Holy "Allahu Akbar" vs. unholy "Allahu Akbar"
By Dr. Mohammad Maleki
It is 10:00pm here (Tehran) and, like every night, the shouts of “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great”) are being heard from near and far. Sometimes slogans such as “Death to dictator” creep into the fold, too.
The “God is great” slogan became fashionable years before and specifically during the 1979 revolution. When people obtained a certain victory in their fight against tyranny, they had a habit of chanting this slogan after. These calls continued until the immediate months before the revolution. That was when the government of General Azhari of the Shah came to power and a martial law was declared.
At nights people went to their rooftops (those days Tehran’s skyline wasn’t yet filled with all these skyscrapers) and chanted “God is great.” Azhari had come to consolidate the monarchical rule through the suppression of people. But, he failed to realize that the thin china of the regime’s rule had an enormous crack on it after the first popular march led by youth and students to Ershad seminary, Shemiran, and Esfand 24 Square (which is today called Enghelab Square) following the [religious holiday] of Eid-e Fetr. No amount of glue was enough to repair this crack. Shah refused to give in to this reality and believed that General Azhari, backed by the army, the royal guard, the SAVAK [secret police], and club-wielding plain-clothes agents, could preclude the formation of crowds and demands for change as echoed in slogans chanted during daylight marches and also in the nightly “God is great” calls.
One day at parliament, in response to a member, Azhari tried to play down the extent of people’s protests and said that the “God is great” chants were actually taped voices which are broadcast at nights from mosques and other areas. In response to him, people in their demonstrations ridiculed him by saying: “You pathetic Azhari! maybe you want to say this (mass demonstration) is a tape, too!”
The nightly cries of “God is great” turned into the slogan for the anti-monarchical revolution of the people, to the extent that it jolted the edifice of the rulers and deprived them of a good night sleep.
After the victory of the revolution, in the event that the regime sought to announce the backing of people for an initiative it thought would be beneficial for it, it ordered people to go on roof tops at a certain time and shout “God is great.” For example, this happened during the anniversaries of conquering Khoramshahr and the 1979 revolution.
The regime interpreted this act as a God-loving, holy, humanitarian, and Islamic act, and consistently encouraged it. But, after 30 years and the unfolding of events related to the tenth round of presidential elections, people poured into the streets to protest the results, and in a completely peaceful way demanded a free election under the supervision of international and human rights organizations. The regime, however, reacted to this civilized act of protest with utmost brutality, killing, injuring, and arresting a large number of people. This is the same tactic used by all tyrants when they face popular protests.
After enduring such violence, people once again took refuge on their rooftops as they had done months before the 1979 revolution and let out chants of “God is great.” However, this cry is no longer considered God-loving, holy, humanitarian, and Islamic by rulers who wield power under the banner of Islam, because apparently they are the ones who are supposed to be approving a value system for the language and words used by others. If referring to God is beneficial for them, then by all means it would be considered holy. But, if such reference is made in protest to their actions, it would be deemed most unholy!
As such, the regime did not even tolerate people’s chants of “God is great” on rooftops. It raided houses and communities where the cries were being made. It broke doors and shattered windows, not even showing mercy to the parked cars and set them on fire. It marked houses of people where the chants of “God is great” were heard from in order to deal with their owners later.
All this takes place even though the knowledgeable and civilized people of Iran are not violent in nature and do not take a violent course of action unless for self-defense reasons. One of the civil protest methods people have chosen is the nightly cry of “God is great.” The current rulers are well aware of the meaning of this slogan, and that is why they express their rage by attacking people’s residences.
Now that the Supreme Leader-appointed Guardian Council has expressed its opinion [on election results], the chants of “God is great” by people refusing to accept this decree which makes a mockery of their vote and decision, will grow louder night after night and encompass a much wider area. Obviously, this cry will not only be heard in the city of Tehran, but also in all cities and villages across our country.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar …
Dr. Mohammad Maleki, the first chancellor of the University of Tehran following the downfall of the monarchy in Iran
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