Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - November 17, 2000 - Holding the Memorial Ceremony for Fatemeh Hashemi Behroumani at Arak Mosque in Tehran

Holding the Memorial Ceremony for Fatemeh Hashemi Behroumani at Arak Mosque in Tehran

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Criticism of the statement from the [Islamic Conference Organization] summit in Qatar has begun, primarily due to the lack of serious and practical decisions, with most suggestions being merely recommendations and exhortations. It has been proposed that Islamic countries halt or reduce their relations with Israel; however, countries like Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt, and Jordan oppose this. The Palestinian Authority has stated that peace will not be established without the formation of an independent Palestinian state, centered in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister [Ehud] Barak has declared his intention to deal harshly with the Palestinians, asserting that if necessary, he will carry out a massacre of 20,000 people and confiscate the assets of the Palestinian Authority.

It is reported that Iraq emerged as a significant winner at the [Islamic] conference, calling for the lifting of sanctions, with Iraqi leaders expressing strong revolutionary positions on the Palestinian issue. Occasional bombings of Iraq by the United States and Britain continue under the pretext of Iraqi anti-aircraft activities, and the European Union has accepted to pay for Iraqi oil in euros instead of dollars. The issue of the [U.S. presidential] elections has become more complicated due to a court ruling in the United States.

I worked in my office at the Koushk until the evening and used the pool and sauna. For the memorial service for my late sister Hajieh Fatemeh, I went to Arak Mosque at three-thirty in the afternoon. A considerable number of people attended, and the prayer hall was frequently filling and emptying. Mr. [Seyyed Reza] Akrami Semnani delivered the sermon. I went to my office for the Maghrib and Isha prayers and then returned home.