The Mythification of Ghasem Soleymani

Along with the non-invitation of Iran to join the international coalition organized to fight the extreme Islamic militant insurgents in Iraq and Syria commonly known as ISIS, or ISIL, Iran’s official media and regime personalities have launched a new round of propaganda in support of the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ Ghods Force, a drive that appears to be aimed at countering the snub.

While the official domestic media strives to present a mysterious, brave, thoughtful and effective image of Soleymani, foreign media through some of its own reporting has helped this drive.

This heroizing of Soleymani began last week after Iran’s leader ayatollah Khamenei spoke of “Iran’s important role” in Iraq and its measures to stop the advance of ISIS.

It began when Entekhab website, closely affiliated with the Iranian government, posted a photograph of Soleymani in Iraq. The story that was posted along the photograph quoted another site, Business Insider, under the caption of “The presence of Iran’s military genius in Iraq’s biggest victory over ISIS.” This is how the story read: “The battle for Amerli in east Iraq was one of the most important battles against ISIS, and this victory was accomplished by an unusual coalition which succeeded in defending this strategic city. The strategy to confront the ISIS attack to conquer the city was developed by Ghasem Soleymani, the commander of Iran’s Ghods Force, who is the most important Iranian operational element in the Middle East. Soleymani has accomplished major strategic victories in the past. He was personally present in Amerli. He is an operational commander, never happy to be confined to Tehran. His success is because of his desire to be physically present in the crisis spots of the region. He was effective because he is a professional fighter who appears in the battlefield alone. The presence of Soleymani indicates the importance of Amerli and is indicative of the level of cooperation between Iran and the US against ISIS. This photograph strengthens the image of Tehran as a power that can prevent the advance of ISIS, something that the US may eventually be driven to recognize.”

Yesterday, on the pretext of publishing Soleymani’s letter to (film director) Ibrahim Hatamikia after the general had watched the latter’s movie “Che,” the site quoted Hatamikia to have said, “The commander of the Ghods Force of the Islamic revolution is among the international effective figures in the Islamic world and the Middle East.”

Another right-wing site, Alef, posted a report from the Germany weekly Spiegel and wrote, “General Ghasem Soleymani is not the type to stay indoors when he sends his forces to battle. He is the commander of the Ghods Force which is the arm of the Revolutionary Guards for external military operations. This 57-year commander can comfortably stay behind the front lines, but chooses to appear at the front. He has recently been seen in the middle of a hotspot in the northern Iraqi town of Amerli. He has flown dangerous helicopter missions over ISIS positions in northern Iraq. This Turkmen-populated town had been under siege for two months by ISIS forces and was liberated through operations under the command of Soleymani. This commander is credited with being brave, impatient, very direct, ambitious, intelligent and very charismatic. Iraq and its people know him very well. After the fall of Saddam Hussein he performed operations for a long time in Iraq. He has trained many Shii forces who subsequently found their way into Iraq’s security agencies, and administrative and political offices. The United States and general Soleymani face the same enemy in Iraq while fighting it with different methods and approaches. Soleymani operates contrary to American decision.”

Recently Alireza Zakani, a member of Iran’s parliament, has claimed that Soleymani prevented the fall of Baghdad into the hands of ISIS. Speaking in the city of Mashhad he said, “If the commander had arrived in Baghdad just a few hours later, Baghdad would have fallen, just as would have Syria had it not been for the guidance and will of Iran. After winning the elections in Syria, Bashar Assad has said that instead of congratulating him, people should congratulate the leader of Iran.”

Speaking in the city of Kerman, former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezai too yesterday called Soleymani a “genius.”

Tehran’s attempts to lionize and mythify Soleymani take place at a time when the international coalition against ISIS is not interested in cooperating with Iran over Iraq.

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