


All totalitarian states have an edge of comic-opera absurdity, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is certainly no different. “Cardboard cut-out Ayatollah Khomeini tours Tehran,” from the BBC, February 3 (thanks to David):
As the countdown to the 33rd anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution gets under way, a cardboard cut-out version of the revolution’s founder has gone on a tour of the capital city, Tehran.
The idea was to re-enact the first moments of Ayatollah Khomeini’s arrival back in the country after exile in Paris.
But within a short time jokes about the cut-out began circulating on social networking sites.
It’s Friday afternoon, and as always, the devil cannot endure to be mocked. So let’s have a few jokes here as well — maybe a caption contest is in order…