Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - October 15, 2000 - Meeting of the Heads of the Three Branches Hosted by Hashemi and Criticism of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami and International Issues

Consultative and electoral meeting with Ali Akbar Velayati, where he announced that he would not run for election if Seyyed Mohammad Khatami decided to run in the upcoming elections.

Formation of the Infrastructure Commission of the Expediency Council and approval of a provision regarding the macroeconomic policy of the system concerning land and housing management.

Meeting with Seyyed Mohammad Reza Isfahani, accompanied by Mahmoud Hashemi, reporting on the treatment of individuals at the Arbab Mosque and the silence or support of Sheikh Mohi al-Din Anvari, the then head of the center for mosque affairs, regarding this incident.

Formation of a meeting of the heads of the three branches hosted by Hashemi and criticism of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami and international issues.

In this meeting, following the events described in Hashemi's previous notes regarding Ataollah Mohajerani and Ayatollah Khamenei's negative stance towards him, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami spoke about the certainty of the dismissal of the then Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the reformist government.

Full Entry of the Day:

Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati, the advisor to the leader on international affairs, came and stated that he would not run for presidency if Mr. Khatami decided to run. This was due to the lack of campaign resources and the responsibilities associated with overseeing the elections. The Infrastructure Commission of the Expediency Council held a meeting. The provision concerning land and housing management policy was approved, while the discussion on financing housing construction remained unfinished.

In the evening, Seyyed Mohammad Reza Isfahani, along with Mahmoud, came with a wheelchair due to his paralysis. He complained about the mistreatment by the Basij forces at the Arbab Mosque in East Tehran, where they closed the doors and prevented his entry. He believes that Mr. Mohi al-Din Anvari, the head of the mosque affairs center, endorses their actions. He requested a place in the same neighborhood to serve as a religious reference for local issues.

That night, the heads of the three branches were my guests. Criticism was directed at Mr. Khatami's announcement regarding the convening of a meeting of foreign ministers of Islamic countries for the Palestine issue, which was disregarded by others and led to a loss of face for Iran. It was decided that Mr. Khatami should have a more prominent presence in news concerning Palestine. It was remarked that the Palestinian Intifada is profound and will lead to significant developments. We also set a framework for defining reforms. Mr. Khatami stated that the resignation of Mr. Ataollah Mohajerani, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, is certain, and another position will be assigned to him.

A Saudi Arabian plane en route from Jeddah to London was hijacked with 95 passengers and, after refueling in Damascus, went to Baghdad; some members of the Saudi royal family were among the passengers, and most of the passengers were British. It was announced that Yasser Arafat, the President of the Palestinian Authority, and Ehud Barak, the Prime Minister of Israel, have accepted to attend a conference in Sharm El Sheikh the day after tomorrow; Palestinian groups have urged Arafat not to participate.