Ashura ceremonies intertwine faith and support for state in Iran
State-backed Ashura events showcase leaders killed by US, Israel, seen as martyrs in the mould of Imam Hussein. Since the start of Muharram – the
State-backed Ashura events showcase leaders killed by US, Israel, seen as martyrs in the mould of Imam Hussein. Since the start of Muharram – the first month of the Islamic calendar – last week, black cloths have been draped across many of the passageways and neighbourhoods in Tehran and other Iranian cities as a sign of mourning. Wednesday and Thursday marked Tasua and Ashura, declared public holidays in Iran each year by the authorities to mourn the killing more than 1,300 years ago of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third of 12 Shia Muslim imams. For the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ashura is also a political affair. The state presents itself as being a continuation of Hussein, the “martyred” leader, who chose to die along with his fighters and family members during an uprising instead of bowing down to what he perceived to be the unjust rule of the Umayyad caliphs of the time. In this vein, slain commanders of the Tehran-backed, and predominantly Shia, “axis of resistance” – such as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah – are believed by supporters to have attained the highest levels of honour in death. Khamenei, who held absolute power for nearly 37 years, is now called “seyyed ol-shohada” or the most exalted of martyrs, by state media and some followers, which is the title most associated with Imam Hussein.
More than four months after his death at the start of the war with the United States and Israel in downtown Tehran on February 28, Khamenei is slated to be buried the second week of July, during the month of Muharram. After six days of events across multiple cities, Khamenei will be buried in the holy Shia shrine of Imam Reza in northeastern Mashhad. For weeks after Khamenei’s burial, Iranian cities are expected to remain shrouded in black garments. Ashura events Mosques, squares and streets across Iran have now been filled with countless black-clad Ashura tents and stations decorated with pro-state messaging, some showing images of officials killed during the war. They play loud religious music and chanting at all hours of the day, especially at night, and sometimes distribute tea and beverages. Tehran’s Enghelab (Revolution) Square and other major areas are closed off at night to accommodate large-scale state-organised events. Ashura mourning processions also move through some neighbourhoods carrying “alams” or ceremonial standards associated with Karbala, the Iraqi city where Imam Hussein was killed. Many are operated by state-linked groups and pro-state demonstrators, who have taken to the streets every night since the start of the war. Some are guarded by police and other armed forces. In some open spaces and mourning gathering places called tekkiyehs, there are rhythmic rituals and chest-beating in unison, along with “zanjir-zani” or self-flagellation of shoulders and back with light chains and other tools.
The BriefWire