Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - June 3, 2000 - Participation in the Anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's Passing and Political and Parliamentary Consultations with Sheikh Mehdi Karroubi and Seyyed Mohammad Khatami

Participation in the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's passing and political and parliamentary consultations with Sheikh Mehdi Karroubi and Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, including opposition from some religious authorities in Qom to the presence of Jalal Jalali Zadeh, a Sunni representative, in the leadership board of the Sixth Parliament. Additionally, there were objections to the attire of some female representatives wearing mantos, believed to refer to Mrs. Rezazadeh and Kolayi, members of the Sixth Parliament.

Interview on the Besharat program on Channel 2.

Late-night speech at Ayatollah Khomeini’s shrine delivered by Hashemi.

Sheikh Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri’s account of his water therapy.

At 10:00 AM, we went to the Imam’s shrine by helicopter. Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi [Speaker of Parliament], Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami [President], and Mr. [Mohammad] Yazdi [member of the Guardian Council] were also present. Ayatollah Khamenei gave a speech at the ceremony. The noise and crowd made the speech difficult. During the ceremony, I spoke with Mr. Khatami and Mr. Karroubi about the parliamentary leadership. They mentioned that the insistence of the Participation Front to include a Sunni representative in the leadership board has made agreement difficult, and some clerics in Qom, such as Ayatollahs [Hossein] Vahid Khorasani and [Lotfollah] Safi Golpayegani, have objected. There is also concern about some female representatives in the parliament wearing mantos and scarves instead of chadors, which may lead to public objections from these clerics.

Mr. Khatami said he has been suffering from nervous strain due to work pressures and complaints, and doctors have prescribed him tranquilizers, which he regularly takes. They warned him that without it, his condition could worsen into depression. He mentioned that President [Jacques] Chirac of France had requested a phone conversation, likely concerning issues in Lebanon or the trial of the 13 Jews, or both. I suggested that if the call is about Lebanon, Iran should stress the necessity of Israel’s withdrawal from the Shebaa Farms, and if it's about the spies, France should be told to avoid interfering in Iran's internal affairs.

In the afternoon, I went to my office. I gave a live interview on the Besharat program [on Channel 2]. The questions were about how the Assembly of Experts acted after Imam [Khomeini]'s passing in choosing the leader and questions about the Quran, Imam's views, and the Tafsir Rahnama and Quran Encyclopedia projects. Mr. [Mohsen] Qara’ati [Head of the Prayer Establishment Committee] was a guest on the program and praised the Tafsir Rahnama extensively, saying he found about 300 new insights in it that he hadn't seen in other commentaries and had studied it thoroughly up to the seventh volume. I shared a memory of Imam regarding the establishment of the Islamic Republic Party and his dedication of time to Quranic work in the early days of the revolution.

In the evening, I went to the Imam's shrine for my speech. I delivered a comprehensive talk on the role of the clergy over the past century and the achievements of the Islamic Revolution. Before the session, Mr. [Mohammad] Reyshahri told me that he had recently achieved significant results from water therapy under Dr. Kamali's supervision, and most of his ailments had been alleviated. He said that for about ten days, he had only consumed water with a little sugar.