* * Above: The Supreme Leader’s swanky limo. BMW 7 series 2008, VR4 ballistic protection level. This means that it will be able to resist attacks with impact weapons as well as hand weapons and handguns up to the calibre of a 44 Magnum. Key elements in its construction are heavy-duty material and ballistics-resistant steel, plus 22mm-thick bullet-proof safety glass all around. Other safety features should include an intercom system, a monitoring set-up, underbody explosive protection, and lightweight but sturdy Aramid fiber mats (the same material used for bulletproof police vests).  Price tag $300,000.

Oh, and this is just one of many in his fleet.

* * Above: Ghoba Mosque closed! Shiraz’s Ghaba (also spelled Qaba) Mosque is one of the most famous mosques in Iran supervised by the Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali-Mohammad Dastghayb was closed by the Islamic regime’s authorities. Such a move is quite unprecedented throughout Iranian history; not even during the Pahlavi era was the sanctity of a Mosque so profaned.

Ayatollah Dastghayb issued a statement on Friday. Parleman new publishes the text:

In the Name of God

Subsequent to the continued efforts of the respected faithful, we would like to inform the worshiping and revolutionary public that:

1. Despite the ordinance issued by the Committee for provincial development which is regarding the evacuation and closing of Ghoba Mosque and the Abu Saleh  seminary the confrontation with the agitators and the lack of security is illegal; this office will report this to all legal authorities for further investigation. Unfortunately however the restrictions continue and the mosque is still closed.

2.  Ayatollah Dastghayb requests that people maintain their peaceful position, avoid all rallies and confrontations.

3.  His Honorable (Dastghayb) asks that seminarians and their families not to speak to any foreign and expatriate media; if they do, his honor will not intercede.

Below is a video of the Basiji militia attacking protesters at the Ghoba Mosque on December 27th Ashura.

* * Revolutionary Guards move their commercial offices from Dubai to Malaysia and . Follwing the financial crisis in the United Arab Emirates a large number of the Revolutionary Guard commanders who had representative intelligence and commercial offices in Dubai, transferred their agencies to South East Asia. The new offices are being set up mainly in Malaysia and Macau and their capitol is being specifically invested in banks and high-rise building projects.

Macao which is one of the two special administrative regions of China is a particularly advantageous opportunity for these regime authorities due to the banking and import relations between Iran and China. Also Macao’s casinos which are said to rival those of Las Vegas are also excellent areas of money laundering.

An Iranian named Haadj Safdar Zavaarehei has been put in charge of organizing the transfer of all the Revolutionary Guard offices from Dubai to Malaysia and Macao. Safdar himself is a former General of the Revolutionary Guard and is a native of the Zavareh region of the province of Esfahan.

It is estimated that in 2009 approximately of $3.2 billion was transferred from the offices in Dubai to Malaysia and Macao. The total sum is not quite specific as the job of transferring the money has taken place under various commercial titles and to unknown individuals and has been done under legal and commercial cover.

* * Cemetery officials refuse women’s bodies that are delivered on gurneys. According to the regime-run news agency, Fars, the general manager of Tehran’s Behesht’eh Zahra cemetery announced that according to Sharia law women’s bodies cannot be delivered to the morgue on gurneys. So from now on the bodies will be delivered in caskets and different color caskets for men and women. Men’s caskets are to be light green and women’s caskets will be blue.

* * Friday Prayer Imam: Opposition on Ashura like plane hijackers. Iran’s State TV: Ayatollah Emami Kashani, the leading Imam of [yesterday's] Friday Prayer announced: “People who were just walking along the street on the day of Ashura (December 27th) had no idea that they were moving toward a wrong path. They were suddenly faced with slogans chanted against the constitution and Velayat-e Faqih (The religious leader of Iran, positioned held by Ayatollah Khamenei).”

Ayatollah Kashani compared the movement to a hijacked plane headed to a foreign country. He stated that even though there may be many passengers aboard the plane who do not want to go to a foreign country, they unwillingly board and travel alongside the hijacker.

Mr. Kashani added that it must be noted that the enemy has surrounded the country in such a way that it is using any means possible to harm the regime. He noted the importance of staying vigilant. — Translated by Siavosh J.