Today, in a symbolic act, Iranians set fire to the flags of Israel and the United States, as well as an obelisk and a statue of Baal—which they described as a symbol of Satan—in various cities across Iran in response to the release of the Epstein documents.

  • NABDad@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Say what you want, but their effigy-burning commitment is absolutely top notch.

    They build a fucking statue that any Baal-worshiper would be thrilled to have in their home and then burn it.

    That statue is awesome. Blows Banksy’s picture-shredder out of the water.

    I’m just wondering if they contracted the statue out to some artist without sharing their plans.

    “You did what with it? Dude, that took me fifteen fucking months. MY WIFE LEFT ME!!!”

    • absentbird@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Burning a statue of Baal is metal as fuck. Set flame to the dying and rising god Baal, let his ashes bring strong harvests and renewal 🤘

    • davel@lemmy.ml
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      2 months ago

      I’m just wondering if they contracted the statue out to some artist without sharing their plans.

      I think the first part is a safe assumption, but I can I can’t imagine any reason for secrecy. It may have been state or community or corporate funding.

    • bampop@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      It’s a pretty random bunch of things to burn though. My guess is they had this stuff lying around for a while and they needed to make room for something else

  • davel@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    If I learned anything from Burning Man it’s that, in order to burn something in effigy, you first need to construct a combustible effigy.

  • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    … Now I wanna know why there was a statue of Baal on the street in iran. Like, is there a Baal worshipping segment of the population? Was it some ancient statue? An art piece? Ragebait? I have so many questions.

    • Armio2@lemmy.mlOP
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      2 months ago

      They built the statues specifically to burn them down for this symbolic act, they are not stone statues. I answered this to our other friend who asked as well🙏🏻

      • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Oh that explains it, thank you! I wonder why Baal was singled out instead of just building a statue of satan himself? There’s a cultural aspect here I’m missing.

    • Armio2@lemmy.mlOP
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      2 months ago

      Obelisk and statue of Baal are both associated with satanism, Obelisk is way more famous and way more used, Baal is a god representing high corruption and requiring child sacrifice from it’s worshippers (even in bible). Jeffery Epstien also named his bank accound Baal which was seen in the Epstien Files.

      • woodenghost [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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        2 months ago

        Baal was just a normal local god for a long time. Actually several different gods, as the word just means God, but one was most famous. He was associated with weather and fertility. There’s absolutely no evidence for human sacrifices. The Romans were more tolerant than the abrahamic religions. When they build the largest temple complex ever outside Rome in the city of Baalbek in Lebanon, they allowed the locals to worship Baal in the huge entrance hall to the Jupiter temple. The intolerant monotheistic religions invented all the bad stuff about him to gain influence. Today, you can get tours and visit jazz concerts in the temples, if Israel is not currently bombing the site of the irreplaceable world cultural heritage, which they did of course.

      • HarryLime [any]@hexbear.net
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        2 months ago

        But my question is, what are they doing there? Who built them and for what purpose? I’m assuming this is in Iran. Those don’t look like ruins, Baal was never worshiped in Iran to my knowledge, that Obelisk is decorated with hieroglyphs which aren’t Iranian.

  • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    I feel like I don’t understand what the message being sent here is. Are they mad that the Epstein files got released? Mad about what’s in them? Something else?

    • Armio2@lemmy.mlOP
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      2 months ago

      They are mad about all the violence towards children, the cannibalism the pedophilia the violence proven in the Epstien files. Hence they are burning this effigy to show that they are against all of this and they oppose it.

  • PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    a statue of Baal—which they described as a symbol of Satan

    Cringe as fuck. “Satan” exist in a real manifestation in the form Capitalist Governments. You don’t need throw religion into it.