Best of the Spectator Holy Smoke: Iran, Shia Islam & its tradition of martyrdom
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Mar 24, 2026 Eric Lob, associate professor of politics at Florida International University and scholar of Iranian politics and Shia Islam, gives a concise tour of Shia martyrdom. He traces Karbala and Ashura rituals. He explains how the Islamic Republic has used martyr narratives, reactions to Khamenei's killing, polling challenges, secular trends, and possible political outcomes.
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State Memorials Turn War Dead Into Political Capital
- The Islamic Republic weaponized wartime martyr imagery from the Iran‑Iraq war to legitimize itself and its sacrifices.
- Public spaces, museums, street names and state media constantly memorialized those martyrs to normalize sacrifice for the regime.
Assassinated Leaders Are Quickly Claimed As Martyrs
- When leaders are assassinated by foreign actors, the regime rapidly grants them martyr status to mobilize religious legitimacy.
- Khamenei was proclaimed a martyr on day one of the conflict, producing public commemorations despite simultaneous celebrations by opponents.
Low Turnout Masks True Public Support For Regime
- Measuring Iranian public opinion is fraught because protest, low turnout, and preference falsification mask true attitudes.
- Turnout fell from ~70% historically to 30–40%, signaling a shrinking regime support base despite uncertainty.