The cartoon (Video courtesy of Al Arabiya / YouTube)

Last week there was much furor in Iran and in other places across the world concerning the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s accusation that a top advisor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, was involved in the practice of black magic and the deployment of jinn. Mr. Ahmadinejad denied the accusations, of course, calling them bad jokes.

Social media are routinely blocked and monitored in Iran. But now the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has joined millions of dissenting Iranians by setting up his own Facebook page.

Growing reports of rising disputes with Assad's Alawite sect surface as his sister flees the country.