Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - August 1, 2000 - The Most Significant Entry Today is a One-on-One Meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei

رMeeting with Leaders of the Sit-in at the Qom Seminary

Meeting with Amir Tehrani, Deputy Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs at the Ministry of Intelligence

Marriage Ceremony for Two Members of the Expediency Council

Meeting with Advisor for Clerical and Religious Affairs

Meeting with Sheikh Mohsen Doago, Friday Prayer Imam of Lavasan

Meeting with Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Protection Unit

The widow of [Hojatoleslam] Bahrami and her son Saeed came. They explained their life difficulties and sought help with debt repayment and employment for Saeed. A group of senior clerics from the Qom Seminary, who were protesting against [Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance] Ataollah Mohajerani, also came. They explained the goals of their sit-in and expressed concerns over cultural, social, and economic issues in the country. They requested more involvement from me with the seminary.

Mr. [Amir] Tehrani, Deputy [Parliamentary] Minister of Intelligence, came and reported on the situation in the parliament. He said things weren’t as dire as initially thought, and there were many disagreements among the reformist forces. The group investigating the "Tape Makers" case had high expectations of the Ministry of Intelligence and was presenting its demands forcefully.

In the afternoon, I officiated the marriage of two staff members of the Expediency Council. Mr. [Ali Akbar] Adab [Head of the President's Office for Clergy Affairs] came and reported on the trips made with scholars to inspect development projects. He requested an advance payment, as done previously, to help the needy. He mentioned that wherever they visit, the achievements are from the Reconstruction Era [during my presidency].

Mr. [Mohsen] Doago [Friday Prayer Imam of Shemiranat] came and explained his critical remarks against President Khatami’s government during Friday prayers in Shemiran, saying that the government’s performance is a complete national disaster. He mentioned receiving numerous angry calls from reformists after that sermon and expressed concern over Khatami’s potential re-election in the upcoming presidential elections. He stated his intention to continue his fight.

Mr. [Ahmad] Haqtalab, Commander of the IRGC’s Protection Unit [Ansar al-Mahdi], came. He said that these days, their protection work has become more difficult due to the suspicions that the reformists hold towards the IRGC. They are hesitant to accept bodyguards, wanting to know their backgrounds and previous work history. He mentioned that travel arrangements have also become problematic, something that wasn’t an issue for previous governments.

In the evening, I was a guest of the Leader. He expressed satisfaction with his recent trip to Ardabil and dissatisfaction with remarks made by reformists, including President Khatami, about reforms. Regarding the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, he mentioned that they are considering potential changes to its structure. We also discussed the press, the upcoming presidential election, and tomorrow night’s meeting. Ayatollah Khamenei said that Khatami was reluctant for the meeting with the heads of the branches of government regarding the definition of reforms to take place in his presence and insisted on postponing it, at least for a while.

He mentioned that Khatami had not consulted him about running in the next presidential election, and if he had, he would have advised waiting as it is too early. He also said that the General Inspection Organization has deemed [Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance] Ataollah Mohajerani guilty of misusing Hajj funds and has referred the case to court. [Seyyed Ebrahim] Raisi [Head of the General Inspection Organization] mentioned the same during his meeting with me two or three days ago.