The Construction of Spectacular Religious-Political Rituals in Iran; A Critical Study

Background: Following the Islamic Revolution and the expansion of access to visual media, the use of this media in Shia rituals, such as religious gatherings (hey’ats), significantly increased. In recent years, a new form of Shia ritual, referred to as “public communities”, has emerged which organized by cultural institutions. These communities differ markedly from traditional Shia-Iranian rituals and have established a distinct communicative domain.Aims: This study aims to critically examine these events by identifying their constitutive components and analyzing the nature of their mediatization.Methodology: Three events held in the Iranian calendar year 1401 were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. These Shia-revolutionary performative rituals are categorized into two main domains: the “Public construction of the ritual” and the “construction of the presence and positioning of the subject”. Their media representation is also shaped by two principal categories: the “transitionalization of the communication mode” and “ideological representation”.Findings: Our findings indicate that the organization and media representation of these events produce a spectacular pseudo-ritual that significantly diverges from traditional Shia rituals in Iran.Conclusion: These events have been organized and represented in ways that prioritize spectacle, visibility, and media populism, thus enabling a transformation in ritual structures and indicating a growing tendency toward mediatization in Iran.