Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 25, 1983

Early in the morning I went to Parliament. We had a public session; instead of next Thursday, which we declared a holiday because it fell between two holidays. Several bills were passed. After the recess I went to my office. Around noon, a group of radical representatives came to my office and complained that Parliament's hands were tied when it came to taking action in favor of the deprived and against the arrogant, and that supporters of capitalism had gained power. They complained to me about my support for Mr. [Seyyed Taqi] Khamoushi and wanted to impeach Mr. [Habibollah Asgaroladi], the Minister of Commerce. I spoke with them at length; some were convinced and some were not.

Iran's ambassadors to Indonesia and Sweden came and explained the situation at their posts. Our ambassador in Indonesia said that our policy on East Timor was one of the main causes of the bitterness in our relations. The ambassador [of Iran to] Sweden also said that because of Sweden's poor foreign exchange situation, we could take advantage of the opportunity in trade with them.

Ayatollah [Abolhasan] Shirazi, the Friday Prayer leader of Mashhad, came; he complained about the municipality's pressure to collect money from the people. I justified it to him by explaining the many needs and expenses of municipalities. He suggested that we amend the land reform bill by setting a maximum of one hundred hectares for each family. I said that the Imam should be consulted; it was agreed that at the gathering of Friday Prayer leaders they would prepare a letter to the Imam on this matter.

Early in