Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - August 2, 2000 - Meeting and Report from Mohammad Hashemi on the Upcoming Election Activities of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami

Meeting with Seyyed Hossein Marashi and a Report on the Atmosphere in the Sixth Parliament

Consultative Meeting with Alireza Safarian, Head of the Office of the Speaker of the Sixth Parliament

Meeting with Sheikh Ali Movahed, the Supreme Leader's Representative in the Islamic Azad Universities of Fars Province

Complete Entry:

Mr. Hossein Marashi, [representative from Kerman] came and reported that the atmosphere in Parliament regarding the judiciary and the closure of newspapers is intense. He said that the parliamentary factions are supposed to meet this evening to make decisions regarding the Press Law, which has been opposed by the Supreme Leader.

Mr. [Alireza] Safarian, Head of the Speaker's Office, came. He is a former member of the Office for Strengthening Unity. He said that after studying the management records of the Parliament, they have concluded that my management was systematic, coordinated, and effective. He wanted to learn its methods to help [Speaker] Mehdi Karroubi. I provided some advice and suggested that the office should avoid acting in a partisan manner and strive to reduce high-level conflicts. He also requested my assistance in bridging the gap between the judiciary and Parliament.

Mr. [Sheikh Ali] Movahed, the Supreme Leader’s representative in some of the [Islamic Azad Universities] in Fars Province, came. He expressed dissatisfaction with how the Ministry of Intelligence handled him in the past, especially during the Assembly of Experts election. He speculated that it might be due to his lack of support for the Supreme Leader’s marja’iyyat [religious authority], but I reassured him that this was unlikely, as the Leader himself discouraged such matters, even requesting that I not promote his marja’iyyat. He was also upset about false confessions made by defendants in the Chain Murders case against him, mentioning that one of the accused, while apologizing, admitted that they had been forced to lie.

I told him that these defendants had made false statements about several other figures as well. He criticized the management of [Dr. Abdullah] Jasbi at the Islamic Azad University, describing it as dictatorial and self-centered. He also sought more attention toward strengthening the jihad aspect of the Ministry of Agriculture following its merger and mentioned that he had found the Islamic Participation Party and Mohammad Reza Khatami to be lacking in depth and planning. A while ago, Dr. Jasbi defended Movahed’s continued representation in the university.

My brother Mohammad [Deputy to the President for Executive Affairs] came and said that extensive preparations had been made for Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s presidential election campaign, including several foreign and domestic trips. Mohsen [Head of the Office of the Expediency Council] came to discuss office matters and mentioned that Abdullah Nouri had said he was comfortable in prison and had adapted.

In the afternoon, Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, along with a large delegation from the Amal Islamic Movement, came. They expressed gratitude for Iran’s comprehensive support for Lebanon’s resistance and requested that there be no discrimination in the aid given to various resistance groups and the Shia. They voiced concerns about potential challenges following the victory in Lebanon and explained the situation at the Lebanese-Israeli border, including problematic areas like the village of Ghajar, Yaroun, and the Abbadi Tomb. He said that water, electricity, and other services for southern Lebanon, previously supplied from northern Israel, had been cut off, causing serious difficulties for the people.

He added that the 130,000 landmines planted by the Israelis, which cause daily casualties, remain an unresolved issue. Eight villages have been completely destroyed, and the Europeans are reluctant to fulfill their aid promises to southern Lebanon. Arab governments' assistance is also weak, and Western countries are obstructing it. He said Lebanon has cut off the pipelines that were sending water from Lebanon’s rivers to Israel. Tomorrow, UN forces will be stationed at the border. He asked for Iran’s help with financial and human resources in rebuilding Lebanon. I suggested that they follow up on the plans I had developed during my presidency, where I had sent a delegation to Lebanon to prepare projects. I advised him to strengthen their unity.

At night, we had a meeting with the heads of the three branches of government, at the Leader’s invitation, to discuss the issue of defining reforms. Ayatollah Khamenei spoke for about fifty minutes, explaining and justifying this effort and trying to convince [President] Mohammad Khatami, although Khatami remained unconvinced but ultimately yielded. Khamenei requested that the heads of the three branches, with my presence, review the matter, and any proposal for review and approval should be presented to him. It was also agreed that a meeting with the Leader would take place every two months.

The Leader said that some define reforms as changing the system, which is the goal of the enemies. He mentioned that the term “reformist” was introduced by foreign enemies and was not part of Khatami’s initial discourse. Khatami explained the difficulties in defining reforms and said that from a positive perspective, there is nothing more than what is outlined in the Third Development Plan, but from a negative perspective, we can say that reforms do not mean changing the system and must occur within the system.

I commented that raising the issue of reforms to this extent was primarily for publicity. Reforms are a continuous process that has always existed and will continue in the future; it’s nothing new. However, excessive propaganda has convinced many that the Islamic system is corrupt, and ultimately, since no significant reform action will be noticeable, this will lead to public despair, which is dangerous.

Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi [Speaker of Parliament] argued that the country needs reforms because of the second Khordad votes. Mr. [Seyyed Mahmoud] Hashemi Shahroudi [Head of the Judiciary] said that while promising reforms, we must also continuously affirm the achievements, services, and effectiveness of the system. I emphasized that, as before, action without excessive publicity is better. After dinner, I returned home at midnight.