Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani - June 17, 2000 - Opening of the 13th Islamic Unity Conference

Opening of the 13th Islamic Unity Conference

At 6:30 AM, we headed towards Tehran. Along the way, we stopped by the Kandovan Tunnel, which is under renovation and expansion. The project had started during my tenure but has faced issues for several months now. They've progressed from both sides, but in the middle, they've encountered a fault line, causing severe collapses. I visited both construction sites. There is some hope for solving the issue, but concerns remain. The workshop run by the IRGC is more optimistic than the Ministry of Roads and Transportation's. The workers complained about their three-month delayed wages.

I arrived home at 11 AM. Effat arrived at 3 PM. Fati called from Mecca, saying there had been a proposal to hold [her daughter] Sara's marriage ceremony at the Haram and asked for my opinion.

In the afternoon, I went to the International Conference Center for the opening of the 13th Islamic Unity Conference. Mr. [Mohammad] Va’ez-zadeh [Khorasani, Secretary-General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought] gave a welcoming speech. In his report, he highlighted the publication of my opening speeches as a major achievement of the conference. I gave an extensive speech about the foundations of unity and how Ali (AS) cooperated with the caliphates, which he did not accept. I mentioned many examples of his collaboration. I also criticized the divisive policies of imperialism and the disagreements among Islamic countries. I spent the rest of the evening at home, reviewing bulletins and news reports.