neda agha-soltan
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By The Airborne Toxic Event • June 8, 2010
Good morning –
It is with full hearts that we write to you this morning to announce the release of our first song in almost two years. “Neda” — a song about Neda Agha-Soltan, whose brutal murder at the hands of the Iranian regime during the protests in Tehran last year made her a symbol of human rights the world over — is now available on iTunes. All proceeds from the sale of the song will benefit Amnesty International. To purchase the song, click HERE, or go to the link below:
http://idj.to/AmnestyNeda
In addition, we have made a web-only video for the song. The video is a retelling of the historic events surrounding Neda’s death: the disputed Iranian Presidential election, the brutality of the regime in cracking down on dissent, the desecration of Neda’s grave, the massive movement towards freedom and peace in Iran… You can watch the video above, or on YouTube.
We believe that the viral video of Neda’s death was a sea change in political power in the world. It was the first viral video to change the course of history, a symbol that the power of broadcasting is no longer simply in the hands of governments and corporations, but in the hands of people. It is in the hands of anyone with a cell phone camera and an internet connection. It is in your hands right now.
There’s also something about Neda herself. About the simplicity of her request (that her vote be counted) and the violence of the response her government gave her. She represents the most fundamental decency of the human spirit standing in the face of the most base corruption of that spirit. All she wanted was for her vote to be counted. For that, she was shot through the heart in the street in broad daylight holding a sign that said simply “freedom.”
By The Airborne Toxic Event • May 18, 2010
Good afternoon,
So we got a call from the Red Cortez crew saying that the Neda Project is a cause near and dear to their own soulful, bohemian hearts. As such, they will be joining us for the return to the Echo benefit on May 25th in Los Angeles. Red Cortez joined us for our entire fall North American tour last year and suffice it to say, they put on a SCORCHING live show. Thanks, lads.
Here’s a video for their song titled, appropriately enough, “In the Fall”:
(You can also click HERE.)
Tickets for the show sold out immediately. Thank you all for supporting the cause.
We will be debuting our new song “Neda” at the show. The song will be also released June 8th on iTunes, with all proceeds to benefit Amnesty International’s work on human rights in Iran.
The video for the song will also be released online on June 8th. It will retell the events surrounding the death of Neda Agha-Soltan and the historic protests in Iran against the disputed presidential election.
Neda is in our hearts as are the many who gave their lives for basic freedoms and the chance to stand up to tyranny. June 12th is the one-year anniversary of the historic disputed election. June 20th is the one-year anniversary of Neda’s death.
In the coming weeks, we will be asking you to join us to make a statement in solidarity with the people of Iran, a statement in support of basic human rights, a statement about the democratization of broadcasting and the new freedom that represents.
People have asked us: Why now? Why this? Why Neda?
Because there are people halfway across the world in jail cells—people we’ll never meet—who need our help.
Because Neda represents the most basic morality of the human spirit confronted by the most violent...
By The Airborne Toxic Event • May 12, 2010
Good afternoon,
We are thrilled to announced that we will be returning to the first place we ever played a show for a very special benefit concert to raise funds for the Neda Project, a series of events we are doing with Amnesty International about Neda Agha-Soltan and digital democracy in Iran.
The show will be in two weeks on May 25th, 2010 at the Echo here in Los Angeles. Tickets are very limited and will be first come, first served. They went on sale today at noon PST. They are $30 each. All proceeds will benefit the Neda Project. Here is the LINK to purchase tickets.
The Neda Project
Neda Agha-Soltan was a young woman living in Iran—a student, who was shot in the street by government militia for participating in peaceful protests against the disputed election of Mahmoud Ahmadenijad. Her death was captured on video, uploaded to YouTube and within hours seen by millions around the world. She quickly became a symbol for the resistance and for the brutality of unchecked tyranny.
Like millions of people, we were deeply touched by the video and the horrific treatment of Neda and her family by the regime afterwards: the desecration of her grave, the intimidation of those who wished only to mourn her death, the allegations of torture of those who deny the government’s claim that it was a foreign plot that killed Neda and not the Basij. (A member of the Basij was caught red-handed on the scene and confessed. His ID was confiscated, though he was released for fear of punishment. He has not been brought to justice).
We wrote a song, called simply “Neda,” in tribute to her. We will be releasing the song and an accompanying video telling Neda’s story on June 8th, 2010 in preparation for the one-year anniversary of...