Trauma, Memory, and the Construction of the Martyrdom Narrative: An Analysis of Popular Handwritten Notes from the Assassination Site of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
1
PhD Student of Cultural Policy, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/wsps.2026.415654.1592
Abstract
This study presents a sociological analysis of handwritten notes left at the assassination site of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, exploring how ordinary citizens depict the martyred leader, the perpetrator, and their collective resolve. Employing a qualitative thematic analysis combining inductive and deductive reasoning, we examined 58 notes collected from video footage and online sources. construction of the "father-leader" and collective orphanhood (38%), sanctification of martyrdom via Ashura symbolism (31%), commitment to revenge and path continuation (34%), "us/them" boundary demarcation (24%), and shock with individual mourning (17%). Findings indicate that citizens transform the institutional leader into a "kind, oppressed father" and reimagine the assassination site as "Karbala in the capital," while framing the US/Israel as "absolute evil." Drawing on Halbwachs' collective memory, Collins' interaction ritual chains, and Fairclough's critical discourse analysis, we argue that these notes function as collective rituals reproducing emotional energy, sacred symbols, and group solidarity. The site thus becomes a "realm of memory" where lay participants inadvertently reinforce hegemonic political-religious discourse. This study acknowledges limitations regarding sample accessibility and media coverage bias. It contributes to the sociology of memory in non-Western contexts and provides a replicable model for analyzing memorial sites across the Middle East.
Shamshiri Niri, M. & Sboktakin, G. (2026). Trauma, Memory, and the Construction of the Martyrdom Narrative: An Analysis of Popular Handwritten Notes from the Assassination Site of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. (e109706). Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies, (), e109706 https://doi.org/10.22059/wsps.2026.415654.1592
MLA
Shamshiri Niri, M., & Sboktakin, G. "Trauma, Memory, and the Construction of the Martyrdom Narrative: An Analysis of Popular Handwritten Notes from the Assassination Site of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran" .e109706 , Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies, , 2026, e109706. doi: 10.22059/wsps.2026.415654.1592
HARVARD
Shamshiri Niri, M., & Sboktakin, G. (2026). 'Trauma, Memory, and the Construction of the Martyrdom Narrative: An Analysis of Popular Handwritten Notes from the Assassination Site of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran', Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies, (), e109706. doi: 10.22059/wsps.2026.415654.1592
CHICAGO
Shamshiri Niri, M. & Sboktakin, G., "Trauma, Memory, and the Construction of the Martyrdom Narrative: An Analysis of Popular Handwritten Notes from the Assassination Site of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran." Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies, (2026): e109706, doi: 10.22059/wsps.2026.415654.1592
VANCOUVER
Shamshiri Niri M., Sboktakin G. Trauma, Memory, and the Construction of the Martyrdom Narrative: An Analysis of Popular Handwritten Notes from the Assassination Site of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. WSPS. 2026;():e109706. doi: 10.22059/wsps.2026.415654.1592
