May 23rd 2024.
Dubai: The nation of Iran is preparing to pay its final respects to their late president, Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash earlier this week. As a protégé of Iran's supreme leader, Raisi will be interred at the holiest site for Shiite Muslims in the Islamic Republic, the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad. This solemn ceremony will conclude days of processions held throughout the country, as the Iranian people come together to honor their beloved leader and uphold the values of the theocracy.
While the services have not drawn the same crowds as those for Revolutionary Guard Gen Qassem Soleimani in 2020, who was killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad, they have still been a powerful display of grief and loyalty. This could be seen as a reflection of the public's mixed feelings towards Raisi's presidency. During his time in office, the government has been criticized for its harsh crackdown on dissent, particularly during the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. However, these issues have not been mentioned in the extensive coverage provided by state television and newspapers.
In fact, there has been little discussion of Raisi's presidency at all, including his involvement in the mass execution of an estimated 5,000 dissidents at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. Prosecutors have even warned against any public displays of celebration for Raisi's death, and the city of Tehran is heavily guarded by security forces. Despite this, thousands of mourners in black gathered in Raisi's hometown of Birjand, where his casket was carried in a solemn procession down the main boulevard.
The casket then arrived in Mashhad, where it will be interred at the Imam Reza Shrine. This holy site is the burial place of Shiite Islam's 8th imam and has long been associated with pilgrimage. According to a hadith attributed to Islam's Prophet Mohammad, anyone who visits the shrine will find relief from sorrow or sin. In 2016, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Raisi to run the Imam Reza charity foundation, which manages a vast conglomerate of businesses and endowments in Iran and oversees the shrine. This foundation, like many others in Iran, is fueled by donations and assets seized after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and is accountable only to the supreme leader.
Raisi's burial at the shrine is a great honor for the cleric and a significant moment in Iranian history. As the country mourns the loss of their president, they also face a politically sensitive time at home and abroad. With the upcoming presidential election in June, there is no clear favorite among Iran's political elite, especially without a Shiite cleric like Raisi in the running. For now, acting President Mohammad Mokhber has taken over and has already made a show of his commitment to the country's alliances by meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Meanwhile, former Foreign Ministers Mohammed Javad Zarif and Ali Akbar Salehi joined other dignitaries in paying their respects to the late Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, whose casket was displayed at the Foreign Ministry before being interred at the Abdol Azim shrine in Shahr-e Rey, just outside of Tehran. As he was laid to rest, a religious singer sang a farewell to Soleimani, showing the deep connections and loyalty between Iran and its allies, such as Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and Yemen's Houthi rebels. Despite the loss of their leaders, Iran remains committed to their cause and will continue to support them in their struggles against Israel and the United States.
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