Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 12, 2001 - Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 12, 2001 Continuation of the trip to East Azerbaijan province, Hashemi’s account of the journey, and initial analyses of the September 11 events

Continuation of the trip to East Azerbaijan province, Hashemi’s account of the journey, and initial analyses of the September 11 events.

Full daily entry:

I slept on the balcony until 4 a.m. Despite using both a quilt and a blanket, I felt cold and had to move indoors. After the morning prayer, I reviewed reports and, together with Agha Sheikh Mostafa [Bagheri] from Bonab, visited an orchard. It’s a three-hectare orchard, inherited from his father, and has two wells. This year, due to the drought, the water level has dropped. In the news, there is still a lot of focus on the [September 11] explosions in America, but due to U.S. news censorship, not much new has been added since last night.

The Bonabi brothers mentioned they owe 150 million tomans for the construction of a school, and [President Mohammad] Khatami had promised help but has not yet fulfilled the promise. They asked me to remind him. Mr. [Mohsen] Mojtahed Shabestari, [Imam of Friday prayers in Tabriz], left for Tabriz, and after bidding farewell, we headed toward Tehran.

To observe the route, we traveled by car from Bonab to Zanjan and then by air from Zanjan to Tehran. The governor of Bonab was in my car and provided useful information about Malekan, Miandoab, Shahin Dej, the surrounding villages, buildings, and farms. He also talked about the significant political and social challenges faced by the administrators and the considerable damages caused by the drought.

Near Takab, local officials came to greet us. The deputy governor joined my car and explained the political and economic situation of the county, the severe drought, the drying up of 49 villages, the lack of sufficient water tanks, the state of the Takht-e Soleyman area, and the coexistence of Shia, Sunni, and Ahl-e Haqq communities in Takab. We reached Takht-e Soleyman at 11 a.m. [located 42 kilometers northeast of Takab]. The district governor and Mr. [Amir] Matlubi, the director of the Cultural Heritage Department, provided explanations. The site was built during the Sassanid era and was later reconstructed during the Mongol period. The Germans had carried out archaeological excavations here.

We toured various sections for about two hours. The lake, as they said, is 112 meters deep, with water gushing from it at around 90 cubic meters per second. We also visited the museum, the halls, chambers, and the few remaining parts of the original architecture. They provided explanations about a place called the "Prison of Solomon," which is located at the top of a mountain and has a 70-meter-deep pit. After performing the prayer and writing my comments [in the guestbook], we headed toward Zanjan.

Near the Angouran lead and zinc mine, we stopped in a valley for lunch, which our companions had prepared. [Mr. Masoud Soltani-Far], the governor of Zanjan, his deputy, and the governor of Mahneshan came to greet us, and we headed together toward Zanjan airport. They provided details about the political, industrial, and social conditions of the province. Unlike other governors, they seemed content. The flight from Zanjan to Tehran took about half an hour. We arrived home near sunset.

In the reports, the U.S. crisis dominates the headlines. Many tall buildings in the East and West have been shut down, and a significant portion of America’s economic activities is at a standstill. There is no way to accurately assess the number of casualties; thousands of people are buried under the debris of the 110-story skyscrapers, and no leads have been found yet.