22 August 2009 (31 Mordad 1388): two very different speeches during Friday prayer in the cities of Tehran and Qom

Today was Friday prayer and NIAC (National Iranian-American Council) shows us just how different the tone was between the two cities of Tehran, the capital, and Qom, the religious centre of the country.

The one in Tehran was given by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who asked why opposition leaders were not arrested along with everyone else - that is, Mousavi, Karroubi, and former president Khatami.

The one in Qom was given by Ayatollah Ali Amini, who condemned the government's use of violence and called for innocent prisoners to be released.

In short: there is no end in sight to the rift that started June 12th after the election. Ahmadinejad has also selected the cabinet he would like to see and the reaction is not good: many see it as a nomination of inexperienced cronies, and some conservatives are not comfortable with the idea of female ministers.