Kamangir (Archer)

Corpse Parade

Kamangir | October 16, 2006 | Category Iran

“Anonymous Martyr” is a very well known term in the Islamic Republic literature. This term is used for the hundreds of unidentifiable bodies found in the places were “light’s army” fought “Iraqi infidels”. In many other countries, a monument is built for the acknowledgment of the anonymous soldiers and paying gratitude to them. In Iran, once every while, the national television announces a public service for transferring corpses to their resting places. Then, it turns into a carnival for chanting the administration’s ambitions and nostalgia for martyrdom.

As time goes on, it becomes harder to dig into the mud and find parts which can be assigned a number and then paraded in the streets. The Islamic burial rituals state that the body should be washed and then wrapped. This would be a serious problem when there is no “body” available. The same Islamic rules give a hand, because, a martyr’s body does not need to be washed. Whereas, the rituals mandate the wrapping to be opened right before soil is poured on it. Fortunately, it can be carried out as one person jumping into the grave and opening the wrapping right before it is hid under ground. If that part is made public, many may start to ask why these corpses are being moved around the towns and cities and are not left to rest where they have been resting.

To see the pictures click here. Warning! scenes of dead bodies!