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Israel's President Shimon Peres (L) with Caspian Makin who holds a peace dove given to him by the President.
Photo: Jossef Avi Yair Engel in Jerusalem
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JERUSALEM (EJP)---Caspian Makin—fiancé of Neda Soltan, who was murdered during the 2009 Iranian election protests in Tehran and whose death became a rallying point and symbol for the opposition, met Monday in Jerusalem with Israel’s President Shimon Peres.
Markin, who had requested the meeting, told Peres that he came to Israel as an “ambassador of the Iranian people, as a messenger from the camp of peace.”
“I have no doubt that the soul and spirit of Neda felt the sensitivity and warmth I received in this meeting. The fight will go on.”
“Neda was a progressive person, a freedom fighter, and these traits flowed through her veins. She loved people with every small inch of her soul. Before her murder we spoke a lot about her goals, and we both knew the danger,” he said.
“After she was murdered, she became a symbol of freedom across the entire world. Her brave and firm protest brought unity to the Iranian people’s struggle and I hope that her actions will lead to change in the future,” he added.
President Peres replied to Makin, “In Israel we feel a historic connection to the Iranian people. Iran is not enriched uranium, but rather a prosperous and ancient culture. The uprising of many Iranians restored the honor typical to this Iranian culture. More than an economic or military struggle, I see this struggle as a moral fight; and Neda was a brave soldier in that struggle.”
He said that he is shocked by the treatment of protestors in Tehran and that he has “great respect for the Iranian protestors who go out to fight for freedom, unarmed, and receive in return bullets in cold blood. I have no doubt you will win. You represent a truth that never grows old, a freedom that has no alternative.”
“You can murder a person, but not a spirit. One candle can scatter a lot of darkness. And this candle will not be extinguished. In this struggle, I am sure that the progressive and moral Iran will emerge victorious.”
Caspian Makin said he was moved by his visit to Israel “because this is a country managed well, a country which respect all its citizens. The Israeli people enjoy total freedom and this stands in stark contrast to what occurs under the Iranian regime and its leaders.”