The biggest reformist daily newspaper in Iran has just been closed for publishing a joke. This one isn't even a cartoon of Mohammed, just two chess pieces —— a white knight facing a black donkey. What's the joke? The donkey is surrounded by a halo of light, a clear reference to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at the UN General Assembly.

The cartoon shows Iran's and the West's moves on the nuclear issue. The white horse represents the West, while the braying black donkey with the halo is a satirical depiction of Iran. The halo is a reference to the remark made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following his speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September 2005; Ahmadinejad claimed that during his speech he had felt surrounded by a circle of divine light, symbolizing his messianic message to the world.

MEMRI shows it

Our peace—loving friend Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has no more sense of humor than Stalin or you—know—who. In fact, talk to anybody who has endured oppression and they can tell you the blessing of  laughter that tells the truth. In the Soviet Union one of those jokes was "We pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us." Or, "There is no truth (pravda) in Izvestia (The News), and no izvestia in Pravda."

Not a big joke  to us now, but a roaring belly laugh if you've had to endure the  suffocating stupidity of constant censorship. Iran has now suffered Mullocratic oppression for 27 years. (Yes, thank you, Jimmy Carter! Waddaguy.)

Naturally Ahmadinejad is afraid of being laughed at. MEMRI's analyst, Y. Mansharof, points out that there is a big political connection: The upcoming vote in the "Assembly of Experts," which pulls the strings behind the scenes.

... from a political perspective, shutting down Sharq was an attempt to weaken (relative moderate) Rafsanjani in the run—up to the upcoming elections for the Assembly of Experts. These elections are scheduled for mid—December 2006, against the backdrop of the growing rivalry between Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah—e Yazdi, who is considered the influential religious mentor of President Ahmadinejad and of most of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and security apparatuses.

If Yazdi wins, the radical fascists will have all the cards. The result won't be a joke, not to the people of Iran, and not to any of their neighbors.

A vital analysis.

James Lewis   9 28 06