Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – June 2, 1983

Before going to the public session, I wrote the Arabic sermon for the Friday prayers and sent it for translation. I studied the reports. In the public session, the bill on interest-free banking operations was under discussion; we did not make much progress. A lot of the discussions become lengthy, and since the matter is important, it is tolerable.

At noon, Mr. Seyyed Ahmad Fahri - the Imam's representative in Syria and Lebanon - came and gave a report on his work in Syria. He brought news of the decision to establish a school for seminary students, and also spoke of the problems with the construction of the shrine of Hazrat Ruqayya, whose purchased land is under the control of the Syrian government, as well as the problems of Zaynabiyya, because its administration is in the hands of Sunnis.

A group of [members of] the Oil Commission came. Mr. Ebrahimi, who is in the Ministry of Oil, had brought reports indicating abuse and conspiracy in the Ministry of Oil. He claims to have secret documents in his possession. I told the commission to pursue the matter and give its opinion.

In the afternoon, the children of the martyr [Ataollah] Ashrafi Esfahani came from Kermanshah and gave a report on their work in administering the seminary and the Sunni clerics, and spoke of the vacuum that existed in Kermanshah after his martyrdom and the failure of Mr. [Mohammad Ali] Movahedi Kermani [the temporary Friday prayer leader of Bakhtaran] to arrive. They wanted assistance to establish a foundation.

The employees of the Jomhuri-ye Eslami newspaper came. Mr. [Masih] Mohajeri [the newspaper's editor-in-chief] gave a report, and I also spoke to them at length. Mr. [Hadi] Khosrowshahi, Iran's ambassador to the Vatican, came; he suggested establishing warm relations with Ben Bella and the Muslim Brotherhood and Mr. Qomi, the former consul of Dar al-Taqrib. Mr. Salari, Iran's chargé d'affaires in Argentina, came and complained about the Foreign Ministry. I canceled two or three other meetings because of the Supreme Defense Council session. In the session concerning the issue of the entry of Turkish forces into Iraq, we discussed the matter, clarified our positions, and decided to increase propaganda efforts concerning the areas damaged by the war in the south and west. After the session, I gave an interview. We had a short private meeting with [Ayatollah] Mr. Khamenei, and discussed helping [Abdolmajid] Maadikhah to begin his work and strengthening him. It was decided that he would work under the supervision of the Presidential Institution to write the history of the Revolution. I came home at night.