Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - May 4, 2000 - An Extremely Important Meeting with Ebrahim Raisi and Criticism of the Actions of President Mohammad Khatami Regarding the Reports of the General Inspection Organization

An Extremely Important Meeting with Ebrahim Raisi and Criticism of the Actions of President Mohammad Khatami Regarding the Reports of the General Inspection Organization.

A meeting was held with the board of the NAJA housing cooperative, who sought Hashemi's help to resolve issues with the Tehran municipality.

Dr. Seyyed Taha Hashemi also met with Hashemi to seek his support in gaining Ayatollah Khamenei's approval for his presidency of the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, which ultimately did not succeed despite extensive follow-ups.

An exceptionally important meeting with Ebrahim Raisi took place, where he criticized President Khatami's handling of reports from the General Inspection Organization and other issues. He reported on the formation of a group by Hashemi Shahroodi, the head of the judiciary, following statements from the Supreme Leader to implement his directives regarding the press, leading to the suspension of newspapers and arrests.

Note: The name Mr. Marvi (Hadi) is correct, and Mohseni Ejei participated in this meeting not in his legal capacity as the special prosecutor for the clergy but as the Deputy Chief Justice of Tehran, overseeing the relevant criminal courts.

Sheikh Ahmad Jannati reported on the recounting of votes in Tehran.

Sheikh Qudrat Alikhani analyzed the behavior of reformists following Ayatollah Khamenei's statements and the assassination of Saeed Hajarian.

A meeting was held with the Friday prayer leaders of Isfahan province, excluding Seyyed Jalal al-Din Taheri.

Raisi reported on the decision to suspend the newspapers "Asr Azadegan," "Fath," and the magazine "Iran-e-Farda," as well as the enforcement of a verdict against Latif Safari.

Members of the NAJA housing cooperative came to express their grievances about the Tehran municipality, which had classified their land outside its jurisdiction and imposed a green space project without compensation, despite their purchase from the Foundation of the Oppressed a decade earlier. 

Mr. Ebrahim Raisi, head of the General Inspection Organization, expressed concern about the country's situation, stating that President Khatami, contrary to his claims of acceptability of criticism, does not tolerate the slightest opposition. He noted that Khatami had reacted negatively to recent inspections that highlighted issues in various organizations and criticized his remarks at the University of Tehran regarding the press.

Raisi mentioned that a group, including himself and others, had been assigned by Hashemi Shahroodi to secure the Supreme Leader's position on the press, and their work had begun with arrests. He also shared insights from a recent visit to Yazd, highlighting the scale of development projects.

In the afternoon, Ahmad Jannati came to provide an explanation about the recount of Tehran's votes and mentioned his efforts to create an appropriate structure for the Guardian Council. Sheikh Qudrat Alikhani, the elected representative from Qazvin, reported that the second Khordad faction was internally fragmented and had become fearful following Hajarian's assassination and the Leader's statements.

The Friday prayer leaders from Isfahan province, around forty in total except for Seyyed Jalal al-Din Taheri, who was not aligned with them, presented their reports. Mr. Javad Maqsoudi, head of the Friday prayer organizing committee, spoke, and Hashemi addressed the role of clergy and Friday prayers in reinforcing the revolution against both domestic and foreign conspiracies.

After the prayers, dinner was served, and a group photo was taken. Hashemi gifted them some of his books, and they expressed gratitude for his support during his presidency, voicing concerns about ongoing disputes and conflicts.

It was announced that the newspapers "Asr Azadegan" and "Fath," along with the magazine "Iran-e-Farda," had been suspended. Mr. Latif Safari, the editor of the suspended newspaper "Neshat," who had previously been sentenced, had also been sent to prison.