ABSTRACT
In liminal situations, such as revolution, war and crisis, tricksters or mimes, who are usually power seekers and political actors, employ symbols and interpret them objectively to conquer their goals. They hunt for any opportunity to present themselves as human saviours, compassionate leaders and empathetic supporters of the suffering citizens. This inadvertency and carelessness was particularly evident when the revolutionary clerics utilised the goriz technique during the 1979 Revolution, the eight year Iran–Iraq War and the Green Movement. The idea that 'Islamic democracy' or 'democracy' in general will solve the problems in Iran, by open debate and transparent voting within the public sphere, is very problematic. In reality, the proposed Islamic democratic government seems to be 'down the rabbit hole' described by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It ignores tricksters and political actors who abuse and misuse cultural and religious symbols and images.
