What is the religious and political messaging behind Khamenei’s funeral?

A week of ceremonies for the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has adopted heavy symbolism to promote pro-government religious and political messages.

From carefully curated state rhetoric to organised demonstrations, a barrage of messaging is being used to create a narrative of unity among supporters of the Iranian government, which has been in power since the 1979 revolution.

Khamenei’s funeral began with three days of mourning in Tehran, before a procession weaves between cities in Iran and Iraq, embedded with heavy symbolism about the former supreme leader’s life and Shia Islam in general.

Khamenei was supreme leader from 1989 until his death in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei taking over as head of state in March.

Iranian authorities have emphasised the “martyrdom” of Khamenei in official messaging and promoted the idea that grief for his death is a national duty.

“We must rise”, the official slogan being used for ceremonies, can be seen on banners and images displayed by mourners in Iran. For Arabic-language and international audiences, the authorities have selected the Arabic equivalent of “Rise for God”. Both phrases are based on a Quranic verse that calls on Muslims to stand up for a divine cause.

An illustration of Khamenei’s defiant clenched fist, on a red and black background, has become the defining image of the ceremony. It has been used extensively in government propaganda since his death and is rooted in a text message attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen or heard of publicly since he became supreme leader.

The text message, released on March 12 shortly before the assassination of security chief Ali Larijani, said that Mojtaba had “heard that the fist of [Khamenei’s] healthy hand had been clenched”. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had lost use of his right arm after severe shrapnel and burn injuries in a 1981 bomb assassination attempt.

Ostensibly to avoid assassination, Mojtaba Khamenei is expected to remain absent from his father’s ceremonies, due to security risks.

The use of black and red colours is said to combine the concepts of grief, martyrdom and a call for revenge.

“This surging sea of people, now bidding farewell to and accompanying their leader in his funeral procession, is crying out two slogans: Resistance against the enemies, and revenge for the blood of Iran’s martyred leader,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.