Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 16, 1987

After the prayer, I wrote my memories and went to Manzariye [camp] to participate in the seminar of education managers. I gave a detailed speech. I arrived at the parliament after nine o'clock in the morning. Mr. [Majid] Ghasemi, the head of the Central Bank, came. He gave a report on the currency situation and complained about the way the Court of Accounts inspected. Mr. Rafiq Dost came. He received a foreign exchange transfer for the purchase of missiles.

Colonel [Mustafa] Turabi [Head of the Army Information Protection Organization] came. He has been at the front for four days. gave a bitter report about the situation of the army's ground forces; While Timsar Hosni accepts the commander of the [ground] force, he suggests that Colonel Dodbeen become the commander of the force, in order to bring the young and revolutionary class of the army to work and make a change in the force. I told him to report to the office of Imam and Ayatollah Khamenei and Mr. Rouhani.

The representatives of the members of the Labor House came. Mr. [Hossein] Kamali gave a report on the situation and measures, and I spoke to them in detail. Most of my emphasis was on the implementation of Imam's message about supporting the deprived. Mr. [Abulfazl] Tawakuli Bina came. It reported the tragedy of the Bloody Friday in Mecca. He himself was near the center of the conflict and stayed there until half past ten at night.

In the evening, Mr. Khalili, the secretary of the Defense Commission, came and reported on this [Mecca incident]. He was one of the leaders of the convoy of veterans and families of martyrs and was in the front line and was present in the first half hour of the conflict. The opinion of both of them based on their observations is that there were indications in advance that Saudi Arabia would create a conflict and the conflict started by throwing stones from the parking lot on the left side of the crowd, and then the attack with sticks, then shooting and the use of [tear gas], and some of the martyrs were martyred, and various defenses were carried out by the Iranians. Because there was no order and everyone acted according to their own decision and wood, stone and iron rods were used.

In the evening, Mr. Saeed al-Zhakrin [from the Public Relations Department of the Majlis] came and asked for help to organize the 50th anniversary congress [of Seyed Hassan's martyrdom] in Modares, and thanked me for my participation this morning in the funeral ceremony of one of the Majlis's public relations staff who was martyred in Makkah.

The members of the shooting federation came. They told their situation and asked for more facilities. Mr. [Ali] Falahian [Deputy Minister of Information], along with a group of Ministry of Information forces who were present in the special operation against the hypocrites, came and reported the operation. Mr. Kongerlo came and said that he has made an appointment with [Manouchehr] Ghorbhanifar for Wednesday in the neighboring country [Türkiye], where he will go with the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence.

The meeting of the heads of forces was in the office of Mr. Mousavi Ardabili. Messrs. [Hamid] Mirzadeh and [Hasan Abedi] Jafari [Minister of Commerce] came. They gave a report of success in controlling the price of some goods and got permission for other cases and confiscation of hoarded property. After dinner, we discussed the situation of the army's ground forces based on Colonel Torabi's report, and it was decided to pay attention to his opinion. Ayatollah Khamenei was not in the meeting.

I came to the parliament late. Mahdi came and complained to the guards of the house that they had disturbed his guests. I slept in the assembly. Iraq has attacked several oil centers today. Reciprocation was ordered.