By Toby Matthiesen
America’s secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, sports an array of tattoos with Christian messaging, including one which reads “Deus Vult”, God wills it, and is associated with the medieval crusades. So perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, while leading a Christian service at the Pentagon on March 25, Hegseth reached for biblical language to describe the war against Iran.
He called on God to “break the teeth” and kill the “wicked” enemies “who deserve no mercy” and should be “delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them”. In other words, for Hegseth this is a holy war in which he calls on god to “grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence”.
This war is not primarily about religion. But leaders on all sides have used religion to justify their actions. Not for decades have political leaders of all three major Abrahamic faith traditions invoked parts of their respective traditions to legitimise war in this way. The way faith and religious scripture and doctrine have been used by the US and Israel to justify launching their war in Iran is a worrying development, and one that highlights the growing relationship between religion and authoritarian nationalism.
It has also deepened the animosity with Iran, where politicians and religious leaders have themselves invoked religious and messianic narratives. But Iran is an Islamic Republic in which religion has a significant constitutional role.
The Israeli prime minister used religious imagery on February 28 while announcing the start of the war. He invoked the Jewish holiday of Purim, which fell on March 2-3 this year, and which celebrates the Jewish escape from a plot by Haman, an evil Persian official, to annihilate the Jews in the ancient Persian Empire. He said:
My brothers and sisters, in two days we will celebrate the holiday of Purim. 2,500 years ago, in ancient Persia, an enemy rose against us with the exact same goal of completely destroying our people. But Mordechai the Jew and Queen Esther, with their courage and resourcefulness, saved our people. In those days of Purim, the lot was cast, and the wicked Haman fell along with it. Even today on the holiday of Purim, the lot was cast, and the end of the evil regime will also come.
Netanyahu has also compared Iran to the biblical Amalekites (a theme he has used to refer to Hamas in Gaza, drawing criticism from the United Nations). The Amalekites were arch enemies of the Jewish people, who the Old Testament God ordered to be completely destroyed, “men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys”. Netanyahu’s government rests on an alliance with religious Zionists, who frequently invoke religious references to justify Israel’s policies.
American evangelism
The first amendment of the US constitution, meanwhile, guarantees freedom of religion and effectively prevents one faith being favoured over any others. That said, about 70% of Americans identify with a religious faith (the vast majority are Christians) and there is evidence of the growing influence of evangelical Christianity on the Maga movement and the Trump administration.
On March 5, the US president was joined for prayers in the Oval Office by a group of evangelical pastors. Placing their hands on him, prayed “for your grace and protection over him…and over our troops”. The video of the American president engaging in a group prayer while engaged in a major war went viral.
At the start of the war, hundreds of US troops reported being told by their commanders that the war was “part of God’s divine plan” and that: “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”
Evangelical movements have vastly increased their political influence in the US and across the world. They often support right-wing politicians domestically and Israel internationally, believing in Christian Zionism or that the strengthening of the state of Israel will ultimately lead to the erection of the Temple in Jerusalem and hasten the arrival of the day of judgement.
Challenged by evangelical movements, the Catholic church, in contrast, has condemned the war as “immoral” and “unjust”, and denounced Israel’s attacks on Christians in Lebanon. Pope Leo, himself an American, has called the war a “scandal to the whole human family”.
Iranian martyrdom
The Israeli killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei broke a norm in international relations in more ways than one. It is the first assassination of a head of state by a foreign country in many decades. And it is the first time in centuries – perhaps ever – that one of Shi’ism’s most senior Grand Ayatollahs has been killed by a foreign power.
Many other senior Shia clerics – some of whom had had a difficult and sometimes even antagonistic relationship with Khamenei and the system he represented – declared him a martyr. Assuming his father’s role as supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei delivered remarks that heavily emphasised martyrdom and messianism – including an opening reference to the “Hidden 12th Imam”, who is meant to return on the day of judgement, according to Shia doctrine.
