Islam and the Contemporary World

Islam and the Contemporary World

The Role of the Religious Delegations in Yazd during The Holy Defense Period

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
Department of Social Sciences, Tehran Central Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/icwj.2026.596207.1057
Abstract
With the beginning of the Holy Defense, religious bodies, as one of the popular and religious institutions, began extensive cooperation with the Basij resistance force during the Holy Defense. In the meantime, the role of lament singers was prominently manifested in various fields. By creating epic laments, they established a new type of lament singing that, unlike the traditional and mourning-oriented laments of the Islamic Revolution era, was full of passion, epicness, and boasting. With themes such as obedience to Imam Khomeini (RA), dispatching fighters, longing for pilgrimage, preparation for operations, seeking martyrdom, liberating Jerusalem, and popular support, these laments were considered an effective tool for motivating forces and strengthening the morale of fighters. The present article examines the key role of religious bodies in the spiritual and cultural support of the fronts in a review-analytical manner, relying on written, audio, and video sources, and interviews with lamenters during the war. Finally, the findings show that religious groups, by utilizing the enormous potential of young people, have played a significant role in preserving, promoting, and consolidating the values of sacred defense, and lament singers have a special place as pioneers of this cultural movement.
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