Childhood is a crucial period for the development of personality and children’s perception. It is the most sensitive and influential stage of growth in every individual’s life; therefore, ensuring the physical and mental health of children is of great importance. Paying attention to the natural and social rights of children, protecting their rights, respecting their personal boundaries, and safeguarding their privacy are crucial for the most vulnerable and defenseless members of society who require special legal and social support. This has a significant impact on the growth and formation of a society where its members have the minimum standards of mental health.

Education and upbringing is considered the most important and fundamental right of children, reflecting the development and growth of human societies and the well-being and prosperity of children in today’s societies. Undoubtedly, educational spaces should be safe and desirable in order to promote the physical and mental health of children in learning science, knowledge, education, and upbringing, as well as achieving proper nurturing.

Children’s rights in Iranian laws

In Iran, the situation of laws for the protection of children and the implementation of these laws has always faced fundamental challenges. As a result, despite the approval of laws for the protection of children and adolescents, first in 2002 and subsequently in 2020, issues such as political exploitation of children, ideological indoctrination, institutionalization of jihad identity in them, and the training of child soldiers, although one of the most blatant violations of children’s rights, have always been neglected by the legislator and have been a matter of concern for the international community.

The political exploitation of children and their ideological education is a serious issue in today’s world, unfortunately prevalent in Middle Eastern and Third World countries, and Iran is not an exception to this rule. With a brief look at what is happening in our country’s schools, the most serious damages related to this behavior are evident, from morning ceremonies to what some human rights activists, sociologists, and child psychologists interpret as teaching children to hate and wish death upon others, familiarizing them with the concept of jihad and martyrdom, and instilling a spirit of violence and killing in even elementary school students.

Although according to the Children and Adolescents Protection Law approved in 2002, any kind of harassment and abuse of children and adolescents that causes them psychological and emotional harm and endangers their mental health is prohibited and neglecting the mental health of children is considered a crime. Also, in the Children and Adolescents Protection Law approved in 2020, for the first time, the dangerous situation of children has been taken seriously by the legislator. In the fourteen articles of this law, which explicitly address dangerous conditions and enumerate them, there is no direct reference to the exploitation of children and involving them in political spaces and using them as pawns for political purposes and ideological education and promoting a warlike spirit in children.

The Islamic Republic of Iran joined the “Convention on the Rights of the Child” on November 20, 1989 in 1993. This convention has three optional protocols, and in 2007, Iran joined the “Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography” adopted on May 25, 2000.

Another protocol entitled “Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts”, adopted on May 25, 2000 in 1389 (2000) during the United Nations General Assembly, was signed by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran.

According to the definition of the United Nations, the military use of children is in three forms:

1- Employing children as child soldiers in war;

2- Use in activities supporting war such as guarding, spying, and sexual slavery.

3- Use of children for advertising in war.

Despite the fact that the use of children for advertising in war and indoctrination of their ideology is prohibited in human rights treaties, there is no effective guarantee for the failure of countries and their violations.

Song “Greetings Commander”

These days, the controversial anthem “Salam Farmandeh” with the theme of awaiting the appearance of Imam Zaman and strengthening and solidifying the position of leadership in the minds of the children and youth of the “90s decade” has caused a lot of discussion and has led to protests from human rights and children’s rights activists who see the various performances and propaganda of this anthem as a form of political exploitation and violation of children’s rights, and a form of psychological harm to children.

According to many human rights activists, the words and phrases used in this anthem are incomprehensible and unknown to children. Innocent children are taught to stand energetically in front of cameras that are focused on them, and while experiencing destructive psychological and emotional pressure, they are asked to sing a song that they do not understand the meaning of. Perhaps the clearest concept that comes to their childish minds is the message of death and non-existence derived from the words “uprising” and “unknown soldier” in war.

Some believe that what is found in the content of this anthem is more of a cultural nature than an ideology; with the explanation that the concept of “Imam Zaman” in Iranian culture is recognized as a sacred refuge and the anthem is related to the anticipation of his appearance and has little to do with politics; but what is evident, whether we accept it or not, alongside the dominant cultural content, is the use of certain words and phrases such as “anonymous soldiers” and “being loyal to the system” in the poem and the way the anthem is performed, which adds a political tone to the content that cannot be denied.

According to psychologists, what should be taken into consideration is that the understanding and perception of religious words and concepts by children is not aligned with adults and is completely different. Children understand religious concepts within the framework of their mental capacity and their worldview is shaped accordingly. If the teaching of concepts to students is not done properly, it will not only have constructive effects, but it can also have very harmful consequences.

Erwin D. Yalom, a renowned psychologist and contemporary humanist, has compiled his decades of research and writing in a book titled “Existential Psychotherapy”. In this book, he extensively discusses the damaging effects of death anxiety on the minds of children. His research, which includes studies on children from all over the world, reveals the terrifying truth that many psychological disorders and disturbances in humans stem from death anxiety. This anxiety is rooted in the constant, careless and unfiltered exposure to the concept of death in the lives of children. Yalom believes that children do not have the mental capacity to fully comprehend and digest the concept of death until the end of their second childhood phase. Therefore, great care and delicate methods must be employed in teaching children about death and its implications.

The final word is that despite all the pressures and negative effects of ideological teachings, can such a song that targets children under the age of eleven with not-so-childish themes achieve its designers’ goals and engage the audience? It seems that time will tell the answer to this question.