian hospital, I saw Aljazeera's TV report on it when the story first broke and I must say the nurses in hejab didn't look that different from nurses in Catholic hospitals .... who are nuns! ;-).
Caspian Makan response in an interview with BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2010/03/100325_neda_israel_makan_interview.shtml
[edited by moderator]
In reality, Masih Alinejad is [supporting] the regime.
Do you really think people inside give a damn about regime's propaganda anymore?
To most Iranaians in Iran, Caspian is now a hero and happy that the link between Iranian people and Israelies broken by the terrorist regime of Islamic Republic is being once again connected by brave people like Caspian.
Most of you here are just repeating the same BS propaganda that IR wants the world to think that the people of Iran have the same behavior and mentality as the IR. I don't say that all the Iranians think the opposite, but I guarantee that most of the people and almost 100% of the educated and intellectuals w/o ties to regime wish to have better connections w/ Israel & the West & would love to side w/ them to fight all kinds of terrorism
Do you really thing that regime would do anything so stupid to send a person to Israel & use as excuse to jail ppl. They don't need any excuse to jail or kill people, they create excuses whenever and whatever they want. Didn't they sentense people to death for throwing rocks? And who do you think the protesters are? People from all walks of life, many of them are sons and daughters of revelutionary guards and religios people who are turning against the regime for a better future
Whoever considers Caspians's visit of Israel president a negative action, has the same place to me as Ahmadinejad and Khamenei to me.
Caspian believed in peace and friendship between the two countries with some of the best people in the middle east and stood for what he believed. As a non-Jewish Iranian, I am proud of his brave move.
Alinejad is playing a double game here to destroy Neda's image as an innocent victim by attacking her boyfriend, by BSing about their relationship & also trying to avoid a link between the people of Israel & Iran.
Can someone tell her that the poor girl is DEAD & she wasn't killed willingly & her personal relationships, her future marriage, who her next husband wouldbe and non-sense predictions don't have nothing to do w/ the life she lost over peacefully demanding her most basic rights.
Since regime's propagandas failed to fool people about who Neda's killers were, now they are using their propaganda artists such as Masih Alinejad to slowly destroy Neda's image. A long term strategy to make the world forget about their crimes.
And again, Neda's fiancee or not, as an Iranian, Caspian did an amazing joband. The opposite of what some idiots claim, most Iranian people are also impressed w what he did
[edited by moderator]
@CYRUS
I was a bit surprised about the reaction of many here to the claims made in the original article. Seems to me like some are too quick to believe articles .
I have not seen anywhere that Caspian Makan has claimed to be representing either Neda's family or the Green movement. But one thing is for sure he is ANTI Iranian regime - and I can fully understand that. Good luck to him for whatever he wants or wishes to do.
I do not know whether Masih Alinejad is [supporting] Iran - but certainly her writing does not assist the Green movement in any way - it undermines it, like a termite.
Barry
Cyrus,
A quick word on the moderator's edit: any specific charge against Alinejad needs to be supported with evidence.
This is not meant to demean any other points you made in your post. Speaking personally, I believe --- from my own information --- that Alinejad's original editorial was an honest attempt at journalism, based on her enquiries.
This is a very messy affair, going beyond Makan and Neda and extending to regime politics.
S.
@Scott
Fair enough.
Barry
It is a common human desire for bad, nasty things to just "go away". Many here have expressed their desire for Neda to be left in peace - and for the unpleasantness of her death to be allowed to fade away gracefully. There is distaste for her memory to be defiled by any attempt to use her and her death for any purposes.
But - we all have a destiny to fulfill. I believe that Neda's destiny has not been arrived at yet - neither for her or us. Her destiny is to have her name placed in front of us at all times - not to be forgotten - but to be remembered. Her untimely death has to be remembered - and the manner of it. As distasteful as that seems to some, such that they may think that her friend is somehow using her for his own personal advantage.
We all need to use her name.
Barry
@cyrus Your edited sexist remark about Masih is awfully indicative of a mind of man which is similar to many other men in our society, but often in Iran it is Islamiszed by calling women who step on boundaries 'Aisha', the brave women whose marriage to Mohammad was consummated when she was nine and he was 40. Aisha also was brave enough to question the rule of Ali, and with the intervention of Abutalib, Mohammad's uncle who is notorious to have claimed that 'women should not interfere with politics' the exclusion of women in public started . Your attack on Masih originates from this point in Islamic history and how women are treated in Islam especially when you use inappropriate sexist remarks. As far as I am concerned you should be as brave as her to also apologize, but to her!
