Friday July 17, 2009

I'm Predicting:

Friday is the day of rest for Islam. It is the day on which a special set of prayers is recited in mosques around the world.
Friday is the day that the Imam, the Muslim preacher, sermonizes.

Iranians are looking forward to this Friday's sermon.
This is the first Friday since the election that Hussein Mir Mousavi will come to prayers.
On this Friday the sermon will be delivered by Rafsanjani, at Teheran University and broadcast live on TV and radio throughout Iran and the Shiite world.

Expectations are high ... but I am not expecting anything too earth shattering. Students who protested the election results have demanded that Rafsanjani "break his silence by defending the values of the revolution and clearing up the speculation surrounding him."
Students often shout in support and against the sermon and I certainly expect to hear those voices today.
These students and their public demand is particularly telling.

Western coverage had us believe that Rafsanjani was a supporter of the protesters - but he was not. His daughters publicly supported Mousavi, but Rafsanjani was a fence sitter and that is a far cry from a supporter.

Rafsanjani is a bitter rival of Ahmadinejad and has a very tense relationship with the Supreme Leader Khamenei.
In his sermon Rafsanjani must ask Muslims to remain calm, he must praise the power of Islamic law.
Rafsanjani does not have the political clout to oust The Supreme Leader, he should not attempt to use this pulpit to attain greater political aims.

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