Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – June 14, 1981

These are eventful days. The book of Iran’s history is being turned rapidly; major historical events are taking place, and history is moving swiftly.

We had a public session. Before the agenda, Mr. Ghazanfarpour, the representative of Lenjan and a staunch supporter of Bani-Sadr, read Mr. Bani-Sadr’s statement instead of delivering a speech before the agenda. It was a very bad statement, which Radio and Television had not read and the newspapers had not published, and it had a very strong effect on the Imam, the representatives, and the people, pushing them toward the more rapid rejection of the President. The representatives patiently endured it.

Ghazanfarpour and Salamatian left the Parliament and, at the Parliament entrance, had a confrontation with a member of the Revolutionary Guards that escalated to the point of drawing weapons.

The Imam, who had heard it on the radio, had criticized the reading of the statement from the Parliament’s podium. Mr. Khamenei, who had been with the Imam, said that the Parliament’s rules of procedure could not be violated, and the Imam was convinced, on the condition that a response be given.

The commanders of the divisions and air bases went to see the Imam, accompanied by Mr. Khamenei, and the Imam made important remarks aimed at strengthening the Imam’s line and weakening the liberals, especially Bani-Sadr.

We passed the bill on transactions involving residential properties. Restrictions were imposed. At noon, I met with a group of 150 farmers from Sistan who had come to the Parliament to express their thanks for receiving land, loans, and facilities, and I spoke with them.

The Governor-General of Hormozgan and the province’s representatives came and were dissatisfied that Mr. Nazarizadeh Kermani, a candidate for Parliament, was trying to bring Sheikh Khaledi, the Sunni prayer leader of Bandar Lengeh, back from Dubai. He had left in protest. They said it would be better if he did not return.

In the afternoon, I attended a meeting of the Central Council of the party, and at night, a joint meeting of the representatives and executive officials who supported the party. The discussion concerned how to deal with Bani-Sadr and the other armed opposition groups, particularly the proposal to withdraw Mr. Bani-Sadr’s political competence.

Today, 107 representatives in Parliament submitted a written request for an examination of Mr. Bani-Sadr’s political competence and called for it to be placed on the agenda under an urgent two-motion procedure. I did not consider it advisable to bring it up immediately: first, it needed to be more fully developed and the necessary public support needed to be established; second, we had no rules of procedure governing how the Parliament should proceed in such a case; and third, the Imam had also said that there should be no haste and that Mr. Bani-Sadr should be given some time to reform himself.