September 12-14
National Police Chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moqaddam has warned the public that people making jokes about the late Ayatollah Khomeini will be prosecuted.
In recent months, something of a minor industry in such jokes has developed on social media, much to the consternation of officials of the regime.
According to the Tasnim news agency, Moqaddam said last week, “The fact that our streets are open and there is freedom in our country doesn’t mean that drivers can drive at any speed they want. These insulting acts [Khomeini jokes] are considered a crime.”
Radio Farda reported that one joke asserts that a friend of Khomeini asked him, “Would you like to drink vodka or tequila?” Outraged at this indignity, the pious cleric slapped the man in the face and said, “What’s wrong with homemade aragh sagi?” referring to a liqueur commonly made in Iranian homes, and thus simultaneously mocking Khomeini’s opposition to alcohol and promotion of Iranian nationalism.
Moqaddam said pointedly that those who fail to respect “the limits on freedom” will be dealt with, thus underscoring that “freedom” in the Islamic Republic does not include behavior or ideas the regime dislikes. But even the most dictatorial states allow their publics to do what is approved by the regime.
Some of the jokes about Khomeini going the rounds reflect common criticisms of him, but others highlight unfulfilled promises he made, including his talk of providing free water and electricity.
“The Imam [as Khomeini is commonly referred to] comes home and sees bills for water, electricity, and gas on the ground. He asks, ‘Weren’t these free?’” The joke concludes: “Forgetfulness was one of Imam’s weaknesses.”
Another joke is about a man who complains to Khomeini that there is often no electricity and he has to eat his dinner in the dark. “Imam suggests he use an oil lamp,” a reminder that “bringing oil to the people’s tables” was one of Khomeini’s promises.
London-based Iranian Internet researcher Nariman Gharib told Radio Farda the jokes first appeared on the instant messaging app Viber and later on Facebook.
One Facebook page, titled “Imam’s Distinctive Charac-teristics,” has received more than 20,000 “likes.” The page administrators wrote that they don’t belong to any political party.
Jokes about people in the political establishment have always been quite common in Iran, dating back long before the revolution. But jokes about Kho-meini were relatively rare until recently.
Mocking Khomeini, Gharib says, has now become “normalized.”
“I think [conservatives] are angry because Ayatollah Kho-meini has lost his grandeur and making jokes about him has become very easy for people,” he said.
However, Sadeq Ziba-kalam, a Tehran-based political commentator, suggested last week that the Khomeini jokes could be spread by hardliners in an effort to pressure the government of President Rohani to back a crackdown on cultural abnormalities.
“[They want to say], ‘Why is the Culture Ministry not acting against these behaviors? Therefore Rohani’s government is to blame,” Zibakalam was quoted as saying.
He suggested hardliners could also be using the jokes to oppose the introduction of high-speed links to the Internet by the government.
Zibakalam said hardliners could argue that considering the fast spread of Imam jokes even with slow Internet speeds and blocked social media sites, the situation would get much worse once speeds rose and filters were removed.
Amid the spread of the jokes, an image of a “secret letter” emerged online bearing the logo of the Pasdaran. It called on Communications Minister Mahmud Vaezi to filter social networking sites by which the jokes are being spread.
Vaezi was quoted Thursday by state media as saying the letter was a fake. He added that those who attempt to put pressure on a government body in order to further their aims should know they have not chosen “the right goal.”