Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - September 15, 2000 - Reactions to Seyyed Mohammad Khatami's Visit in New York

The meeting with Abbas Salimi-Namin and the mutual grievances expressed by him and Hashemi is noteworthy.

Meeting with Brigadier General Mortaza Ghorbani regarding the use of governmental advantages for veterans.

General Mohsen Rezai's analyses, as recounted by Hashemi, regarding the intifada are interesting.

Today's important meeting, as usual, is a two-person dialogue with Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic expresses hope for the prolonged nature of the Palestinian intifada.

Warnings to Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the then President, to focus on economic issues and clearly delineate his stance against opponents of the religious government.

Lack of agreement to assist in resolving the issue surrounding the imprisonment of Abdullah Nouri.

Ayatollah Khamenei's satisfaction with Hashemi's activities and the Assembly of Experts' support to control reformists.

A report on the trip to Qom and meetings with clerics, the news of which has not been broadcast, and Hashemi's recommendation for releasing this news.

The full entry of the day:

Members of the Islamic Association Councils and the Islamic Society of Students from across the country—about 300 boys and girls—attended. I gave them an extensive talk, emphasizing the importance of universities today due to their size, quality, and the quantitative and qualitative development policies during the Reconstruction period. I also discussed the expansion of universities into rural areas, accommodating various social groups, achieving gender balance, and facilitating the presence of veterans, urging them to be proactive to prevent enemies from infiltrating these important centers and exploiting them.

Mr. Abbas Salimi-Namin, the editor of Tehran Times, came by. Along with expressing his loyalty, he complained about my lack of attention to him during my presidency. I reminded him of some of his grievances. Dr. Mohaghegh, a urologist, came and expressed that many Iranian doctors are in the U.S. and that he wishes to establish a treatment center in Iran similar to advanced U.S. centers with the collaboration of other physicians. I suggested they visit the under-construction hospital in Kish, built for this purpose.

In the evening, I officiated the wedding of Mr. Nargesian, an employee of the Assembly of Expediency Discernment. Brigadier General Mortaza Ghorbani, the advisor to the president on veterans' affairs, and Mr. Ali Rahmani visited. They sought help to utilize governmental advantages for the veterans' cooperative. Mr. Mohsen Rezai, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, came by and stated that the Palestinian intifada is enduring and has spread into the core territories of Israel, noting that the Israeli ground forces lack the spirit for war and that emigration to Israel has decreased, with reverse migration occurring; the situation in northern Israel is even worse. He announced the establishment of an international movement against Zionism, which he regarded as an unpolished endeavor.

In the evening, I was a guest of the Supreme Leader. He also believes that the intifada will last long and ultimately lead to victory. He stated that Mr. Khatami has been asked to focus his efforts on economic issues and direct universities towards educational pursuits, making his stance against the opponents of the religious government clear. They still do not have the capacity to assist Mr. Abdullah Nouri, the former Minister of Interior. They think that liberals have become isolated while the principlists are active, attributing the significance of my speeches and the activities of the Assembly of Experts as a crucial factor. They noted that when they have a meeting with me, they are pleased in the afternoons.

They informed me that they told Mr. Khatami that with so much surplus currency from oil sales, it is inappropriate to leave resources in banks earning interest; instead, they should use them to stimulate the country’s economy. They criticized the Foreign Ministry for responding weakly to the previous U.S. message; in the next message, the U.S. had protested Iran's opposition to the peace process in Palestine. They requested that the response to the new message not be given before the trip to Iraq and should be confirmed by him afterward. However, the Foreign Ministry insists on responding to the U.S. before the trip to Iraq, which they find ambiguous and suspicious. Discussion also included the upcoming presidential elections. They expressed satisfaction with their trip to Qom and mentioned having private meetings with most clerics, except for Ayatollahs Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat, Hussein Wahid Khorasani, and Mirza Javad Tabatabai, although this news has not been broadcast. I suggested they release information about these meetings to prevent rumors of a rift between the clerics and the leadership.

The Palestinian intifada continues, and protests by Muslim people in Islamic countries are on the rise. Zionists are also demonstrating in favor of Israel within Israel and in European countries, attacking Arabs and Muslims and causing destruction. International organizations have intervened to resolve the issue.