A methodological reflection on the rumors around the casualties of Islamic revolution (case study: 15th Khordad of 1342, and 17th Shahrivar of 1357)

Rumors have always existed in governments and societies with multi-pronged goals. Rumor planning is typologically varied and also applied in different ways. There were also many rumors about the groups and spectrum affecting the power structure throughout the Islamic Revolution of Iran. The current study aims to examine the rumors about the casualties of the Islamic revolution combats and review the existing narratives. Our main question is what were the motives behind the rumors around the casualties of the Islamic revolution in the discourses of both the Pahlavi government and their dissidents; and based on what kind of methodology can we examine and review them? Furthermore, the current study applying the descriptive-analytical approach uses the discourse analysis theory to provide a deep and comprehensive review of the common rumors of the time. Our findings show that rumor-making as a means of “shamming oppressed” and “anti-government propaganda” was used by both the Pahlavi dissidents and by the Pahlavi regime itself to cast doubt on the causes of the revolution and its leaders’ motives, in order to pervert and marginalize the revolutionary discourse.