Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 31, 1983

I was at home until three in the afternoon. I made up for several days of delay in recording the diary. Parliament is closed from today until the tenth of Mehr. Many representatives are going to Mecca; it is not a good thing. It is discriminatory and brings disrepute. Mr. [Sheikh Fazlollah] Mahallati came; he had visited the Imam and said goodbye before going to Mecca. He asked about the outcome of my action to make up for the insult to him, in appointing the Imam's representative and dismissing him. He suggested that we talk more with Mr. [Mohammadreza] Mahdavi Kani; he is upset. He praised the actions and studies of the [Tehran] Combatant Clergy [Society] for the upcoming elections. At noon, Rafsanjani's relatives were our guests. Mr. Najafi complained that Mr. [Sheikh Mohammad] Hashemian had deprived him of the position of temporary Friday prayer leader [of Rafsanjan].

In the afternoon, I met with Libya's foreign minister in Parliament. He wanted to justify their new move toward an understanding with Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Morocco and was inviting us to compromise on the Hajj. He reported that an Arab summit conference would be held in Saudi Arabia next November. At the President's office, we had a meeting of the Supreme Economic Council; we discussed penalties for those violating regulations on the distribution of goods. Then, until ten-thirty at night, Dr. Velayati gave a report on his trip to African countries and the southern Gulf states and Turkey and Syria and Geneva. We discussed his upcoming trip to China. Through the efforts of Iranian officials and good management, the hijacked [Air France] plane was released today. The hijackers surrendered. I came home late.