On Friday, Iranian police announced the arrest of over 260 individuals, including three foreigners, on charges of promoting “satanism” in Shahryar County, located west of Tehran.
According to state media reports, the arrests took place on Thursday night.
The police did not specify the nationality of the Europeans, and there’s no independent confirmation of the nature of the gathering raided by police.
Iranian media have only published photographs showing masks, model skulls, and T-shirts depicting skulls.https://t.co/uUEWiyNlhc— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 17, 2024
“The Police Information Center announced the identification, dismantling, and widespread arrest of members of the satanist network,” IRNA state news agency reported, citing a police statement. The operation reportedly targeted individuals accused of “spreading the culture of satanism and nudity.”
The police statement detailed that “146 men and 115 women” were detained. These individuals were described as being “in an undesirable and obscene condition with emblems, signs, and symbols of satanism on their clothes, head, face, and hair.”
During the raid, “three European citizens” were also arrested, though their nationalities were not disclosed. Authorities seized “symbols of satanism, alcoholic beverages and psychoactive substances along with 73 vehicles.”
Photographs published by the news agency depicted masks, model skulls, and T-shirts bearing skull images. The exact circumstances of the arrests, such as whether the individuals were gathered at a single location or multiple sites, were not clarified.
In Iran, gatherings where unrelated men and women mix are illegal and considered sinful under Islamic law. Raids targeting so-called satanist activities are not uncommon, with authorities frequently targeting parties or concerts involving alcohol, which is mostly banned in the country.
In a similar incident in July 2009, police in the northwestern province of Ardebil arrested three individuals on charges of “Satan worship.” Earlier that year, in May, Iranian media reported that 104 “Satan-worshipers” were detained at a concert in Shiraz for allegedly drinking alcohol and “sucking blood.”
Another notable incident occurred in 2007, when police arrested 230 people at an illegal rock concert in a garden near Tehran. In the past, Iranian authorities have labeled rock and heavy metal music concerts as satanist gatherings.
In Shia Islam, the majority faith of the Iranian people, Satan, known as Iblis, is a rebellious jinn who was cast out of heaven for refusing to bow to Adam, representing the embodiment of evil and disobedience to God’s will. This is somewhat similar to the Christian concept of Satan as a fallen angel who defies God and tempts humanity, though in Shia theology, Iblis’s refusal stems from arrogance and a test of faith rather than a desire to usurp God’s authority. Iblis’s role is to tempt humans away from righteousness, and his existence serves as a constant reminder for believers to remain steadfast in their faith and obedience to God.
Related to Iblis is the term “Shaytan,” a cognate of the English name Satan. “Shaytan” is a more general and inclusive term than the name Iblis, and can refer either to Iblis himself or to any other devil or malevolent spirit—and it is telling that the word “Shaytan” has been a mainststay to describe one of the Isalmic Republic’s most adversarial geopolitical rivals.
The term “Great Satan” is a political epithet used by Iranian leaders to describe the United States, highlighting the perceived malevolence and imperialistic tendencies of American foreign policy. This canard originated during the Iranian Revolution of 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini denounced the U.S. for its support of the Shah and its interference in Iranian affairs. The phrase encapsulates the view that the U.S. embodies corruption, oppression, and moral decay, positioning itself as a primary adversary to the Islamic Republic and its values. The then-extant Soviet Union was referred to by Khomeini as “Little Satan” in this model, which attempted to place the Islamic Republic of Iran in opposition to both major poles of the Cold War.
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Author: Nicholas Dolinger
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