Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 26, 1983

I studied at home until ten-thirty in the morning. The excuses made by the country's airline regarding the passports of some passengers, because of the obstruction by government offices against the people, upset me. I contacted the Prime Minister's Office and asked them to follow up so that they could identify those causing the trouble. In the Friday prayers, during the sermon, I sharply criticized employees who cause trouble for the people; I was upset with myself for being so harsh until the afternoon; my tone had become excessively harsh.  

At night, Dr. Vahid [Dastjerdi] came; he criticized the conditions in the prisons; the lack of space, the unnecessary detention of elderly and long-term prisoners and of deceived youths or genuine repentants, Mr. [Asadollah] Lajevardi's [Tehran Revolutionary Prosecutor] suspicion of those who had repented, and reports of this kind. I decided to look into it. Late at night, the Aminian family, the husband of Mrs. Qodsi, came; they are good people; they have given a martyr and are loyal to the Revolution. One of them was in charge of the agricultural training center in Rasht. He spoke of its abundant facilities and the failure to make proper use of them. Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Mousavi-Khoiniha [supervisor of Iranian pilgrims] came and spoke of the Saudis' flexibility and of their having accepted his representation, and the program for propaganda during the Hajj was discussed. Overall, it is against Israel, America, and the Soviet Union, nothing more and without the help of non-Iranian individuals.