Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - May 8, 2001 - Meeting with Fidel Castro and Hashemi's Account of His Uninterrupted Remarks

Meeting with Qara'ati, Director of the Prayer Organization, Accompanied by His Colleagues, and a Report on the Activities of This Organization, Along with Hashemi's Advice to Mohammad Hashemi, the Then-Executive Deputy to the President, to Assist This Institution

Report from Mohammad Hashemi on the Surrounding Circumstances of Ali Shamkhani's Registration for the Presidential Election and Special References Made to Him, Denied by Hashemi

Meeting with Fidel Castro and Hashemi's Account of His Uninterrupted Remarks

Political-Electoral Consultative Meeting with Mohammad Reza Makbar Dezfuli

Complete Daily Record:

Mr. Taqi Qara'ati, the head of the Mosque Institute, along with about 40 researchers from the mosque, visited. They provided a report on their performance regarding the improvement of mosques, research, and education, and mentioned budget constraints. I advised Mohammad, the Executive Deputy to the President, to assist them, as they are doing commendable work. I delivered an extensive speech about the history of temples and mosques in all divine religions and the role of mosques and clergy in positive societal transformations.

Mohammad, the head of the Central Council of the Executives of Construction Party, came to visit. He mentioned that in political circles, there are various analyses regarding Mr. Ali Shamkhani's candidacy, noting that the second Khordad faction has become passive. Some consider his candidacy as being supported by you and others by the leadership. I stated that this is unrelated to any of us and that he personally reached this decision with consultations from the commanders of the Revolutionary Guard. After his registration, he visited me and explained his reasoning. He had only inquired with the leadership, and they indicated, like others, that they had no objections. The same was communicated to Mr. Khatami.

In the evening, Mr. Fidel Castro, the President of Cuba, and his companions arrived. We negotiated for an hour and a half. Once he started discussing a topic, he would not stop and would digress. I interrupted him a few times with friendly questions about their relations with Russia, China, Latin American countries, and the United States, along with their need for fuel and plans to build a nuclear power plant, as well as several assassination attempts against him and the significance of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. He stated that Iran, China, India, and Russia can prevent a unipolar world. He praised Iran's actions and programs and invited me to visit Cuba. I expressed my appreciation for his revolutionary spirit and the resilience of the Cuban people. He found Tehran to be a magnificent city. I understood why he has lengthy speeches based on his manner of speaking.

Mr. Mohammad Reza Makbar Dezfuli, a member of the Supervisory Commission of the Expediency Discernment Council, came to present a draft regulation for oversight. He provided an analysis of the midterm parliamentary elections and the potential for electoral fraud. He mentioned that, based on public opinion polling data, despite not being a candidate, he was perceived to be ahead of others.

Today, a three-month-old child has been martyred in Palestine, and in light of the recent martyrdom of a four-month-old child yesterday, emotions have been stirred.