In Iran, Twelver Shia messianism and Iranian nationalism have long been interwoven, especially since the revolution of 1979. Now, Iran’s Shia clerics have declared the defence of the homeland as a sacred duty.
What the other branches of Islam think of the war is more complicated. Some senior non-Shia clerics, including the mufti of Oman – a prominent scholar of the Ibadi branch of Islam – declared Khamenei a martyr. The Sunni mufti of Iraq even argued that all Muslims should support Iran. There have been protests denouncing the war in Pakistan, India, Yemen, Indonesia and beyond.
But other major Sunni clerical institutions or movements have not been so vociferous in their condemnation for the death of Khamenei or the need to support Iran. This – quite apart from the at times bitter antagonism between Sunnism and Shi’ism – also has to do with the fact that Iran swiftly started attacking major Sunni-majority countries that host American military bases.
Messianic and apocalyptic elements of all three major Abrahamic faith traditions have been instrumentalised by increasingly authoritarian leaders in a global confrontation. While there are voices in all three traditions criticising this use of religion, it is setting a dangerous precedent. And while the war has been criticised as being in breach of international law, the reckless use of religion to support this war has not. This should change.
Toby Matthiesen is Senior Lecturer in Global Religious Studies at the University of Bristol in England.
Deirdre says
Trump and Netanyahu are religious lol?Any US soldier that follows illegal orders from psychopaths, who murders innocent people, does not deserve ‘prayers’ or a ‘thank you for your service’ compliment. This isn’t a war, we’re committing a genocide. If this is about God, this is not what God wants. I can’t think of any modern religion that supports the idea of mass murder being holy.
The first thing we did was bomb an elementary school, since then we’ve bombed 600 schools and multiple hospitals. These are the actions of terrorists, these are war crimes, straight out of the Israeli playbook.
Our soldiers have a choice, the next step for Trump, Hegseth and Netanyahu is using nukes, this is an EXTREME concern from top experts, who are preparing for it, so if our troops don’t do the right thing we will all need prayers, across the world.
If our soldiers are honorable human beings, if they truly care about our nation and the world, if they care about the future, if they care about themselves and their own families, they need to refuse illegal orders.
Sorry if that doesn’t fall into line with the standard thinking, but if they follow these illegal orders anyway they’ll be coming back in coffins. If not, they will ultimately be held responsible for their actions; not a hero’s welcome.
Now is the time for action; we’re at the beginning of a worldwide disaster which can still be averted, but only if the US military refuses to go.
Israel expects our troops to do all the fighting for them in Iran BYW, they’re too busy with three genocides (that we finance and supply with weapons as always) to send any of their soldiers, but they’re the reason we’ve gotten into this in the first place! It’s a pretty sure bet they’ve got the dirt on Trump through the Epstein files, he’s their slave.
Even if you love Trump, you should accept the reality that he’s not running the show. Netanyahu and influence from others, inside our own government, are manipulating a man with dementia.
This is Israel’s war, they want the land and the IDF is brutal. Turkey will be next after they’ve finished with Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. Trump has finally admitted he just wants the oil. Plus, he’s completely demented. We need to enact the 25th amendment immediately, he should not have his finger on the button, because he’ll press it.
Experts around the world are literally preparing for nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning.
Hegseth just wants to be be a big man, which means he won’t show ‘mercy’ to innocent civilians, doesn’t want to seem ‘woke’ – he wants to create maximum suffering on innocent people, including children.
As a Christian nationalist, he wants to bring about the end of days. This pathetic sadistic drunk LITERALLY wants to destroy the world! For God!
Every US politician that has taken AIPAC money is responsible for this, they’re not working for the American citizens, they’re working for Israel.
This is true on both sides of the aisle for decades, they’ve been bribed and financed by AIPAC to get elected. 97% of our congress works for Israel.
Congress has the power to stop this at any time, but they won’t. They won’t even admit what has been happening in Gaza is genocide!