@MRZAND
In defense of Cyrus, I can assure you that his edited remarks were not sexist in ANY way. The edited part was of a particular nature,in the form of an allegation - but it was not in any way sexist. You are definitely on the wrong track there.
Barry
i did not read the blog of nasih or the email letters between her and hoda. i was not 'there' with caspian and neda in their private moments. it is none of my business, or anyone else's. my heart goes out to the parents and family of neda, and to the iranian people.
the only place where i was an eyewitness was at caspian makan's visit to the student union at the university in jerusalem. this visit was held WITHOUT FANFARE, NO PRESS, was NOT a photo op for anyone. it was a mutual human reaching out. the hall was packed, there were orthodox jews, seculars, righties, lefties, members of the palestinian groups with their internal varieties, students from the iranian studies dept. who wanted to practice their persian in the questions and answers, and all kinds of people.
caspian looked broken, but spoke with care and tact. he was harshly challenged by a palestinian student who compared caspian's experiences in evin to the israeli jail, but admitted he had never been in jail. there was a heated, but open debate. others said touching and difficult things. but people talked.
although maybe a small part of the audience came out of curiosity (not to say voyeurism) about neda, most wanted to have a human engagement on a non-political level with someone from iran, and to be hospitable. makan himself talked about humanity and universal things, not about neda, and there was no hijacking of any personal story or posturing as a mouthpeice for a political or national movement.
@Barry
Let me understand this! You don't think starting you comments by calling a women the four letter word that Cyrus called masih, which starts with S and ends in T is not sexist? I still stand by what I said!
Scott,
Leaving a comment is different than publishing a front page article, so sometimes you'd go based on your instant emotions, I appologize for not having any evidence on Masih's IR connections, but based on the interviews & articles written by her, she is trying very hard to ignore the fact that many Iranians do not want the IR anymore (she actually says that no such thing exists except a very small fraction!) She is a brainwashing tool used by the IR and my claim is based on her own statements. Even if she doesnt get paid & doesn't have any connections to IR, still she benefits IR by her words
MrZand,
The main reason I used the word SL*T was to get some reactions when I thought this blog was dead and also to express my feeling about the way she disrespected
Calling a woman Sl*t is not sexist, it's the similar way around calling a man a fag, bastard, c*cksucker and so on and it's not such a bad thing either. Many women (and men) who party a lot call themselves sluts and some are even proud of it. So don't make a big deal out of a word.
I believe in gender equality by body, mind and soul. I have always paid more respect to women than any other being & never believed in the superiority of any sex, race, ethnic, etc. Plus the 1400 years old Arab history does apply to me for 1-I don't believe in religions 2- I'm not an Arab
And the most important of all all my anger was because of the way Masih disrespected Neda.
if she is a professional journalist and person with a humane nature, she shouldn't be commenting on a dead women w/ such baseless stories like that. A non sense claim that Neda's sister personally emailed her telling about their very priviate relationships, but she doesn't want to expose it. Even if that email really existed, she already broke her promise to Neda's sister by exposing it, so show us the email...
If she has anything against Caspian, she should keep that away from Neda.
To me both Masih & regime are trying to distance people from the rest of the world, in order to keep Iranians isulated and better in control. The only thing that kept the IR in power for so long were the mythical and sometimes physical enemies. Now they see that if the people of Iran start a friendship w/ Israeli people, that mythical enemy will be removed from the image. They spend billions of dollars, filled all the school books, radio, TV, banners, signs, demonstrations, etc to keep the mythical enemies in people's heads.
Now when a Muslim Iranian is so much welcomed by the Israeli president, imagine how they'd feel about it.
When a kid who's been thought about how Israelis hate Muslims, killing Muslim kids, are evil, their country should be destroyed, muslims are bothers and all the rest of the people Kafir w/ equal value to pigs,.... sees the so called enemy welcomes and hugs the Israeli president, the man with such powerful & important role to pay respect to an ordinary Iranian who lost his Fiancee over a protest, that means a lot to them. That means that the Israelis are actually vey nice and kind people. That's a threat to IR and they have to have people like masih to reverse it in their own favor by accusing Caspian of being IR agent!!
Most of you don't understand Iranian politics, nothing is the way it seems, it's a chess game w/o any transparency.
