Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 19, 1982

Early in the morning I went to Parliament. I read the reports and handled administrative work. At nine, the Belgian ambassador came and spoke about the interest of Belgian industrialists in doing business with Iran, and said that, in general, the condition of Western industries was not good and that they were suffering from a recession.

A group of physicians from the Medical Council came and asked for financial support and complained about insults. I spoke to them at length and said that although medicine is needed by the country and the public understands this need, if some of them do not have the necessary respect, it is because of their own profiteering and poor conduct. Dr. Shams requested permission for organ transplantation, and I said that the Imam had already granted permission. Colonel Abbas Babai, commander of the Isfahan Air Base (the F-14 center), came and had several good proposals as well as some criticisms of the Air Force; he is an interesting man.

I gave a television interview on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Abdolhossein Dastgheib. The directors of the Physical Education Organization came and spoke about the weakness of the sports budget. I spoke to them, and we took a photograph. Members of the Islamic Republican Party from Amirkola came and reported on their activities, and I also spoke to them. After that came prayers, lunch, rest, listening to the news, and officiating the marriage ceremony of Revolutionary Guards members.

In the afternoon, a group from the Revolutionary Guards' Liberation Movements Unit came and complained about the performance of Mr. Seyyed Mehdi Hashemi. It was decided that they would submit proposals and that the matter would be investigated. Members of the Islamic Republican Party from Sowme'eh Sara also came to Parliament, and I spoke to them. Mr. Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri reported that this week some blows had been dealt to the Mojahedin-e Khalq.

The Soviet ambassador came and complained about insults directed at the Soviet Union in Iran and sought stronger relations.

I said that you have recently given MiG-25s, T-72 tanks, and Scud missiles to Iraq, and that you are not withdrawing from Afghanistan, and that people oppose you for this reason. He knows Persian well.

We held a meeting of the Central Council of the Islamic Republican Party, where we discussed new proposals regarding the party's organization. At night I returned home. The children were not there. I stayed awake for much of the night.