Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 8, 1995

I woke up before the morning call to prayer and did not sleep again. I inquired after Effat by telephone. We moved toward Shadegan; we were not supposed to go to Shadegan and Mahshahr, because I had gone on previous trips. I accepted at their insistence, and this made today's program very compressed and difficult. I told the pilot to take a tour over Minoo Island and the Arvand. I saw the Iraqi coast; they have not reconstructed it at all. Most of the palms have dried up and the palm groves have become grasslands. We had a short stop in Shadegan. Hearing the anthem and the good welcome of Mr. Issa Moghaddamizad, its representative, and the report of the First Plan's services and the presentation of demands, I too gave an encouraging speech.

For the inauguration of the PVC unit, we flew to the Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex. Mr. Ahmad Rahgozar, the CEO of the Petrochemical Industries, and Mr. Gholamhossein Najabat, the CEO of the Petrochemical Industries Development Management Company, gave reports and spoke about the importance of the project and the production of 175 thousand tons of product, whose price today is one thousand one hundred dollars per ton. We visited the unit and heard explanations. Then we had a passing visit of the large aromatic project. These two units were not in the Japanese plan; because of the abundant added value, they had wanted the raw materials to go to Japan and be made there.

We took a tour of the factory. From the height we saw everywhere. In a large hall, Mr. Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the Minister of Oil, gave a report and explanation. I awarded the second-degree medal of construction to Engineer Rahgozar, the CEO of the Petrochemical [Company]. I gave an encouraging speech about the achievements of the petrochemical industry.

We flew to Mahshahr. They had a huge gathering. After the welcome, I gave a short speech and immediately flew to Behbahan. The welcome of the people of Behbahan in the streets and at the gathering and the stadium was far more than expected. After the anthem and the welcome of Mr. Lotfollah Zarei Qanavati, the representative, and Mr. Mohammad Hossein Mojtahedi, the Friday prayer leader, and the presentation of demands, I gave praising remarks. It is surprising that in this city, the Dar al-Mu'minin, with a holy people, they had a very happy music and anthem program. Until a few months ago, such ceremonies were severely criticized and opposed by the holy ones and the Hezbollahis. With the repetition of several scenes and broadcast by the Broadcasting Organization, such ceremonies have become normal and were performed with differences in almost all the cities of Khuzestan. The clerics also approved.

We had lunch outside the city, at the guesthouse of the Ministry of Energy that they have built for dam construction and so on. After a little rest, we went by car to the site of the Marun Dam. On the way and there, Mr. Latif al-Tojjar, the dam's executor, and Mr. Zangeneh, the Minister of Energy, gave explanations: an earthen dam with a height of one hundred and fifty meters and a reservoir capacity of one billion three hundred million cubic meters. The Construction Jihad is implementing it and it is to be filled with water. With 175 megawatts of hydroelectric power, they will also irrigate 55 thousand hectares, which with two crops becomes one hundred thousand hectares. It has had little foreign currency cost.

We went to the site of the implementation of the irrigation networks in the Behbahan Plain. We inaugurated the operation of the five-thousand-hectare project whose post-dam canals the Construction Jihad and the Ministry of Agriculture have implemented. After unveiling the plaque and opening the irrigation valve, we visited the exhibition of the province's products and agricultural tools.

We flew toward Ramhormoz. Because we were delayed, I was anxious. Usually every day is like this; the programs are compressed and items are also added. In Ramhormoz we witnessed a very magnificent and unexpected gathering. Mr. Seyyed Abdolnabi Mousavifar, the Friday prayer leader, humbly paid tribute to me, and Mr. Mohammad Reza Bahmaei, the representative, somewhat too. The gatherings are magnificent and the people's enthusiasm and fervor are high; for this reason, the representatives, who usually emphasize the shortcomings, and also some Friday prayer leaders, do not find the atmosphere suitable for negative talk and mostly speak in praise. I too gave a warm and hopeful speech.

We went toward Baghmalek. We were approaching sunset. The helicopters suggested that on the return they stay in Ramhormoz so that we go by car; I did not accept. Given the smallness of the city, the crowd in Baghmalek was astonishing. They have a competition with Izeh and do not want to be behind Izeh. They do not have a Friday prayer leader, and the representative had also spoken in Izeh before. With the performance of the anthem and slogans and the governor's speech, they expressed affection. My speech was also short. I was supposed to inaugurate the city's brick factory. I sent Mr. Mirzadeh, so it was delayed.

We flew toward Ahvaz in a hurry. When we reached Ahvaz, it was dark. The pilots were very anxious; because flying after sunset is against regulations. At Ahvaz Airport, we prayed the evening and night prayers.

For the groundbreaking of the Faculty of Theology and the inauguration of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the angiography section, we went to Ahvaz University. We participated in the gathering of the academics and educators of the province in the large sports hall. Dr. Nosratollah Zargham, the president of Ahvaz University, and also the Director General of Education of the province gave welcome speeches and gave a report on progress and development. A good anthem was performed. I too, citing clear examples, spoke about the growth of science and technology. I asked the academics to engage more in research to improve the country's growth speed. They have forty-two thousand students, more than half of whom study at the Islamic Azad University. We reached the residence with great fatigue. After bathing and reviewing the reports, I slept after twelve at night.