Al-Monitor:

The diversity of actors on Iran’s political stage has made the political process in the country complex. The “maddahan” (“madah,” singular), religious singers or eulogists, are one group relatively new to the scene.

A decade ago, maddahan were visible mainly in mosques and during such holidays as the 10-day mourning ceremonies in the month of Muharram, when Shiite Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein ibn Ali and his companions in the 680 Battle of Karbala. In recent years, however, eulogists have become more influential and now even play a role in politics. Indeed, whereas they previously only attended mourning ceremonies, they are now present on virtually all religious occasions, including festivities, and often comment on various issues, such as observance of the hijab, social mores, whether to hold concerts and sports competitions, the economy and even foreign policy.

Mostafa Khorsandi, the head of Kanoon-e Maddahan, the eulogists' union, has said, “In [the Iranian year] 1393 [March 21, 2014-March 20, 2015], there were about 56,400 male eulogists in the country. Perhaps only a few of these are well known and controversial. The remainder lead normal lives and are only active in their local mosque or prayer halls during the mourning season.”

Although few in number, maddahan are gaining in prominence on the political stage. In general, eulogists face relatively fewer political restrictions, falling somewhere between a cleric and a politician. On the one hand, they enjoy the power that clerics derive from people’s religious faith, while on the other hand, they are able to deliver political sermons from their tribunes between eulogies. Given the vast number of Iranians who attend mourning ceremonies during Muharram, these sermons can have a considerable impact...

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