Limits of Iran’s Shia Internationale Anthem 

“The Internationale” has served as the official anthem of the socialist movement since the 19th century. Translated into most world languages, it still provides the basic vocabulary and ideological tenets of leftist political parties globally. The Islamic Republic too has engaged in several attempts to create revolutionary anthems, whose appeal transcends Iran’s political borders. “Salam Farmandeh” or “Saluting the Commander” is the latest among these attempts, but translations of the anthem illustrate the limits of the regime’s propaganda effort. 

The anthem, which was first performed March 21, just before the Iranian New Year, by a children’s choir on Iranian television, is addressed to the Mahdi, the Shia Messiah, and his vicegerent, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referred to as “Seyyed Ali” to whom the children pledge: “Despite my small stature … I will be your Haj-Qassim,” a reference to the former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander, Major General Qassim Suleimani, and “I will serve you as the unknown soldiers,” a reference to the personnel of the Intelligence Ministry. 

Despite its poor vocabulary and bad rhyme, Iran has invested heavily in propagating the anthem, which is now performed by school children all over the country, broadcast on state television, and shared on social media. In June, Khamenei publicly praised the anthem, and Iranian cultural centers abroad also reportedly performed it in Persian in Kashmir, India; in Arabic translation in Bahrain and Nigeria; and in Azeri in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

The video footage from abroad leaves an impression of haphazardly gathered crowds and playback rather than the actual performance of the anthem. More importantly, there are substantial text differences: As opposed to the Persian and Azeri versions, there are no references to Khamenei and Suleimani in the Arabic translation of the lyrics.  

In particular, the lack of reference to Khamenei illustrates the limits of Iran’s propaganda effort: Khamenei is the head of state in Iran but not universally accepted among the Shia as a source of emulation, let alone the vicegerent of the Mahdi. 

AGSIW’s Iran Media Review monitors, translates, and reviews critical Persian-language media sources identifying important developments and trends in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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