Narrating the Martyrs' Innocence and Stating Achievements Strengthens Public Presence on the Streets

Qazvin – An expert and university professor, outlining ways to strengthen public presence at gatherings, stressed the need to narrate the martyrs' innocence, explain the goals of the resistance, and pursue the people's economic demands.

According to Mehr reporter, Hojjat-ul-Islam Yaser Maheri, at the specialized meeting "Jihad Pledge" organized by the religious organizations of Qazvin Province Islamic Propaganda General Directorate, pointed out the need to maintain and expand the presence of people in the field, the three axes of war and threats of the enemy, the narrative of the victimhood of the martyrs and the explanation of the goals and achievements of the resistance as effective factors in strengthening the participation and resilience of the society.

Stating that the massive presence of people in the first weeks of the war was influenced by various factors, he said: Some people came to the streets in the early days of the war due to attacks and bombings, and some came to the streets to reduce anxiety and loneliness caused by war conditions; Therefore, in order to continue the participation of the people, the factors affecting their participation should be known and planned according to the new conditions.

Open hostility increases people's awareness of threats

The field expert and university professor pointed to the difference in the approaches of the American governments in dealing with Iran and added: From my point of view, the more obvious the hostility of America is, the easier it is for the society to understand the nature of the confrontation. On the contrary, when this enmity is followed in the form of indirect and hidden policies, it will be more difficult to explain its dimensions.

Emphasizing that this analysis does not mean supporting the continuation of the war, he clarified: critical approaches about the war process should not be considered warmongering. The main issue is the correct use of social and media capacities to explain the conditions and pursue people's demands.

Referring to the experience of people's presence in the gatherings in the first days of the war, the expert in the field and the university professor said: In some areas, even after the rocket attacks and increasing concerns, the number of gatherings increased. This experience shows that people's social behavior is not only subject to the feeling of security or insecurity, and other factors such as solidarity, sense of responsibility and collective motives also play a role in it.

Mahri considered one of his proposed solutions to be a clear demand plan regarding the assignment of the war situation and stated: People should feel that their presence in the field has an effect on the decision-making process and that their demands are heard. Therefore, clarifying the positions of the officials and clearly following the issues related to the war can help to strengthen social participation.

The narrative of the victimization of the martyred leader and other martyrs should not be diminished

He called the narrative of martyrs' oppression as the second most effective axis in maintaining the presence of the people and said: The martyrdom of the martyred leader was one of the important factors in the presence of people in the streets, and this issue should not fade in public narratives with the passage of time.

Emphasizing the necessity of using cultural and media capacities to read the dimensions of this event, Mahiri added: the narrative of oppression should not be accompanied by exaggeration or distortion; Rather, it should rely on documented facts, authentic memories, and reliable narratives.

Referring to the role of mourning in strengthening collective motives, he stated: Sometimes it is thought that in epic situations, one should avoid expressing sufferings and holding fast, while the narrative of mourning and victimization can strengthen the feeling of solidarity and demands in addition to the epic.

The field expert and university professor also emphasized the need to reread the lives and martyrdom of other war martyrs and said: the narratives of the martyrs who were martyred in different regions of the country should not be sidelined. Documenting, producing video works, holding storytelling sessions and using the capacity of martyrs' families can be effective in transferring these experiences to the youth and young generation.

Referring to the testimony of students in Minab, Mahiri suggested that storytelling programs with the presence of narrators and cultural activists be held in this region and that the experiences and narratives obtained be made available to the audiences of different provinces.

He considered direct contact with the families of the martyrs and retelling their stories in gatherings as suggested solutions to increase the effectiveness of cultural programs.

Clarifying the goals of resistance is a condition for strengthening the resilience of society

Mahiri stated that the third axis he emphasized was explaining the goals and results of the resistance to the people and said: People bear the pressures and costs of a path with more awareness when they know what these costs are paid to achieve and what prospects are in front of them.

Referring to the economic pressures caused by war conditions, he added: People's livelihood difficulties cannot be ignored. But in addition to stating the problems, a clear explanation should also be provided about the goals and consequences of the decisions so that the society can evaluate the ratio between today's expenses and the expected goals.

Emphasizing the need to avoid slander and ignoring the real problems of the people, the expert in the field and the university professor said: The media narrative should not be such that people feel that their economic problems are not seen or that their criticisms are considered unimportant. The explanation of the conditions should be accompanied by the statement of the facts and a clear explanation of the goals and consequences of the decisions.

He also pointed to the importance of explaining Iran's position in regional and international equations, emphasized the necessity of explaining the concept of national power and the expected achievements of the resistance, and demanded the use of reliable statistics and reports to clarify the dimensions of this issue.

Explain the nature of the enemy's threats in the media space

Referring to the role of the media in conveying a clear picture of external threats, Mahiri said: society's knowledge of threats should not be limited only to the time of military attacks; Rather, it is necessary to examine the positions, statements and political approaches of the other parties in a detailed and documented manner and explain them to the audience.

He added: Media activists can help the audience have a more comprehensive picture of the situation by examining the official statements of American officials and other opposing parties and placing them in the context of political developments.

The field expert and university professor emphasized the necessity of using the capacity of local media, public channels and social networks to explain the issues of concern to the society and said: communication with audiences who are not necessarily present in the gatherings is also important and media activities should not be limited only to the people present in the square.

In another part of his speech, referring to the statements of American officials about Iran and the history of this land, Mahiri emphasized the need to pay attention to the historical and identity dimensions of the confrontations and demanded a documentary explanation of these positions for the audience.

People's economic demands should be pursued along with supporting the government

Referring to the economic and livelihood pressures, he considered paying attention to the economic demands of the people as one of the requirements for maintaining social cohesion and stated: People should both express economic problems and be aware of the restrictions and difficulties faced by the government. This companionship is strengthened when people see the actions and efforts of officials in action.

Emphasizing the necessity of criticizing economic policies, Mahiri added: Media activists should be able to ask questions about the effects of economic policies, including decisions related to the currency market and distribution of resources, and examine the consequences of these decisions for different sections of society.

He clarified: Criticism of policies should be accompanied by arguments and presentation of evidence, and should stay away from insulting individuals. At the same time, economic problems should not be ignored with general justifications; Because people expect both the difficulties of their lives to be recognized and serious demands to be made to solve the problems.

In the end, the field expert and university professor emphasized the need to expand media activities beyond gatherings, called for the use of the narrative capacity of martyrs, explaining the dimensions of external threats, explaining the goals of resistance and pursuing economic demands to strengthen public awareness and the continuation of social participation.