World
‘Extravagant ceremony for a dictator’: Some Iranians will avoid Khamenei’s funeral
PARIS, France — The funeral for Iran’s slain supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, which begins Saturday, is expected to draw millions, but some Iranians say they won’t attend, citing fears for their safety due to possible attacks and rowdy crowds, and others don’t want to take part in a lavish ceremony for a dictator while the country’s economy suffers.
Several Iranians from cities around the country, interviewed by AFP from Paris, explained why they are skipping what is set to be the largest state funeral in Iranian history.
In the capital Tehran, residents reported fewer people than usual were out and about, with shops closed and roads leading out of the city packed, suggesting many did not want to take part in the ceremonies.
The multi-day funeral of the man venerated by many Shias, killed in Israeli strikes at the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran in late February, is taking place against the backdrop of a fragile US-Iran truce, and six months after major anti-government protests and a deadly government crackdown rocked the country.
“My concern is that poor organization could put people’s lives at risk,” said Effat, a 67-year-old housewife in the northeast city of Mashhad. “I also worry about the possibility of violence or a terrorist attack intended to gain international attention.”
“When those kinds of tragic things happen, the authorities quickly blame foreign actors like Israel or the opposition, before the facts are clearly established. I just hope everyone who attends returns home safely,” she said.
‘Nighttime checkpoints are back’
“From what I can see, many people in Tehran are actually leaving the city and escaping the messy, crowded city and ceremony,” said Azadeh, 43, a translator in the capital Tehran.
“The city is unusually quiet. I don’t know who is supposed to make up the ’15 million’ attendees they’re talking about. People are saying government employees and even schoolchildren are being bused in from other cities to Tehran on Saturday,” she said.
“What worries me most is the safety of those kids,” she added. “I just hope they don’t get crushed in the crowd.”
Saeid, a 29-year-old tech worker in Tehran, said: “Despite the intense heat, the roads leading out of Tehran are packed. Many Tehran residents have already headed north, and I’m leaving too because staying in the city has become really difficult.”
“The atmosphere feels tense,” he added. “Many streets are closed, nighttime checkpoints are back, and the city is filled with security personnel and large numbers of people in conservative religious attire.”
“It feels unsettling and I can’t bear this. My guess is they may be able to gather around four or five million supporters, and then the state media will probably claim that 20 million people attended,” he said.
‘Where did the money come from?’
“The government says it has planned food, drinks, accommodation, and other services for 15 million attendees,” said Ali, 49, from Tonekabon on the shores of the Caspian Sea. “My question is: where did that money come from?”
“In just the past few days, the price of bread and some basic food items has reportedly increased by as much as 30 percent. People are the ones already paying for it,” he said.
“This ceremony brings nothing to ordinary people except frustration,” said Kaveh, 38, a visual artist in Tehran. “None of these so-called facilities, temporary tents, portable toilets, emergency internet, fast logistics, catering, or food supply, were ever properly provided for people in Iran during real crises like earthquakes or floods.”
“Yet now, in a devastated post-war economy, they are spending the same people’s money on an extravagant and expensive ceremony for a dictator. This is nothing but another theft from the public’s pocket and propaganda for themselves,” he added.
Elnaz, a 32-year-old painter in Tehran, agreed: “For people like us, those who have ordinary lives, aren’t religious, and have no ties to the government, whether Khamenei was alive or not didn’t really change our daily lives, so it’s hard to see why this ceremony would matter to us.”
“For years, it has felt like ordinary people and government supporters have been living in two completely different bubbles while being in the same country. This ceremony is no different from other state or religious events that attract only a minority of Iranian society,” she said.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
