A report, fifteen days after the tragedy, talks about the mourning ceremonies and the workers with and without identification who were killed in the explosion at the Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas. The workers who entered the port through the walls for a piece of bread, and the ports filled with laborers who had neither identification nor a permit to work. (1) Truck drivers, employees, and anyone who was there at the time are now dead. Some of the bodies are unidentifiable and Bandar Abbas still has many realities to tell. In such a situation, the state-run media, after the incident, hesitated to put a black tape on its screen and instead aired a comedy program. Not only the state-run media, but it seemed that the people’s reaction to the mourning for the Rajaee Port was different in practice and in the media compared to other tragedies – such as the Metropl Abadan or the Plasco building in Tehran. A significant difference that the monthly magazine

According to this sociologist, the tragedy of the Raja’i port did not stir up the sensitivity of the entire Iranian society. This means that the society perceived this tragedy as something normal or that other elements were involved in it. These words can be understood in a situation where the Iranian society has been faced with various disasters in recent years; from the disaster of the Abadan metro to the Plasco building in Tehran and other incidents that occasionally claim the lives of our compatriots. In fact, it seems that this retired professor is referring to this normalization. Dr. Jamshidiha also stated in response to a question about the lack of national empathy towards this tragedy that the government should have done more than what it did. In other words, the official institution should have done more than what it did so that the people could also join in. This retired university professor also sees the people’s attention towards another issue, such as the negotiations between Iran and America, and calls for peace, saying

Dr. Jamshidi’s words and his reference to negotiations and the public’s struggle with them are understandable. In a situation where the public’s livelihood and the prices of currency and gold are tangled in negotiations, with every change in negotiations and every new statement, prices fluctuate. It may seem natural that people, in relation to the disasters that are occurring in the country, pay more attention to their daily livelihood. Of course, from another perspective, this statement can also be criticized. The people of Iran showed a commendable presence in the issue of donating blood to the victims of the tragic incident in Bandar Abbas. So much so that in the last days of the first week of Ordibehesht 1404, the Blood Transfer Organization announced that “the blood reserves are currently meeting the needs of the injured in the Bandar Rajai accident and asked the people, especially in Tehran province, to postpone blood donation to other days.” (2) This point alone can be a sign

The main criticism in the conversation of the monthly “Peace Line” with Dr. Jamshidiha is directed towards the government and society’s leaders. This retired university professor spoke about peace, stating that he himself watches the official news at least once every night, and yet, compared to Plasco and Metropl, the government has invited fewer people to ceremonies. It is worth mentioning that the government declared Saturday, April 26, 2025 as a national day of mourning due to this tragedy. However, it seems that it has not shown the expected reaction towards this tragedy, as citizens like Dr. Jamshidiha had hoped. In various parts of his conversation with “Peace Line”, Dr. Jamshidiha has mentioned this issue, namely the government’s lack of action or failure to do so.

The victims of this tragedy were many. From workers and truck drivers to those who were working there and even the undocumented workers who were killed in the incident. The missing, as authorities and media report, some of their bodies are so badly burned that there may be no trace of them. They use the term “disappeared” for these victims. A term that some social media users have introduced as a tool for controlling the news. (3) The former head of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tehran, in response to a question about the difference and discrimination towards the workers and laborers who were killed in the incident, said that more importance should be given to the workers. According to Dr. Jamshidiha, this discrimination may be attributed to the psychology of the rulers. The responsibility of the society lies with the government and if this discrimination has occurred, the government itself is interested in not doing anything about it. This retired professor said that we should ask the government why they

But this tragedy can also be analyzed from another perspective. In a conversation in Mehr 1396, Dr. Jamshidiha brought up the discussion that social movements emerge from within the rituals of Ashura and mourning. In light of this statement, the Line of Peace asked him if this speech is only related to the incident of Ashura or if other small and large tragedies that also affect the lives of our people can create unrest and lead to a movement in society. In response to this question, Dr. Jamshidiha, referring to his experience during the February 1979 revolution, said that at that time, speakers would influence people by discussing their topic and connecting it to the religious memory of the people, namely the issue of Ashura. This retired professor, in response to the question of whether, in his opinion, the media, like those speakers, have also fallen short, said yes, and the media have also fallen short and have not acted as they should. Of course

Dr. Jamshidi also discussed the use of terms such as “disappeared” for missing individuals and the question of what this term and approach mean within the framework of power literature. He stated that this type of literature shows indifference and irresponsibility. This retired university professor also added that, in his belief, this tragedy has not received national attention and remains at the regional level. However, this sociologist rejected the hypothesis that society has become numb to tragedies and emphasized that governments must take action for society to show a reaction.

The tragedy of Bandar Rajaei in the city of Bandar Abbas is still fresh and mourners of this tragedy continue to grieve for their lost loved ones. Observers are still trying to understand why such tragedies occur. According to Dr. Jamshidiha, it is still unclear whether this tragedy was a political explosion or a normal one. However, this tragedy can serve as a warning for the community to react. Although, according to analysts like him, it is the responsibility of the government and the management of society to bring the community to the scene, the role of civil society and its forces should not be ignored. The question here is, at what level did the forces of civil society act in the face of this tragedy? Did they have any presence at all, and can they even be present in such scenes, given the heavy suppression and securitization of such disasters? My conversation with Dr. Gholamreza Jamshidiha in the monthly magazine “

Notes:

1- Hamedi, Niloufar, Field Report “East” 15 days after the explosion in Bandar Abbas, from the cemetery and its mourners, confused and unemployed workers, and a city that has not survived, from the port to “Bagho”.

“Shargh Newspaper.”

, 21 Ordibehesht 1404.

2- The blood reserves are enough for the injured of the Shahid Rajaei Port incident.

Borna News Agency.

“6th of Ordibehesht month, 1404.”

3- Taqizadeh, Faran, “Bread at the Cost of Life”, the victims of the explosion at the Raja’i port who may never be found.

“Bibisi Farsi” translates to “Farsi baby.”

April 12, 2025