Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 19, 1990

I reached my office at half past seven in the morning. Mr. [Javad] Ajey, [Cultural Advisor to the President] came. He is going to Europe. [Amount of 50,000 dollars] was received for Islamic students abroad. Mr. [Hamid] Mirzadeh came for current affairs and reconstruction. He complained about the weakness of his position in front of the ministers; It has become accustomed to the past.

Mr. [Sidkamal] Kharazi, [Permanent Representative of Iran at the UN headquarters] came. He gave a report on the issues of the United Nations. They talked about the issue of helping the release of hostages, Resolution 598 and other issues. He made suggestions regarding the recruitment of Iranian experts abroad and advertising.

Mr. [Ali Mohammad] Besharati came and reported on his trip to Saudi Arabia; They have not come under the burden of political demonstrations and have denied saying such things to Omanis. He said that he had negotiated with [Mr. Saud al-Faisal], the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, five times and for a total of eleven hours, and he did not get any results; His opinion was that we should accept and go to Mecca.

[Mr. Gholamhossein Karbaschi], the mayor of Tehran, came. He gave a report on the measures and consulted for improvement plans, including the ring highway [Azadegan] and the Nawab highway. Mr. [Syed Dashem] Rasouli [Mahlati] and [Syed Ali] Qazi Askar came for the matters of the Friday Imams' Secretariat and their seminar program. They requested that the Juma Imams' Secretariat [Policymaking Council] be a revolutionary institution.

At night, we had a meeting with Rahbari and Ahmed Agha. We discussed Hajj. It was decided that we will not go and give an announcement without agreeing to the program [of the march] for the acquittal [of polytheists]. The open letter of the liberals was discussed. About Pakistan and the expectation of our help against India and other issues were also discussed.