On the evening of Monday, March 2, Israelis marked Purim inside underground shelters.
Purim, based on the biblical , recounts what is described as the victory of Jews over Iranians some 2,500 years ago. According to this narrative, Jews killed 75,000 people across the Persian Empire, and this event has been preserved in tradition as a story of deliverance. The underlying message, as interpreted by some, suggests that for Jewish security, the enemy must be eliminated before it can strike.
During the reign of , a minister named Haman, driven by personal hostility toward Mordecai, a Jew, seeks revenge. He expands this personal grievance into a broader plan and persuades the king to issue a decree placing Jews across the empire in danger on a specific day. Lots are cast to determine the date—hence the name “Purim.”
At the same time, Esther, Mordecai’s cousin and the queen, had concealed her Jewish identity. When she learns of the plot, she courageously approaches the king, reveals the truth, and warns him of the danger facing her people. The king, previously unaware of Haman’s motives, reacts with anger upon hearing this and orders Haman’s execution. However, since the original decree cannot be revoked, a new order is issued allowing Jews to defend themselves on the appointed day.
According to the Book of Esther, Jews acted on this decree and engaged in widespread violence throughout the empire. The text reports that 800 people were killed in the city of Susa and 75,000 elsewhere across the empire. These figures suggest that the event, as narrated, was not a minor or isolated conflict, but a large-scale and organized episode of violence. Notably, the text also emphasizes that the Jews did not seize the property of those killed, implying that the objective was not material gain but the elimination of perceived enemies.
This narrative forms the foundation of Purim—a festival that is still celebrated annually with joy and festivity. Among its customs are baking pastries known as “Haman’s ears,” symbolizing the defeated adversary, and drinking wine to the point where one can no longer distinguish between cursing Haman and praising Mordecai.
For many Iranians, the story of Purim represents a troubling historical narrative. It portrays a scenario in which a group, living within a host land (Iran), carries out large-scale violence against its inhabitants and then commemorates that event as a story of salvation that endures through history.
Faeze Aghamohammady