Religious singers, “maddahan,” occupy a unique place in Iran’s political landscape. They serve as eulogists and are called upon to perform at religious gatherings, such as those during the month of Muharram, when Shiite Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Hussein, their third imam and Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Of interest, maddahan have increasingly become a powerful political class of their own, but their most recent endeavor could be their most vital for the Islamic Republic’s most pressing agenda — to deliver religious and spiritual motivation to the thousands of Shiite fighters sent to Syria.

According to Mohammad Farahani, head of the Basij Organization for Maddahan, many religious singers have requested to be sent to Syria to sing for the Shiite fighters. Farahani said that these singers have performed in Damascus at the Sayidda Zeinab Mosque, site of the interment of the daughter of the first Shiite imam, Ali, and at the Sayidda Ruqayyah Mosque, the site of the grave of Hussein's daughter. Farahani said the maddahan travel to Syria with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force, which is in charge of foreign operations, most notably in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Farahani contends that the presence of the religious singers and the ceremonies they perform give fighters “strength and motivation,” increasing their “fighting spirit.” The audiences for whom the maddahan perform are not passive participants. Oftentimes, the men will beat their chests, chant in unison or move rhythmically at the instruction of the singers. Depending on the type of performance, singers might select upbeat songs, creating the ecstatic environment one might find at a rave (but without drugs and glow sticks). A video of the prominent religious singer Saeed Haddadian in Syria highlights a mildly upbeat performance. The title of the video is “Saeed Haddadian, Two Nights Before an Operation in Aleppo, Among the Defenders of the Shrines of Islam.” Not all maddahan have joined the war effort. Many more traditional singers are strictly known for their work and videos during Muharram.

The use of maddahan by Iran to boost the morale of fighters makes sense given how Tehran has framed its war effort in Syria. The geopolitical rationale for its defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been well covered. Not only has Syria been the Islamic Republic’s longest Arab ally, but it has also been Iran’s corridor to the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Regardless of such reasons, Iran’s war effort in Syria has, without a doubt, also been couched in religious terms. After all, making the case for supporting the Syrian government because three decades ago it was the only Arab country to support Iran during the 1980-88 war with Iraq is a tough sell and probably poor propaganda.