Families of slain protesters are increasingly turning Iran’s 40th-day mourning ceremonies into acts of open defiance, replacing religious rites with dancing, music and wedding-style symbolism.
Relatives at Mohammad-Hossein Alikhani’s 40th-day ceremony at his graveside performed a mourning dance rather than holding a conventional Islamic service.
Video received by Iran International showed chanting and rhythmic movement instead of prayer recitations.
Alikhani, 25, was shot dead by security forces on January 8 in Tehran’s Fallah neighborhood.
At the memorial for 22-year-old athlete Erfan Bozorgi, family members carried symbolic wedding trays used in engagement ceremonies.
The ritual, known as tabagh-keshi, is typically associated with celebration, not mourning.
Bozorgi was killed by a gunshot wound to the head early in January in Marvdasht, Fars province.
Footage from Khorramabad showed drums and wind instruments played at Amirhossein Shakerami’s graveside, accompanied by a mourning dance.
Clapping and upbeat rhythms replaced the mournful tone that normally defines Iranian funerals.
Shakerami, 20, was shot in the abdomen during protests in Karaj on January 8 and later died of his injuries.
