Endless Controversies of a Commander
Endless controversies of a commander, according to Iran Gate, the text on the tombstone of the late Brigadier General Rostam Ghasemi, Minister of Roads and Urban Development in Ebrahim Raisi’s government and Minister of Oil in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government, who passed away on December 6 last year, has caught the attention of social media users.
Although this attention is mainly due to the use of the word ‘martyrdom’ instead of ‘passing away’ and with the explanation that he joined God during a mission in China, the expression ‘Commander of Construction’ above his name is also noteworthy because in official literature, this title is used or was used for Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. ‘Servant of the Nation’, which is mentioned above, is also a title that another president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, used and uses for himself, although this one was not used in radio and television.
Furthermore, the military title of the late Brigadier General is not mentioned, and the term ‘commander’ is also not used. Even if it is said that Qasem Soleimani’s tombstone is similar, it can be reminded that his own will was to write ‘Soldier Qasem Soleimani’, whereas from the phrase ‘Haj Rostam Ghasemi’ one can infer that if the deceased himself had willed it, ‘Haj’ would not have been included.
Regarding the title of ‘martyrdom’ and ‘In the Name of the Lord of Martyrs and the Truthful’, as mentioned, it is probably due to passing away during a mission, but in this case, the expression ‘martyr of service’ should have been used, as Tehran Municipality uses for firefighters, although the official position should be taken by the Martyrs Foundation.
Meanwhile, in the message from the leader of the Islamic Republic, the word ‘passing away’ is used. In the IRNA news and in the explanation of the cause of death, cancer was mentioned. Besides, although his body is buried in section 24 of Behesht-e Zahra, where several other officials are also buried, if the title ‘martyr’ had been applied to him, he would have been buried in the martyrs’ section.
Another assumption is that the attribution of ‘martyr’ is due to a history of being wounded in action, which is common for those who pass away due to the exacerbation of the same condition. In this case, they could have used the word ‘wounded’, but the discussions are due to the reference to the mission in China, as it implies that it was not natural.
Regarding ‘Commander of Construction’, it might be said that because he was the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, this title was used. However, let’s not forget that from 1993 to 1997, the then-president was referred to as ‘Commander of Construction’ in radio and television, and it was inscribed on the inauguration plaques of projects at a time when the late Ghasemi was 30 years old.
It is also worth mentioning that the Martyrs and Veterans Foundation has specific rules for the title of ‘martyr’ and ‘martyrdom’, and as mentioned, initially, it was not used even for firefighters who lost their lives while extinguishing fires, and later ‘martyr of service’ was applied. Or the street sign for Dr. Seyed Hossein Fatemi, the Foreign Minister of the national government of Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, who was executed after the coup of August 19, does not have the title ‘martyr’.
It is also interesting that for the late Ghasemi, the title of ‘martyrdom’ has been used, but where his background as deputy of the Quds Force is mentioned, for Qasem Soleimani, ‘martyr’ has not been used.
Nevertheless, the natural right of families to express their feelings regarding their loved ones resting in the grave through words on the eternal resting place should be recognized, and these sensitivities are due to public aspects.