AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): According to the AhlulBayt (a.s.) International News Agency - ABNA - the funeral ceremony of the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution was, in the view of some media, a farewell ritual; but Mujtaba Haider, a Pakistani journalist, considers this ceremony a collection of political, cultural, and civilizational messages; messages that, according to him, from the recitation of the Quran to red flags and the presence of millions of people, all carried meaning.
From Tehran to Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad, millions of people attended the funeral ceremony of the martyred leader of the Revolution. Iranian media announced that nearly 43 million people participated in the ceremonies held in Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad, making it the largest recorded funeral ceremony in history.
Analysis of Seven Main Messages of the Ceremony
Among the various narratives, the article by Mujtaba Haider, a Pakistani author and journalist published on Pakistan's Minutemirror news website, focuses more on extracting messages from symbols rather than on the crowd or ceremonial details, messages whose audience was not only the Iranian people. In this article, he examined seven main messages of this ceremony:
1. Recitation of Quranic Verses; The Coded Language of Diplomacy
Mujtaba Haider described the Quranic recitations at this ceremony as reflecting a message commensurate with Iran's position and role in regional developments, and wrote, "The religious ceremony was mixed with traces of political themes. Selected verses from the Holy Quran were recited in the presence of foreign officials, each chosen to reflect Iran's interpretation of its role in the ongoing conflicts." These verses were not random texts, but a deliberate act of framing. This practice was a reflection of previous funerals of revolutionary leaders, where religious texts were used not only to sanctify the ceremony but also to embed political meanings.
2. Red Flags; A Powerful Symbol in Shiite Rituals
The red flags of "Ya Latharat al-Hussein" and "Ya Latharat al-Khamenei" raised at the million-strong funeral of Iran's martyred leader carried a clear message: "Iran's soil thirsts for the blood of aggressors." The reflection of this event in international media shows that the message of the Iranian people was correctly understood; Iran is not only not a safe place for aggressors, but is a broad and dangerous front for any aggressor.
The seasoned Pakistani journalist considers the carrying of these flags as a powerful symbol and says that these flags, by referencing the event of Ashura and the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.), sought to place the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei in line with that same historical narrative of sacrifice and resistance; a narrative in which the blood of the martyr keeps alive the demand for justice and revenge.
3. The Resurrection of the World's Largest Funeral
Through the lens of Mujtaba Haider, what took shape during the days of the funeral of Iran's martyred leader was not merely a wave of crowds; it was a resurrection in the hearts of people that, in his belief, placed the narrative of years of Western media propaganda against an objective reality. Millions of people, beyond all political analyses, created an image through their presence that, according to this Pakistani journalist, will endure not in camera frames but in the memory of history. The unprecedented scale of participation indicated the lasting influence of Ayatollah Khamenei and challenged Western narratives about him.
4. Diplomacy in the Frame of Mourning
The Pakistani journalist considered the presence of official delegations, journalists, and activists from more than one hundred countries at this ceremony as a reflection of Iran's dignity in the face of American pressures, and wrote that from Tehran's perspective, the funeral ceremony became a forum for gathering like-minded voices from around the world. Also, linking this ceremony with issues such as support for Palestine and humanitarian matters was an effort to show that Iran's narrative has audiences beyond its borders and continues to be reflected internationally.
5. Unity at the Critical Juncture of History
What amazed the analyst of Minutemirror was the national unity resulting from this ceremony. He wrote in this regard, "Perhaps the most important domestic message of this ceremony was the display of unity. Political officials and military commanders stood alongside ordinary people. This presence depicted an image of national solidarity, showing that despite internal differences, Iranian society stands together against external threats."
6. A Flag That Brought Two Nations Together
The funeral of the pure body of the Revolution's leader and his family in the most important cities of Iraq, Najaf and Karbala, carried an important message that Mujtaba Haider analyzed as follows: "This ceremony extended to Najaf and Karbala, cities of great religious significance in Iraq. This was not coincidental. For decades, foreign powers, especially Israeli intelligence, have tried to exacerbate ethnic and religious divisions between Iran and Iraq. The widespread presence of people in these cities was seen as a response to this narrative and emphasized the religious and cultural bonds between the two nations."
7. A Display of Authority and Invincibility
Another aspect noted by Mujtaba Haider was the magnificent holding of the world's largest funeral ceremony without the slightest disruption or incident, which he considers a display of Iran's authority and invincibility. He wrote, "Holding a ceremony of this scale, especially in wartime, was in itself a form of power display. The mobilization of millions, the coordination of foreign delegations, and the incident-free conduct of the ceremony, from the organizers' perspective, demonstrated Iran's organizational capability and resilience."
The analyst of Minutemirror concluded by summarizing the dimensions of this ceremony, writing that the personality of the martyred leader was not limited to Iran's borders, and his continuous support for oppressed nations, especially Palestine, had created a global position for him. From this perspective, the funeral ceremony was not merely a farewell to a leader; it was a political display to counter Western narratives and strengthen the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic system. This ceremony, in the author's belief, breathed new life into Iran's political narrative and was an effort to convey the message that Iran, despite all challenges, remains united, resistant, and standing.
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