* * Today, Mohammad-Ali Ramin (photo), Deputy Minister of Islamic Guidance and Culture for Media Relations and Ahmadinejad’s adviser on the “Holocause Commission” announced: “We call upon all clergy to abandon civic and politics issues, partisan matters, NGO’s and western-style organizations and return to the mosques where they can benefit from greater social clout, that will ultimately elevate societal and Islamic interests. We need to be able to put our clergy to proper use, as mosque attendance has thinned out.” Ramin added: “Mosques can be very vibrant centers of social interaction and can be transformed into a place for debate on social, moral, institutional, academic, cultural, political, economic matters. If our clergy can turn the mosques into the center of their activities  they can be the best place for social growth.”

* * India bans the Iranian regime-run English-language Press TV from it’s air waves. India’s Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India was informed that this channel is not listed among registered channels being aired in India and issued orders for immediate banning of the ‘un-authorized’ channel. The Chief Secretary of the Broadcasting Ministry said: “No other reliable channel of world or of India aired such commendable images of desecration of the holy Qor’an and that even if such act has occurred at any individual level it is an act which is strongly condemnable and provoking the sentiments of innocent people by deliberate telecasting such images are against the ethics. The report of the said channel is totally against public interest, and this unauthorised and unregistered channel has been banned in all other districts of the state forthwith. It seems from the reports of the channel that there is a game plan to provoke and incite the sentiments of people to achieve their nefarious designs.”

* * Below: A video of a member of the Basiji militia reading out what is essentially a serious warning to Ahmadinejad. The writing in the beginning of the video reads as follows: “The conflict between Ahmadinejad and Khameinei began to show itself after the election. According to received reports the conflict has ratcheted up to the point where the acrimonious feelings toward Ahmadinejad are being openly discussed from the highest ranks of the intelligence and security agents all the way down and across the Basiji militia. Following these events, during a meeting that took place a few weeks ago between Khamenei and the Basiji students, the groundwork for the year long issues was expressed in a statement which was prepared by the Basiji but it was broadcast in a way such that it was meant to have a populist appearance. This is one of Khamenei’s signature forms of approaching a situation where he directs the Basijis and the Revolutionary Guards to take responsibility, so that the leadership does not end up looking partisan and does not suffer the consequences.”

After the opening written statement, the young man who reads the statement says the following: “Mr. Ahmadinejad should understand that the 1376 (1997) and the month of Khordaad 1388 (June 2009) that no one has vowed a continued alliance and in order to maintain propriety we call upon him to lift the haze by resolving the issues to follow. He should also know that like in the past,  the support and universal backing of the Presidency remains, up to the point where the Imam’s track, the mandates of the revolution and the objectives of the Imam are met.”

Then the crowd begins to chant: Long Live the Imam, Khamenei is our leader, Allah o’Akbar, Death to America, Death to England, Death to the treacherous opposition (meaning Mousavi, Karroubi and all the other leaders of the Green Movement) Death to Israel.

* * Ultra hardline Mullah Makaarem-Shirazi issues a statement announcing his refusal to view the Cyrus Cylinder. The statement reads: “Certain media outlets claimed that this has expressed interest in attending the exhibition of the Cyrus Cylinder, which is false. This dignitary never attends any exhibition that is not relevant to the Qor’an, especially if the exhibition is not in Qom. The only place that there is any mention (of Cyrus) is in the , in the story of Zol’Qarnayn where the great Indian scholar Abu Al-Kalam Azad has mentioned Eskandar (Alexander the Great), comparing him to Cyrus. Finally, based on this, it is irrelevant and baseless. We expect therefore all these media outlets to offer a correction.”