The body of Mohammad Reza Shajarian was transferred to Tehran’s Behesht Zahra Cemetery on the morning of Friday, October 9, for a funeral and prayers. But the ceremony was held under strict security constraints and the body of the master of Persian singing was then rapidly transported to Mashhad.
Last night, it was reported that the ceremony at Behesht Zahra would take place at 6.30am on the Friday morning. But it took place ahead of time, in the presence of Shajarian's family members, a group of officials from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, musicians and a scattering of close friends. Other Iranian fans who had gathered at the gates of the cemetery were not able to participate.
"The atmosphere was very secure and special guards were present throughout Behesht Zahra," said one Tehran citizen who traveled to Behesht Zahra. Citizen journalists who sent pictures of the proceedings to IranWire also noted the presence of security forces at the cemetery.
Videos have also circulated from the fringes of the ceremony. One of them shows Homayoun Shajarian, the Persian maestro’s son and a celebrated musician in his own right, coming among them and telling them: “Prayer has been offered.” In another, Tehran residents offer him their sympathies and condolences, and in still another the crowd breaks into a shared rendition of “Morning Bird”: one of Shajarian’s most famous songs, which has rung across the streets of Tehran many times in the past 24 hours.
In response to the sorrow of fans who were not able to bid a final farewell to their favourite singer, and the voice of a generation, Homayoun Shajarian could only say: “It’s out of my control.”
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