Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 23, 1983

Early in the morning, after prayer and breakfast and writing down the memories of the past two days, I went to the Majlis. I read the reports. I went to the open session. The draft statute of IRIB was finished; some provisions were contrary to the view of the Imam and mine. My opposition had no effect either. The prevailing atmosphere in the Majlis calls for this. Given the importance we attach to the freedom of action and vote of the representatives, it is not difficult to tolerate; even representatives who are members of the Islamic Republic Party - who have been elected with the Party's help- also vote contrary to the Party's view in many cases, and perhaps in this respect, it is rare in the history of the world's parliaments. At the same time, the counterrevolution sometimes uses the expression «rubber-stamp Majlis», which is very unfair.

Before the recess, I went to my office. The Minister of Energy had made an appointment and was expressing some points in a closed session. I returned to the session and [the Minister of Energy] provided the representatives with good information. At noon, Dr. Habibi [Tehran representative], who had returned from a trip to Europe, came and gave a report; he believed that the counterrevolution in Europe had lost its strength and vigor and its activities were not very noticeable, and that the Westerners had also accepted the realities. He asked about approximately sixty thousand marks - which before the Revolution had been placed at his disposal by Mr. [Dr. Nasser] Minachi and is now in his account abroad and Mr. [Nasser] Minachi is demanding it -. I said it should be spent on propaganda activities with Mr. [Nasser] Minachi's approval. He reported that Mr. Falatoori had negotiated with German officials [and] that they should correct the history of Islam in their textbooks and make it conform to the realities of Islam.

Mr. Sharifi – my study partner during my seminary days - who is in the Education Department in Bandar Anzali, came and wanted assistance in these matters. Mr. Saeed al-Zakerin [from the Majlis public relations office] came and asked permission to go on Hajj and to cooperate with Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi] Khoeiniha, and complained about the factional moves of the official in charge of the Tehran organization of the Islamic Republic Party [Islamic Republic].

In the evening, two employees of the Prime Minister's intelligence office came with Mr. Hadi Khamenei; they had cooperated with the Eighth Department in the [counterintelligence] office and had recently been removed. They spoke about factionalism and hasty hiring, on the eve of the start of the Ministry of Intelligence's work; it was decided that I would look into it.

I attended the Tuesday meeting of the Hezbollah members of the Majlis - to which Mr. Nateq-Nouri [Minister of Interior] had been invited to negotiate with the representatives seeking his impeachment -. Mr. [Abul-Qasem] Khazali had come to tell the Majlis the Imam's message that permission for the impeachment had been given by the Imam himself and that Ahmad Aqa had had no involvement; I said it was not advisable. There is no such idea in the Majlis; the message itself suggests such an idea. I contacted Ahmad Aqa, and with the Imam's permission, Mr. Khazali was excused from delivering the message. Two or three representatives spoke; I also explained the harms of this impeachment.

Mr. Modarresi came with three hundred foreign seminarians - who study under his supervision at Qaemiyyeh School-. They gave a report and sang a hymn. I spoke to the men and women separately; I encouraged them and told them about the history of our struggles and our difficulties.

On the occasion of Government Week, I gave an interview to television. I spoke on various subjects. I met with the militant clerics of [Hormozgan] Province; we performed the Maghrib and Isha prayers together. [Engineer Kazem Seifian] the mayor of Tehran, had come and was upset about the pressure being put on him because of the illegal transfer of land. The Majlis and... were putting pressure on him. At night I came home. I spoke by telephone with [Ayatollah] Mr. Khamenei - who had returned from a five-day trip –and we discussed the introduction of the new ministers. It was decided that they would submit [the list of the new ministers] to the Majlis on Thursday. Mr. Jasbi came and sought assistance in obtaining the scientific research building for the Islamic Azad [University]. I spoke with the prime minister.