Arabic and Farsi videos mock US election ballot count

It's not only Americans who are sharing funny memes on the election - the Middle East is too.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
A supporter of US President Donald Trump dressed with the US flag colors and a mask depicting Trump gives a thumbs up as votes continue to be counted. November 6, 2020 (photo credit: EDUARDO MUNOZ / REUTERS)
A supporter of US President Donald Trump dressed with the US flag colors and a mask depicting Trump gives a thumbs up as votes continue to be counted. November 6, 2020
(photo credit: EDUARDO MUNOZ / REUTERS)
A video of Kurdish men counting money, in which one man counts much slower than the rest, has been re-purposed to mock the slow US election count in Nevada. With all the men sitting in a circle, their mustaches framing their faces, someone put the names of states on all the men and labeled one “Nevada” and he counts so slowly leaving the whole room waiting.

In a second Iranian video, two men are shown playing the drums. The one who plays faster is labeled “Other states” while the one who plays super slowly is named “Nevada.” The two men drum back and forth, with one always doing a more complex drumming and the other refrains with just a few beats.  

Another meme floating around shows an image of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif emblazoned with the Game of Thrones logo and ‘Sanctions are Ending’ as opposed to ‘Winter is Coming.’

Numerous Iranian accounts tweeted similar, humorous footage of repurposed cartoons and old movies showing “inside the vote count,” for characters who were particularly slow at doing things.

A “leaked conversation” from the vote count shows an old movie where Iranian police appear to be trying to trace a call. To get the target to stay on the line longer, the man speaks very slowly.  

Other images showed Joe Biden as figure in Islamic history, avenging the martyrdom of Shi’ite imams Husayn and Ali. “By defeating Trump, the new Yazid, you have avenged Imam Hussein,” one tweet says, showing Biden embracing the Shi’ite fighters who fell in the battle of Karbala when the imam was murdered while fighting against great odds. In another, Biden races to the White House to stop the “false messiah” or “Al-Dajjal” Trump.

In the last three videos that received much love online, Trump is dancing on the election stage that has been re-purposed with Arabic music. The addictive tune prompted many to note online that once seen, it could not be unseen.
Another meme showing the Arabic word “Inshallah” over a Biden campaign poster, indicating that the Arabic refrain that means roughly “hopefully” or “we’ll see” will come to pass.

The final video was fixed to show Trump being dragged from the White House.



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