Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - September 18, 2001 - Meeting with Ali Asghar Jafari Isfahani, Former Representative of Lenjan

• Meeting with Ali Asghar Jafari Isfahani, former representative of Lenjan.
• Consultative meeting with Reza Bakhshi, Director of the Researchers' Club.
• Report by Masih Mohajeri about meeting with his brother, Engineer Hadi Mohajeri, in prison, and Hashemi's communication of the issue to Sheikh Abbasali Alizadeh, Chief Justice of Tehran Province.
• Hashemi's account of the new Assembly of Experts elections and Sheikh Ali Moshkini's prayers during Friday prayers, which were censored during broadcast.
• Consultative meeting with Fereydoun Qasemzadeh, CEO of Afranet, regarding the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council's decision about the Internet.
• Hashemi's account of Ayatollah Khamenei's public statements.

Full Diary Entry:

Mr. [Ali Asghar] Jafari Isfahani, [former representative of Lenjan], came to see me. He expressed concern about the dangers of weakening the popularity of the clergy and moral corruption in society, and sought assistance in securing a deferment for his son’s military service. Mr. [Reza] Bakhshi, the head of the Researchers' Club, a student in his final year at Islamic Azad University, visited and mentioned several innovations he had created but had not been able to bring to production. He requested a transfer from Yasouj to Tehran to pursue his invention.

Mr. Masih Mohajeri, [the presidential social advisor and editor-in-chief of the Islamic Republic newspaper], came and reported that he had met with his brother in Evin Prison. He denied the import of sponge titanium, stating that he had paid more than the domestic price for the government facilities taken to the workshop, totaling around 400 thousand tomans. I relayed his concerns to Mr. [Abbasali] Alizadeh, [the Chief Justice of Tehran Province].

The leadership council of the Assembly of Experts had a session. Mr. [Sadegh] Larijani and [Mohammad Reza] Abasi-Fard, who have been chosen as the managers, participated for the first time. Mr. [Ebrahim] Amin, who was responsible for the secretariat, resigned due to overlap with the duties of the newly established commission; we did not accept his resignation and promised to assist with legal amendments in the upcoming session. It was noted that some of Mr. [Ali] Moshkini’s remarks during last Friday's prayers were harsh against America; he stated, “God multiplies the punishment for them,” which was censored during the broadcast.

In the evening, Dr. [Fereydoun] Qasemzadeh, [a professor at Sharif University of Technology and CEO of Afranet], and Davarinezad came by. They complained about the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council's decision regarding the Internet, which mandates government management of internet access while the private sector can only obtain sites through telecommunications. They expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. Khatami, [the President], stating that despite his slogans, he had not attended to their demands and had adopted the same state-centric policies.

The leader's comments yesterday condemning all mass killings and also condemning any potential retaliatory military action by America have received widespread reflection. A Pakistani delegation returned empty-handed from Afghanistan, and the Taliban have gathered scholars from across Afghanistan to discuss [the handover of Osama] bin Laden, supposedly to provide their opinion tomorrow. Internal opposition in Pakistan against the government has intensified, with public protests and statements arising due to the government's acceptance of cooperation with America against the Taliban.

Globally, opposition to the decision to start a war against Afghanistan without obtaining permission from the United Nations is escalating; however, America appears determined, and Bush, [the President of the United States], referred to the current situation as “warmongering,” which has been criticized by American Muslims, leading him to make kind remarks about Islam to counterbalance. The mayor of New York announced that the number of missing persons from [September 11] has reached 5,422. [Yasser] Arafat, [the head of the Palestinian Authority], declared a ceasefire yesterday, and Israel accepted it today, but the Palestinian fighters do not accept it.