Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - November 26, 2000 - Meeting with Abdollah Nouri to Thank Hashemi for His Public Condolences and Report on His Mother's Mourning Ceremony

Abdollah Nouri visited Hashemi to express gratitude for his public condolence message regarding the passing of his mother. He reported on the mourning ceremony for his mother and discussed the conditions of his imprisonment, requesting to benefit from the option of "open prison," which would allow him to go on leave every Wednesday evening and return to prison at the start of the workweek on Saturday. However, despite Hashemi's efforts through Ayatollah Khamenei and Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i, this request was not granted.

Full Entry of the Day:

Until 11 a.m., I studied the historical background of Jerusalem for the upcoming Friday prayer sermon. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., I worked in my office at the Koushk. At the beginning of the day, Abdollah Nouri came to thank me for my condolences regarding the death of his mother. He recounted the circumstances of his mother’s stroke and mentioned that he did not allow the ceremony to be exploited against the regime, apart from statements such as Ayatollah Montazeri's declaration, which was beyond his control. He also noted that his father's health was not good and mentioned that a weekly leave would be beneficial. I summarized my discussions with the Leader and Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje'i. In the evening, in addition to my office work, I studied for the Friday sermon.

Some Arabic newspapers responded today to Mr. Khatami's criticism of the lack of action during the extraordinary Arab summit, stating that they accused him of inaction at the head of the Islamic Conference Organization. The Speaker of the Palestinian Authority remarked that Mr. Khatami has placed the Islamic summit in cold storage.

It was announced that after two months of efforts, five bodies of the victims from the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk have been recovered. The Taliban has threatened Russia, stating that if it continues to assist the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, it will suffer consequences. The Russian Defense Minister recently met with Ahmad Shah Masood, and assistance from Russia to the Taliban's opponents has reportedly increased.

Turkey has announced that starting next year, the participation of hijab-wearing girls in entrance exams will be prohibited, although they are currently already being prevented from attending universities and offices. In contrast, the Taliban has stated that they will prevent men without beards and women from entering offices and universities. A Palestinian in Gaza attacked an Israeli checkpoint with a bicycle carrying a bomb. This suicide attack has instilled fear among Israelis, marking the beginning of a new trend.