Funeral Ceremony for Mohsen Hojaji, 'Victim of ISIS', Held in Tehran

After the city of Mashhad, the funeral ceremony for Mohsen Hojaji, who was killed by ISIS in Syria, was held on Wednesday, October 5, in downtown Tehran. According to a report by AFP, citing a photographer from the agency in Tehran, Imam Hussein Square in Tehran was 'filled with crowds' from early morning. The report states that after a while, the Revolutionary Guards blocked the way for foreign media photographers and journalists. Mohsen Hojaji, from Najafabad, Isfahan, and a member of the Revolutionary Guards, was captured by ISIS in mid-August during an operation near the Syrian-Iraqi border, after which ISIS released images of his death. Following this event, several officials of the Islamic Republic, including Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, announced that they would take 'revenge' for the murder of Mohsen Hojaji from ISIS. On Wednesday, prior to the funeral, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic was present at Mohsen Hojaji's coffin and told his family, 'Look at the uproar in the country over the martyrdom of this young man.' Foreign news agencies, including the Associated Press, reported that the Iranian government has attempted to create a 'face' and 'symbol' of Mohsen Hojaji for the presence of Iranian military forces in foreign fronts. The Associated Press also noted that the killing of this Revolutionary Guards member in Syria has reduced the level of criticism of overseas military operations, 'especially in Syria.' The agency did not provide a source for its claim, and no public opinion surveys have been conducted in Iran to provide a comprehensive view of people's reactions and opinions on this matter. However, in addition to Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, several other high-ranking officials also participated in the ceremony on Wednesday, including Ali Larijani, the Speaker of Parliament, Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the judiciary, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Council, as well as Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, Mohseni Ejei, the judiciary spokesman, and Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader's son. In this context, images of Mohsen Hojaji appeared in various paintings and posters, and a stamp was also printed in his memory. The Associated Press reported that the death of Mohsen Hojaji has led to a 'rare unity' among conservatives, reformists, and moderates, with artists, actors, athletes, and politicians remembering him fondly together. The ceremony on Wednesday was broadcast live by several radio and television networks in Iran. However, Hojaji is not the first Iranian to lose his life outside the country's borders in the past two years. In this context, Mohammad Ali Shahidi, head of the Martyrs Foundation, announced in March 2017 that the number of those killed, known as 'Defenders of the Shrine,' was 2,100. According to a report previously published by Radio Farda, more than 15 groups of Shiite militants are fighting on behalf of Iran in the Syrian civil war. Iran and Russia are considered the main supporters of the Assad regime and army, and both countries have directly entered the Syrian war. Many regional countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia and their allies, oppose the Assad government and support various rebel groups. The Islamic Republic has sent its military forces in the army and the Revolutionary Guards to Syria and Iraq, and has also dispatched a number of Afghan and Pakistani Shiites under the 'Fatemiyoun Brigade' and 'Zainabiyoun Brigade' to Syria. A significant number of these forces who have been killed in these two countries have been buried in several cities in Iran.