The Times (of London) has
named Neda Agha-Soltan Person of the Year:
It was not hard to see why Ms Soltan so quickly became the face of the opposition, the Iranian equivalent of the young man who confronted China’s tanks during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations 20 years earlier. She was young and pretty, innocent, brave and modern. She wore make-up beneath her mandatory headscarf, jeans and trainers beneath her long, black coat, and liked to travel. She transcended the narrow confines of religion, nationality and ideology. She evoked almost universal empathy.
[...]
As the new year approaches, the so-called Green Movement appears to be gaining confidence and momentum. It no longer seems impossible that the regime could fall in 2010. If and when it does, Ms Soltan will be remembered as the pre-eminent martyr of the second Iranian revolution.
Only ten days ago, Time magazine
chose not to include the "Iranian protester" in a group of finalists (which included runner Usain Bolt) it was considering for its own "Person of the Year." This was done despite the fact that the Iranian protester gained more votes than all other nominees combined in an online vote that Time opened up to the public.
