Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – November 10, 1994

After the prayer and listening to the news and having breakfast, the Ministers of Agriculture, Energy, Industries, and Roads and Transportation came. Mr. Issa Kalantari, the Minister of Agriculture, proposed that the trip to Qasr-e Shirin be canceled. There was also insistence from Tehran; because of the missile attack on the Ashraf base of the hypocrites [MKO]. The security officials of the region were worried that during our presence in Qasr-e Shirin, due to its proximity to the border, Iraq or the hypocrites might commit an evil act. I did not accept, because our not going there would have no interpretation other than insecurity, which is very harmful.

We flew toward Kerend. We arrived at twenty minutes to nine in the morning. We landed beside the podium. The wind from the helicopters tore away part of the carpets and decorations of the podium. A good crowd had come. They are mainly Ahl-e Haq. Two percent are Shia and three percent Sunni. We went to Kerend to console the Ahl-e Haq. After the revolution, they have been treated badly, and given their presence alongside the border, their dissatisfaction can be dangerous. After the anthem and the Quran, the district governor and the member of parliament gave welcome speeches. Then I, in a short speech, thanked them for their positions and their patience during the war and reconstruction and promised help and advised unity and cooperation.

We flew to Sar-e Pol-e Zahab. From the air, we saw the Zahab plain and the city. It has been reconstructed well. We landed beside the mausoleum of Ahmad ibn Ishaq. With the help of the Reconstruction Headquarters, they have built a good mausoleum. The head of the Endowments gave a report, and after the pilgrimage, we went to the people's gathering place beside the mausoleum boulevard.

In the very huge and enthusiastic gathering of the people, after the slogans and the anthem and the welcome of the Friday prayer leader and the representative and the governor, I gave an encouraging speech and promised more development and asked them to strive more to use the rich resources of water and soil and climate, which are all excellent. I also criticized dry farming; this problem exists throughout Kermanshah Province.

After the ceremony, the crowd of people kept us waiting for a while. They are very affectionate and enthusiastic. By car we went toward the industrial estate under construction. I inaugurated a small factory producing baby diapers and paper tissues from soft papers and emphasized the necessity of establishing industries by state companies.

We flew toward Qasr-e Shirin. The officials preferred that we go by car due to security considerations; I did not accept. In Qasr-e Shirin, I inaugurated a vocational training center and spoke with the trainees; they are happy. We took a tour of the city. We passed through the rows of people. They welcomed very enthusiastically and cheerfully. The trip officials had not arranged a speech program due to security considerations; I reprimanded them.

I went to the city square in front of the Mahdieh and the people spontaneously formed a huge gathering. For the speech, we used our own accompanying loudspeaker. The people became very happy. Their anthem group sang a good anthem. The people clapped with joy and some danced. I did not think the people of Qasr-e Shirin would be so cheerful.

The governor and the governor-general gave reports and I gave an encouraging speech and promised more development and emphasized the creation of palm groves and olive orchards and fish farming pools and a university and activating travel to the holy shrines in Iraq, which will be very lucrative for these cities on the route. We again took a tour of the city; the reconstruction has progressed well. I visited the province's carpet exhibition held by the Construction Jihad; this industry is young but advanced and good.

We flew toward Gilan-e Gharb. It was planned that we would also see Naft Shahr and Sumar from the air, but due to being behind schedule we gave up. We landed at the site of the Gilan-e Gharb Dam. Right beside the former West Headquarters where I had gone many times during the war. I struck the pickaxe for the dam. It is planned to control the water for the irrigation of four thousand hectares.

We went to the Sarab of Gilan-e Gharb. At the Construction Jihad guesthouse, we had lunch and prayed and inaugurated the water supply project to twenty villages from this same Sarab. It is an interesting Sarab; about one meter of water per second gushes from the ground. There are many of these Sarabs in Kermanshah, and the water of the city of Qasr-e Shirin is supplied from one of them.

From there we went to the city of Gilan-e Gharb. The people gave a magnificent welcome. In the city stadium, after the welcome of the representative and the governor and the Friday prayer leader and the performance of the anthem, I gave a speech to the people. They are very sincere and warm and brave.

Out of concern about sunset, we immediately flew by helicopters toward Kermanshah. Along the routes, the governor gave good explanations. He knows the province's situation well and answers questions well. I slept a little on the way, because I had not rested this afternoon. At sunset we reached Kermanshah Airport.

From there we went to the site of the five-star international hotel under construction. It was started before the revolution and has remained stagnant since the war until now, and recently the project has been activated; it is very huge. They want a loan assistance. There, the CEO of the West Industrial Company gave explanations about the industrial projects that the company has established in the western provinces; it is good.

We went toward Taq-e Bostan. The people had become informed of our program, and on the way there and back, there were huge gatherings that welcomed warmly. I was surprised by all this affection. We saw the ancient artifacts of Taq-e Bostan. They are carved in the mountain rocks during the Sasanian era and are interesting. More interesting is the abundant water that gushes several meters per second from the Sarab beside the Taq, and also the beautiful and wide boulevard that connects the city to it. In my opinion, it is an unparalleled boulevard in the country.

We returned to the governorate. After the prayer and listening to the news and reading the reports, a group of cardiologists came and sought assistance to complete the heart hospital under construction. Then we saw the Construction Jihad carpet exhibition, where we heard good explanations about the carpet companies under the administration of the Construction Jihad and the companies making footballs and volleyballs; I encouraged them.

Dinner was served and I returned to my room. After bathing and writing the memoirs and listening to the reports of my trip, which Kermanshah television broadcasts completely, I slept.