Memories of Akbar Hashemi - September 21, 2000 - Today's Notes from Akbar Hashemi, Primarily About the Trip to Azerbaijan and Miyaneh, Containing Complaints and Grievances from Sheikh Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari

Today's notes from Akbar Hashemi focus mainly on the trip to Azerbaijan and Miyaneh and include the grievances of Sheikh Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, the then Representative of the Supreme Leader in East Azerbaijan, about the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and his reluctance to assume the Friday Prayer Leadership in Tabriz, along with interesting points.

A more important note comes from Seyed Kazem Hosseini Miyanehji, the then Friday Prayer Leader of Khorramabad, regarding the events of the Unity Office camp against reformists, as narrated by Hashemi, concerning the 2nd Khordad Movement.

Full Text of the Daily Note:

We flew from Mehrabad Airport to Tabriz at seven in the morning. Mr. Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, the Friday Prayer Leader of Tabriz, and Mr. Mohammad Kiafar, the representative from Miyaneh, accompanied us. Mr. Kiafar was previously the director of water and sewage in East Azerbaijan and said, “We are pursuing you in the Majlis regarding the construction policies.” We were invited by the clergy and officials of Miyaneh to attend the ceremony for the martyrs of the clergy and the 1,200 martyrs of Miyaneh.

Upon arrival at Tabriz Airport, provincial officials welcomed us, and we immediately departed for Miyaneh by car. Mr. Yahya Mohammadzadeh, the governor of East Azerbaijan, and Mr. Shabestari were in my car. Due to their ideological and factional differences, there was no room for open discussion in the vehicle. Mr. Mohammadzadeh described the situation in the province, mentioning the stagnation of development plans initiated during my time and that approximately 40% of the people in Tabriz are migrants from rural areas, resulting in a lack of modernity in the city's appearance and low municipal revenue. He noted that the Azerbaijanis have a culture of concealing wealth and resources. He shared experiences from a recent private and unofficial trip to Turkey, expressing admiration for their tourism and entertainment services.

We arrived in Miyaneh at eleven o'clock and stayed at the فولاد guesthouse. Local officials gathered, and we attended the ceremony for the martyrs at the large town hall. It was a magnificent and lively session. The Friday Prayer Leader, Mr. Rafatollah Hamidi, excessively praised me, followed by Mr. Valiollah Kalami, a poet from Zanjan, who recited poems about me in both Turkish and Persian. Representatives of the Supreme Leader from Khodarah and Zanjan, along with clergy from other cities, were also present. I spoke about the martyrs of the clergy, noting that they are disproportionately represented among the various social classes, particularly in Miyaneh, which has 30 martyr clergy members, as well as about the status of martyrs, the Sacred Defense Week, and the personality of the late Ali Ahmad Miyanehji.

In the afternoon, I visited the Azerbaijan Steel Factory, which was established with my directive and significant assistance. It has a capacity of 550,000 tons and only handles rolling. They said that in order to be profitable, it also needs a smelting facility. Mr. Eshaq Jahangiri, the Minister of Mines and Metals, and Mr. Mostafa Mo'azenzadeh, his deputy, were present. Mr. Jahangiri welcomed us, and the factory's CEO presented a work report, after which we toured various sections. I gave a brief talk about the importance of steel industries and the role of this unit in Azerbaijan’s economy.

We then went to the Jameh Mosque to attend the memorial ceremony for the seventh night of the passing of Ayatollah Miyanehji, who was an old friend and had collaborated with us in the magazine Maktab-e Tashayyoh. He was also a member of the Assembly of Experts and was supposed to accompany us on this trip but passed away due to a heart attack. The people expressed warm sentiments.

We also visited the shrine of Imamzadeh Ismail. Upon returning to the guesthouse, Mr. Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari came and shared his difficulties in Tabriz. He expressed dissatisfaction with the provincial officials, particularly the governor, due to factional disputes that hinder cooperation, especially regarding the construction of the Imam Khomeini prayer hall at the historical Arg of Tabriz, which is entangled with cultural heritage issues and has gone to court. He also complained about the Supreme Leader’s lack of support and attention, expecting more backing, especially since he reluctantly accepted the Friday Prayer Leadership in Tabriz and travels there from Tehran two to three days a week with great reluctance.

In the evening, we were guests of Mr. Hamidi, the Friday Prayer Leader. We held a session in the Hosseiniyeh next to his home with around 100 local clergy. Most of their remarks expressed gratitude for my services to the revolution, the clergy, and the country, along with expressing sadness about the current situation that has emerged under Mr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami's government. I gave a short talk about the role of the clergy and our responsibilities. We had dinner at his home. They expressed appreciation for the help I had previously provided in constructing a house for the Friday Prayer Leader; the ground floor serves as an office, and the second floor is the family residence. They mentioned that they had a small school for seminary students, but Mr. Seyed Sajad Hojjati, the former Friday Prayer Leader of Miyaneh, had closed it due to disagreements with others. They requested assistance to revive it. Mr. Seyed Kazem Hosseini Miyanehji, the Friday Prayer Leader of Khorramabad, also came and explained the events in Khorramabad, indicating that, if accurate, the Second Khordad Movement is to blame.