Raisi Remains a Target of 'Humor' After His Death; From His Linguistic Slips to His Supporters' 'Gaffes'

Ebrahim Raisi, who was a subject of humor among social media users during his lifetime due to numerous mistakes and linguistic slips in his speeches, has continued to be a source of humor for users after his death due to the actions of his supporters. The eighth president of the Islamic Republic, who could not complete his four-year presidential term and was accused by a rival of having only studied up to the sixth grade during pre-election debates, faced ridicule from domestic rivals and online users due to a series of 'gaffes' throughout his presidency. Some of his most famous gaffes included terms like 'perpakani', 'locomotir', 'megawamata', questions about the 'lunch' of participants at an exhibition, and the phrase 'the throat of the leadership'. The week-long period from Raisi's fall to his burial was not devoid of humorous events and online jokes. The incident of his helicopter crash in the forests of northwestern Iran and the long search, lasting about 17 hours, for him and his companions became a source of jokes among users about the missing persons and forest animals, leading to the hashtag 'Helicopterlet' trending online. After their bodies were found and during the funeral and procession, supporters of the government and Raisi created humorous subjects. In one image, a participant held a sign that read: 'Our sixth-grade president has graduated.' In another instance, the 'wailing' of a government supporter over Raisi's death and the tearing of a soldier's pants above the coffin of the Imam Jom'e of Tabriz during the Islamic Republic's armed forces parade at the ceremony became a subject of humor for users. After the burial, this wave did not subside, and government supporters and Raisi's admirers continued to create subjects for humor. On Friday, June 4, images from the city of Mashhad were published showing a banner installed on a pedestrian bridge calling Ebrahim Raisi the '4% president'. This banner was installed in a way that the phrase 'martyr president' under '4%' created an ambiguous meaning. Some users claimed that '4%' was a remnant of a previous banner that had been on the bridge. In another action in Mashhad, the placement of two banners on top of each other created the phrase: 'Be a passenger on the country's largest roller coaster, Raisi, congratulations on your martyrdom.' Ebrahim Raisi, born on December 14, 1960, in Mashhad, served as the eighth president of the Islamic Republic from 2021 to 2023. He was killed in a helicopter crash in the Arasbaran forests on May 30 after inaugurating the Qiz Qaleh dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border, and was buried in Mashhad on June 3. Shayan Sami'i: Raisi's death was a governmental elimination; factions within the regime have turned against each other. Supporters of the Islamic Republic attacked citizens supporting overthrow in London - Friday, June 4. On the line: The fall of a president. Last page: Ebrahim Raisi and his record. Protests continue against the government's approach to Raisi's death; 'rainbow' organizations published an open letter.