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Phrase used by the Iranian government
The funeral of
Abolfazl Nikzad
, a Holy Shrine Defenders member
[1]
Holy Shrine Defenders
, known in
Persian
as
Mod?fe'?n-e-Haram
(??????? ???), is a phrase used by the
Iranian
government to refer to their advisers and military personnel, whether Iranians or otherwise, fighting in
Syria
, defense and protection of
Shia
peoples and holy shrines often targeted by
Sunni
fighters. The most prominent shrine associated with the mission of the "holy shrine defenders," and to which their presence in Syria is ostensibly dedicated, is the
Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
in Damascus.
Background
[
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]
The term "holy shrine defender" refers to advisers and military personnel who fight on behalf of Iran to defend and protect Shia sites and peoples in Iraq and Syria from groups such as
ISIS
, and in support of the government of
Bashar al-Assad
in Syria.
[2]
The term not only includes Iranians, but also Afghan and Pakistani fighters, such as those who fight with
Liwa Fatemiyoun
or
Liwa Zainebiyoun
.
[3]
[4]
[5]
According to Speaker of the
Iranian Parliament
Ali Larijani
, the "holy shrine defenders" guarantee the "security, awareness and dignity of the Iranian people" by fighting against
ISIS
.
[6]
The term itself begins to appear throughout Iranian media in 2013 in response to the perceived danger facing the
Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
from Sunni rebels and an actual shelling of the shrine in July of that year.
[7]
"Holy shrine defenders" is meant to evoke the memory of the
Iran-Iraq War
, often referred to in Persian as the
Holy Defense
(???? ???? d
ef?'-e moqaddas
), and can further be connected to those fighting on the frontlines against
Covid-19 in Iran
, known as "health defenders" (??????? ?????
mod?fe'?n-e sal?mat
).
[8]
Involvement in Syria and Sayyidah Zaynab Shrine
[
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]
The Damascene shrine of Zaynab bint Ali, daughter of
Ali ibn Abi Talib
, the fourth caliph of Islam and first Imam of Shia Islam, features prominently in Iranian state narratives about the involvement of "holy shrine defenders" in Syria. Protection of the shrine from outside attack, and possible destruction, has been used as a key mobilizing tactic for the Iranian state to attract Shia forces from across the region, especially those in Afghanistan who lived under Taliban rule.
[9]
Hezbollah has claimed the threats against the shrine are what motivated it to send fighters to Syria and Secretary General
Hassan Nasrallah
has called protecting the shrine "a duty".
[10]
Despite the clear political aim of "holy shrine defenders" and other Iranian proxies to support the Assad government in Syria, the justification to be in Syria in order to protect and defend the shrine is not without merit. In April 2013, reports emerged that
Al-Nusra Front
, associated with
Al-Qaeda
in Syria, disinterred the dead body of
Hujr ibn 'Adi
and threatened to repeat this action at
Zaynab bint Ali
’s shrine.
[11]
[12]
[13]
Protecting the Sayyidah Zaynab Shrine features heavily in the experiences of "holy shrine defenders." Forces entering Syria often stop at Zaynab's shrine after first arriving and stop there before departing. It also serves as a prominent site for "holy shrine defenders" to participate in
Ashura
and
Arba‘ein
commemorations.
[14]
Recognition and promotion in Iran
[
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]
In Iran, "holy shrine defenders" are recognized by the state as
martyrs
for their role in defending both
Shia Islam
and the
Islamic Republic
. They are often given official funeral processions, sometimes coinciding with the death anniversary of a
Shia Imam
or alongside
martyrs
from the
Iran-Iraq War
, and buried in the designated martyr's section in cemeteries.
[15]
Those "holy shrine defenders" who have been designated as martyrs are often depicted in funerary posters and other visual iconography, perhaps none more so than
Mohsen Hojaji
.
[16]
Hojaji's status as an iconic martyr of the "holy shrine defenders" can be seen in the multitude of depictions, such as those appearing on the billboard at Tehran's Vali Asr Square,
[17]
which seek to relate his image and death on the battlefield to the events occurring at the
Battle of Karbala
.
Other symbols related to the designated mission of the "holy shrine defenders," namely the
Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
in Damascus, also feature heavily in iconography sponsored by the Islamic Republic and are used to create connections between current events and Shia history. Relating the experiences of Karbala to contemporary events has been an ongoing feature of state-sponsored narratives of national identity and belonging in the Islamic Republic, especially when faced with crisis.
[18]
[19]
Subgroups
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See also
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References
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