Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – March 6, 1994

In the morning, we went to the shrine of the Imam to participate in the ceremony of the week of natural resources and tree planting and the opening of the campus. This campus, which is next to the shrine, is supposed to be used for planting a memorial tree by heads of other countries who come to Iran. I saw examples of it in Indonesia and Islamabad, Pakistan. I planted a tree and told Jihad to be in Iran too. Ahmad Agha [Khomeini] left fifty hectares of land at the disposal of Jihad Construction to be built at the expense of Jihad. At the ceremony, Mr. Ahmad Agha gave a welcome speech and Mr. Faruzesh explained. I spoke in detail about the importance of watershed management, forestry and desertification, etc. We went by car. On the way, I told Hossein [Marashi] to solve the issue of the new large square of fruit and tarehbar, which has been disputed between the municipality and the bar vendors.

[Mr. Dinesh Singh], the Minister of External Affairs of India came. He had brought the letter of Mr. Rao, the Prime Minister. is very polite and humble; He is old and tired and talks a lot. It seems that he originally came to ask Iran not to vote against India in the resolution proposed by Pakistan on Kashmir; But he did not tell me this clearly. The conversations were general and friendly; He said: About Kashmir. The Indians want to have multilateral cooperation with Iran, China and Pakistan and they want Iran to take the lead and they even want us to have trilateral talks during this trip when the Chinese Foreign Minister is also in Iran.

Mr. Masih Mohajeri, [president's social advisor] came. He gave an analysis about the existing differences between the left and right currents and the future of the country and said the danger of right-wing rule. He asked me to establish a party and political organization of moderate forces; I said that the leadership does not agree.

In the evening, I did not attend the government meeting. Dr. [Mohammed Ali] Najafi, [Minister of Education] came. He asked about traveling to Saudi Arabia during Eid. He expressed his displeasure with the action of the director general of education in Khuzestan regarding the forced wearing of tents. It was decided to remove the compulsion.

I was a guest of the leadership. We discussed the relatively positive positions of America regarding Iran. Their acknowledgment of Iran's non-action to build nuclear weapons and move within the limits of international regulations in nuclear programs, and the emphasis of the US Senate and representatives on the terrorist nature of the hypocrites, as well as their acknowledgment of the stabilization of Iran's Islamic revolution and their willingness to negotiate with Iran. The conversation was left unfinished. We talked about the Revolution Stadium and the IRGC and Mr. Seyed Morteza Askari's plan to establish a college, currency issues, relations with China and India, and the Kashmir issue. Ayatollah Khamenei does not believe in the separation and independence of Kashmir from India. Muslims inside India also think so. They praised my interpretation book a lot and are impressed.