I want massih to provide us with evidence
Before passing judgement on Caspian I propose to take a step back and look at two pictures first: the one published above and the other to be seen on http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2010/mar/24/1542
What struck me most, was his fragile appearance compared to cheerful days, looking forward to a hopeful future with his beloved Neda. What is left to him since? He lost his fiancé, his country and in a certain way his family as well...
Others would have secluded themselves to be drowned in their sorrows (a quite normal reaction), but Caspian chose the other way and has decided to fight. Fight for mutual understanding, building a tiny bridge over a very deep trench, purposefully dug out in the past 30 years.
The moment he has chosen to meet Shimon Peres may be politically inconvenient (because of the Israeli settlement policy), and Israeli media may exploit this news in their favour, but it does not change anything about his courage to take such a step, being well aware that he would be slammed by nearly everyone.
I admire him for his bravery, as I admire anyone who speaks out for peace between peoples.
Thank you, Donna, for your convincing account on this meeting.
Arshama
As usual...well said Arshama.
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thank you Arshama
you are welcome arshama
Thank you Arshama and Donna!! :) - and felicitations to Cyrus. Cyrus, your anger and passion shows -- unfortunately sometimes anger and passion can lead to emotions which are almost uncontrollable and their expression is perhaps later regretted. Who has never said a word that, perhaps later, they quietly think that they should not have used it???
@MrZand
English is my native tongue - and I do not believe that the use of a single word automatically means that the user of that word is sexist, racist or any other kind of "****ist" . True sexism and racism go much deeper and are much more profound. It is a shame these days that the words are used so commonly - people are alleged to be racist or sexist for the slightest action or word.
Barry
I HAVE A BAD MOUTH, BUT WHEN IT WASN'T ALL OUT OF ANGER WHEN I USED THAT WORD. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE ATTACKED AND THAT'S WHY I USED IT :) FIRST OF ALL IT WAS A STRONG EXPRESSION AND 2ND TO SEE WHO AND HOW COMMENT ABOUT IT
After reading this thread and all the comments, I asked myself what I would have liked my loved ones do if I was Neda or any of the thousands who have been murdered by the brutal regime in Iran. And the answer was I would like them to do exactly what Makan is doing. I would want them to go to the end of the earth and let every man, woman and child know how senselessly I and others have been murdered, and how senselessly our families are being terrorized. I do not care if people who use my name enjoy fame and fortune as long as by sharing my story they make sure that no other person in Iran will ever have my faith.
If I was Neda I would say to Ms. Alinejade instead of crying a river of false tears for me and my family; use the power of your pen to condemn the perpetrator, the mullah regime. I tell her not to cry for me and my honor, shed tears for future Nedas.
I wonder if Ms. Alinejad and her kinds, who were quick to raise a red flag with meeting between Makan and Shimon Perez, do not suffer from a bad case of Islamic bigotry. I wonder if they would have raised the same red flag if Makan had met with President of any other country. And if I was Neda I would tell Ms. Alinejad and others that the Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend.
I watched Makan interview with VOA (before his visit to Israel). In response to the question of possible interview with Israeli officials, he said he would go anywhere and speak with anyone to expose the brutality and crimes against humanity in Iran. He said he was a photographer before Neda’s murder and very disengaged with politics in Iran. He said Neda’s murder has set him on his current mission. I found his statement typical of families and friends of victims. The only thing that wrenched my heart was that Neda’s mother, father, sister or her younger brother did not have the opportunity to carry similar mission on the world stage. I also wished that other countless victims of the past 9 months could have had spokespersons who shared their stories and their broken dreams with the rest of the world.
This is the story that needs to be told over and over by ALL anywhere with anyone who cares to listen from now to the demise of murderous regime in Iran.
The fantasists that give comments should realise that there are plenty of Disney and other theme parks all over the US where they can fulfill their fetishes and fantasies. The Iranian people like their Islamic Republic and trust their leaders more than the Americans trust theirs (90% of them do not think that Congress serves them well and Obama's rating after just over a year in power has sunk to below that of GWB). The Caspian meeting with Peres proves beyond reasonable doubt that many events that occurred after the elections, including Neda;s death, were organised by Israeli/US subversives paid handsomely as in this case a meeting with no other than the butcher of many Arab children in Gaza and Lebanon, Shimon Peres. This is proof enough if any was needed!