Reactions to Image of Raisi Praying on Airplane: 'Populism and Lacking News or Spiritual Value'

The publication of an image of Ebrahim Raisi praying on an airplane en route to New York for the United Nations General Assembly by several Iranian state media has sparked significant critical reactions from social media users. This is not the first time an image of Ebrahim Raisi praying has been released. Many users have deemed the publication of his prayer image as hypocritical, deceptive, and populist. Journalist Mohammad Hassan Najmi wrote: 'Raisi told his accompanying entourage not to take any photos while I am praying, and if you do, do not publish them, and there will be consequences for any publication.' Ebrahim Raisi also prayed during his trip to Russia in January, and that image was published as well. Some users argue that although that prayer had a new aspect, praying at night on an airplane by a Muslim does not carry any special message. Some social media users juxtaposed the image of Raisi praying with a picture of Erdogan meeting Elon Musk. Analyst Ehsan Soltani wrote: 'Musk visits Erdogan in New York, and whispers of establishing Tesla factories in Turkey are heard, while a value is created with the image of Raisi's night prayer and clownishness.' Some users pointed out that before Raisi, other officials of the Islamic Republic, including those in Rouhani's government, had also published images of themselves praying. Some shared statements from Javad Zarif, the former Iranian Foreign Minister, who said in the Iranian Parliament that during nuclear negotiations, he prayed in front of John Kerry, the then U.S. Secretary of State, to show him that 'Qadr, the power of God.' Ebrahim Raisi is traveling to the United States to participate in the United Nations General Assembly and is scheduled to speak at the organization's headquarters in New York on Tuesday, September 19.