Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Memoirs - October 19, 1999 Mahdavi Kani expressed his displeasure over the remarks made by Ayatollah Khamenei during Friday prayers.

Mahdavi Kani expressed his displeasure over the remarks made by Ayatollah Khamenei during Friday prayers.

Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad Baqer] Mohri, [Secretary-General of the Shiite Scholars Association of Kuwait], visited. He thanked me for the guidance I had provided for important matters in his life in Kuwait and expressed satisfaction with his current situation. He mentioned that 80% of the Shia in Kuwait follow Ayatollah [Seyyed Ali] Sistani, and 10% follow Ayatollah Khamenei. He added that due to disputes and divisions, the status of the Iranian revolution has diminished in the eyes of its supporters, and experts believe that the solution lies in your return to the political scene.

He also said that the Iraqi government recently claimed that before the invasion of Kuwait, I had encouraged Iraq to attack Kuwait during a meeting with Taha Yassin Ramadan, [Saddam Hussein’s deputy]. I responded that they were lying; those who intended to attack Kuwait were trying to make peace with Iran to ensure that Iran would not take advantage of the situation and attack them from behind. Perhaps they had misinterpreted my remarks.

A group of sociology professors from the [Social Science Association] came by. They were seeking cooperation with the Strategic Research Center and asked questions about key sociological issues. They also suggested that I take action once again to address the current unfavorable conditions.

In the afternoon, I gave an interview about the history of the revolution, focusing on the clergy and myself. It lasted for one hour and 20 minutes. Mr. [Seyyed Reza] Taghavi, [Tehran representative and spokesperson of the Combatant Clergy Association], came and reported on the new members of the Combatant Clergy Association. He also mentioned the association’s statement regarding the [student publication] Mowj and its insult to the president, as well as Mahdavi Kani’s displeasure over the Leader’s remarks during Friday prayers, which led to the issuance of a statement after the Leader’s speech.

He spoke about the upcoming [Sixth Parliamentary] elections and the association’s plans, emphasizing the necessity of my participation. He noted that the majority of people are dissatisfied with the government and long for the days before the Second of Khordad election. Even those who used to complain now appreciate the peace, work, and reconstruction efforts of that time. I gave him the same response I had given to others.