NCRI – The ruling mullahs in Iran have issued fatwas or religious decrees against the traditional annual celebrations known as Fire Festival (Chaharshanbeh Suri), which takes place on the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar year (March 16, 2010). The mullahs declared the celebrations to be against Sharia law and akin to “superstition” while calling on Iranians to refrain from participating in it.
The state-run Mehr news agency reported from Qom that mullah Jafar Sobhani has described the Fire Festival as an example of false traditions. “Leaping over a bonfire and saying some words … is not at all appropriate,” he said, referring to the specific Fire Festival tradition that includes people going into the streets and alleys to make fires, and jump over them while singing the song Sorkhi-ye to az man, zardi-ye man az to. The literal translation is: Your fiery red color is mine, and my sickly yellow paleness is yours.
Sobhani warned Iranians “not to become subject to matters that run counter to Sharia law and wisdom.”
The Fire Festival has been held across Iran every year in anticipation of the New Year, but it has also taken a political dimension because people use it as an opportunity to express their anger and opposition to the ruling dictatorship while burning posters and pictures of the regime’s leaders.
Another mullah in Qom was also quoted by the same news agency as saying that the rites and actions performed during the Fire Festival in Iran are not in line with religious guidelines.
Fazel Lankarani added: “The issue of the Fire Festival is a superstition and baseless. Some of the actions performed during that day are not in line with religious guidelines and … are examples of actions which are contrary to Sharia.”
