Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - October 1, 2001 - Consultative Meeting with Seyed Noorollah Taheri, Imam of a Mosque in Tehran

• Opening of the exhibition on the Epic of the Ascension and listening to the report from Brigadier General Seyed Mohammad Hosseinzadeh Hejazi, then Commander of the Basij Resistance Force.
• Consultative meeting with Seyed Noorollah Taheri, Imam of a mosque in Tehran.
• Report from Sheikh Abbas Ali Alizadeh, then Chief Justice of Tehran Province, regarding the travel ban on Nasser Vaez Tabasi at the request of Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi and the directive of Ayatollah Khamenei, along with the case of Engineer Hadi Mohajeri and the lack of planning in the outlined anti-corruption program.

Full Diary Entry:

In the morning, I attended the opening of the exhibition on the [Epic] of the Ascension, organized by the Basij Resistance Force to explain the secrets and symbols of the front and honorable martyrdom at the former West Terminal near Azadi Square, occupying an area of 10,000 square meters. They have created impressive scenes, mainly designed by schoolboy students who participated in a competition and displayed noteworthy aspects of the front, sacrifice, and martyrdom. I spoke with several of them, wrote a note for them, and after listening to the report from Brigadier General [Seyed Mohammad] Hejazi, [Commander of the Basij Resistance Force], I delivered a speech.

Mr. [Seyed Noorollah] Taheri Shirazi, the Imam of the Sohrevardi Mosque, came; we were neighbors before the revolution. His son has written a screenplay for a series about Prophet Jacob and Prophet Joseph, but the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting has not assisted in the film's production. He sought help. Mr. Taheri mentioned that he recently had a dream in which he was in Najaf Ashraf, and the people of Najaf and the seminaries gathered outside the city to welcome and hear my speech. In the speech, he said I intended to establish a grand Islamic university named "Muhyiddin," which the attendees unanimously supported. He suggested that since Muhyiddin is a personal speaker whose philosophical views are not accepted by some scholars, it would be better to name it "Ihya al-Din." He believes his dreams are genuinely prophetic.

Mr. [Abbas Ali] Alizadeh, the Chief Justice of Tehran, came. He explained the temporary travel ban on Nasser Tabasi, [son of Mr. Abbas Vaez Tabasi, custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi], which was issued at the request of Mr. [Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi] Shahroudi, [the head of the Judiciary], and the leader's directive, while he himself was opposed, as no evidence regarding the accusations has been presented in court. This is due to the debts of the Al-Makasib company—affiliated with the Astan Quds—to the bank. He asked for my help to ensure that Mr. Tabasi is not unduly troubled. He also provided explanations about the case of [the brother of Mr. Masihe Mohajeri], Chief of Staff to the Vice President, and criticized the lack of substance in the anti-corruption program.

Demonstrations against U.S. war policies continue in many countries, and the U.S. has lifted sanctions on Pakistan and India while still beating the drums of war.