Metaphors in our Iranian culture and our daily life have multiple affiliations.  Currently, our people in Iran are struggling in the darkest time of the history.  People chant “allah-akbar or god is great,” a mantra that besides its religious connotations attracts hope in a frightening, unsafe, and hopeless time.  In a time when people are defenseless and under attack by militia, they call upon god as an effort to fight the injustice. “God is great” is a chant by which people leave the injustice in the hands of god who is supposed to be fair.  This is a peaceful chant because it helps people to stay away from violence and leave the criminals in the hands of god.
Chanting “god is great” creates a style of communication when surviving psychologically, defending self and supporting others have an enormous meaning.  This chant involves unity, solidarity, collective conscious, and engagement for the purpose of change.
Perpetually, Iranians have used metaphors to deal with hardship of life, to increase their resistance and to revitalize their strength. The “god is great” metaphor has a nurturing potential when the cruelty imposed on people seem to be insurmountable. In centuries Iranians have referred the “bad guys” to the god, a source of energy which helps people find peace under the circumstances.
Chanting “god is great” assists our people to have self-confidence while asking a higher power for support. This is a positive statement that has clear message, a positive tone of voice, and a path for releasing the tension. While people’s life are at risk and in the hands of criminals whose main goal is to hurt them, then chanting is only way out to show a legitimate anger and protest.  When a government is against its own people, then citizens try to stay emotionally stable with finding one another’s support.

This chant opens up a door for empathy for self and others, while validating god as a higher power takes the desperation away.

July 28, 2009
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