I Strongly Object to Your Article About Laleh and Ladan - 2003-07-27

Dear writer, your article about Laleh and Ladan, symbols of the unparalleled courage of Iranian women, had a significant impact on me. Although I was also saddened by the news of the passing of these two sisters, as hearing about anyone's death is unpleasant, especially under such physical conditions, I strongly object to your article. Dear writer, the symbol of our courage as Iranian women is the dozens of female students who are currently imprisoned in the so-called Islamic Republic, subjected to humiliation, oppression, and torture in their pursuit of freedom and human rights. The symbol of our courage as Iranian women is the freedom-seeking women who taught us the lesson of resilience and struggle by sacrificing their own blood under two dictatorial regimes. I have also personally felt the suffering and torture of my sisters, mothers, and comrades in the dungeons of the inhumane clerics. Those who, after enduring the most brutal tortures, were handed over to firing squads, and the world never recognized them, and even their mass graves remained anonymous, and their survivors were not allowed to mourn, let alone the ceremonies we witnessed for these two sisters, especially on the anniversary of the student uprising, who were not deformed to promote their victimhood globally. The twin sisters, whatever they were, are certainly not symbols of the courage of Iranian women. Please do not butcher words! The history of Iranian women is far richer than to be mythologized. With respect to the pure souls of all freedom-seeking women who wished for freedom not just for themselves and their bodies but for all of us. Respectfully, Roxana.