Is this image the Ayatollah’s call to arms?

India Today

Iran’s Supreme Leader shared a striking painting with Shia symbolism.

Transcript

00:00Is this image the Ayatollah's call to arms?

00:03On June 18th, Iran's supreme leader Khomeini posted this painting.

00:07A glowing warrior, a blazing sword, fire in the sky and this line.

00:12In the name of Hyder, the battle begins.

00:15Ali returns to Khaibar with his Zulfikar.

00:18Now, to someone scrolling by, this might just look like an intense piece of religious art.

00:23But to someone who understands Shia tradition, this isn't just a tweet.

00:26It's a war cry, a eulogy, a road map and a prophecy.

00:30I'll tell you why.

00:31I'm Anish Adhikari, welcome to the Culture Project on more.

00:33Who is Hyder?

00:34Hyder is Imam Ali, Prophet Muhammad's cousin, son-in-law and the first Imam in Shia Islam.

00:39He's also known as Asadullah, the Lion of God.

00:42And Zulfikar, the sword in that image, it's important.

00:45It's folk-ended, not for style but for meaning.

00:48So this two-faced blade symbolizes that Imam Ali was not just fighting enemies,

00:52he was fighting on behalf of the Prophet himself.

00:55It's justice and power carried in one weapon.

00:59Why Khaibar?

00:59Khaibar was a Jewish fortress near Medina in the 7th century.

01:02According to Islamic tradition, Imam Ali ripped open its gates and led Muslims to a historic victory.

01:08In modern political rhetoric, especially in Iran and among resistance groups, Khaibar is code.

01:13So when Khomeini says Ali returns to Khaibar, he's painting today's war

01:17between Israel and Iran as a spiritual sequel to that ancient battle.

01:21Now the image itself, let's break it down.

01:24Zoom in on the sword, double-pronged Zulfikar.

01:26On either side of the glowing figure are lions because Imam Ali is the Lion of God.

01:31And now look behind him, the shadowy figures in military uniform,

01:35they're not just soldiers, they look like generals who've been martyred.

01:38This is not fantasy.

01:39This is the Shia military history.

01:41It's martyrdom, it's myth and it's mission statement rolled into one poster.

01:47A Shia visual tradition.

01:49And this style, this is not new.

01:51Shia Islam has a long tradition of commemorating religious events,

01:55especially the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, through paintings.

01:58During Muharram, particularly the first 10 days leading to Ashura,

02:02paintings like this are used to mark what happened on each day.

02:06Each canvas becomes a historical, spiritual and emotional archive.

02:10This tweet uses that same visual grammar.

02:13Except this time, it's not about Karbala, it's about Israel and war and now.

02:19So who is this image for?

02:20Khomeini's base of course, but also Hezbollah and Hamas.

02:24The Shia diaspora.

02:25Anyone in the region tuned into the iconography of resistance

02:29and foreign powers watching this unfold.

02:31This isn't just religious art like I said, it's a strategic signal,

02:35a message that Iran's story is not being told through press releases,

02:38it's being told through mythology, martyrdom and symbolism.

02:42And if you don't understand that, you are missing the plot.

02:45Iran is basically telling the world, our history is our weapon,

02:48our martyrs are watching, our myth is our message.

02:52I'm Manish Adhikari.

02:53Thank you for watching The Culture Project on more.

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