Funeral in Tehran

When Tony Horwitz visits Tehran, Iran, he is presented with an extraordinary and frightening experience. After learning that the leader of Iran, Khomeini, has died, billions of people storm the street in black clothing mourning his death. Horwitz receives the chance to visit his funeral, though when he does, he seems somewhat appalled by what he sees. A helicopter lowers Khomeini’s coffin onto the ground while a large number of people swarm it and pull Khomeini out of it and onto the ground. This does not seem typical of any funeral; however, traditions in different countries vary. After President Gerald Ford passed away, a funeral was held in Washington D.C. Interesting enough, everyone that attended was dressed in black, a common color worn at funerals. This seems to be the only commonality between Khomein’s funeral and Gerald Ford’s funeral. Also at President Ford’s funeral, many military and naval members stood solemnly, mourning the loss of the president. A main concept of American funerals involves respect for the dead. Everyone is quiet and nobody attacks the coffin, tossing the body out of it. Traditions of the Middle-East seem extremely different to the United States; however, we do not take into account that many Middle-Easterners must think our traditions are out of the ordinary. People clearly have different ways of mourning based on traditions they have been brought up with.

EJ