Memories of Akbar Hashemi - March 3, 2001 - Continued Criticism of the Office of Consolidating Unity by Friday Prayer Leaders

Continued criticism of the Office of Consolidating Unity by Friday prayer leaders.

Context surrounding Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks at the university.

Complete Daily Record:

I spent the day at home, resting and catching up on work that had accumulated during my travels. Some Friday prayers, including in Khorramabad, have criticized the Office of Consolidating Unity for allegedly accepting money to smear Hashemi. In the Friday prayer in Tehran, a group of Hezbollah supporters demonstrated against the government's cultural policies.

The British government has classified 21 groups as terrorists, including the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), most of which are Islamic militant organizations, including parts of Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In Pakistan, following the execution of Haq Nawaz, the assassin of martyr [Sadeq] Ganjii, the Sipah-e-Sahaba has initiated widespread terrorist actions against Shiites, leading to increased insecurity and chaos.

Opponents and foreign entities are focusing on the sharp and threatening points in the Leader's remarks at the university. The situation in Palestine and the occupied territories is deteriorating. I discussed family matters with Dr. Saeed [Lahouti, Fati's husband]. In the evening, Mohsen came and provided a report on the state of pistachio farming in Qom, the Saveh road, and the status of the Rafsanjan Museum. He also explained the Interior Ministry's decision to purchase subway cars for Mashhad from Western manufacturers.

Yasser Arafat, [the President of the Palestinian Authority], has stated that since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, 504 Palestinians have been martyred and 22,000 have been injured. Following the outbreak of [bovine spongiform encephalopathy] in Europe, which is still ongoing, the issue of foot-and-mouth disease in livestock has arisen, starting once again in the UK, where meat has become scarce. This issue has precedent in Iran as well.