I beg our US military to not participate in war crimes, as we’ve been doing, and continue to believe US citizens will support them.
The world is watching! We are seen as terrorists, we’re the bad guys, this is a war of choice, Iran posed no threat to us.
Our soldiers can file as conscientious objectors, it’s their right, many members of our military are doing it, but if people at the top say no, that will be the end of it.
They need to instruct the people under their command that they will not be asked to commit genocide in the Middle East. It’s their obligation.
If you’re in the military, or if you have friends in the military, please –
END THIS NOW!!!
JUST SAY NO!!!
FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION!!!
JimboXYZ says
Hey, if waving a flag, playing a national anthem doesn’t rally support around the cause, the last resort is divine justification. As a child, always wonder why religion taught for +/- every Christian religion that the Jews were God’s chosen ones. How can that be ? A god that would prefer one to another ? Muslims think they get virgins on the other side ? Delusional & Narcissistic much ? It’s kinda like a Biden POTUS pardon for the entire family in the last 15 minutes of his only term in office for the position ?
JW says
Very informative and scary. Scary because religions are beliefs. The biblical stories are stories not facts, written by people and should not be used to justify wars. Don’t use god(s) as an excuse to fight wars or for religious cleaning (as some politicians in the US lately say that Muslims should be removed from the US). Israel fights this war because it wants Gaza, the West Bank and the southern part of Lebanon and make these territories Jewish. And Trump uses blackmail to destroy Iran when he said yesterday that he will bring Iran back to the “Stone Ages”
Where does that leave us in America? I guess Trump’s Golden Age?
Pogo says
As stated
https://www.google.com/search?q=religion+in+constitution+by+country
Have a blessed day.
The words were a paraphrase of the suggestion of Jesus: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.” Bokonon’s paraphrase was this: “Pay no attention to Caesar. Caesar doesn’t have the slightest idea what’s really going on.
— Kurt Vonnegut
https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/bokonon.html
James says
https://flaglerlive.com/wp-content/uploads/god-war.jpg
Is it just me? Or is that room getting more crowded?
Just an opinion.
James says
https://flaglerlive.com/wp-content/uploads/god-war.jpg
It’s interesting that Washington and Jefferson (Hamilton?) seem to be looking off to a distant undefined point, perhaps almost in distain… while Reagan appears to be looking down laughing oddly, sorta “breaking the third wall” with a smirk that’s hard to describe.
Just say’n… if portraits could speak.
Sherry says
More and more “Atrocities” against humanity committed in the name of “my god is better than you god”!!! Will we ever learn from the past? Human beings. . . are we evolving at all?
PaulT says
Pope Leo XIV has, and continueds to condemn Trrump – Hegseth describing this as a ‘Holy War’.
I may have lapsed but I respect and agree with him.
I wasn’t aware that American schools taught such religious nonsense about ‘Chosen People’,, was that in the Bible Belt?
The Catholic secondary school I went to in England, run by brothers from an American order,’ The Congregation Of St Francis Xavier’, taught no such thing
Skibum says
So let me get this straight… our president believes God is on America’s side, the Israeli president believes God is on Israel’s side, and the Ayatollah in Iran believes God is on their side, huh? Well, I have news for all of them.
You see, I’ve spoken with God. She is definitely NOT pleased with any of those dudes!
Sherry says
@ Skibum. . . love your comment! Right On!
Deborah Coffey says
An awful lot of people are going to get a real shock after they take their last breath on this Earth. There’s really only two simple things God wants from those He created in His image: LOVE Him, so that you can love your neighbor as yourself. Does this sound and look like all those people and Trump in the Oval Office? And then, there’s Trump’s spiritual advisor, Paula White-Cain, on TV this morning comparing Trump to Jesus Christ. It was vomitous. And, Ms. White-Cain must have forgotten that Lucifer pulled the same stunt when he tried to be equal to or better than God…he and his sycophants got thrown out of heaven for eternity. Good luck “Christian Nationalists!”