Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - August 26, 2001 - Phone Call from Sheikh Ghorban Ali Dorrin Najaf Abadi Seeking Hashemi's Help for Treating the Injured and Holding a Grand Funeral for Him

The Passing of Sheikh Ali Mohammadi Savaji, Former Parliament Member and Political Activist, in a Car Accident

Full Text of the Daily Memo:

As usual every day, after the morning prayer, I listened to the Persian section of the BBC radio news. After turning on the samovar and warming the milk, I prepared breakfast. I walked on the treadmill for fifteen minutes. I reviewed the reports on the computer screen, and after having breakfast, I engaged in study.

In the reports, there were demonstrations in South Africa protesting against U.S. pressure to remove "the equivalence of Zionism and racism" from the agenda of the racism conference in Durban. It seems that the hosts have yielded to the demands of the United States. A meeting of the United Nations Security Council has been scheduled for next Monday to discuss the Israeli occupation of the Beit al-Sharq and the offices of Palestinians, at the request of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Israel is trying to persuade the U.S. to prevent a resolution against Israel and also to block the decision to send peacekeeping forces to the region.

The Turkish government has announced that it is sending two F-16 fighter jets to Baku as a show of support for Azerbaijan regarding the dispute between Iran and Azerbaijan [over the exploration of gas and oil fields in the Caspian Sea]. Turkmenistan has also expressed its opposition to Azerbaijan's actions in the disputed oil and gas fields. In Pakistan, the government has cracked down on two groups, Sipah-e-Sahaba and Sipah Muhammad, and the Jafari Movement has also been targeted, leading to a large number of arrests.

News arrived that Mr. [Ali] Mohammadi Savaji, [former representative from Tehran], unfortunately, passed away in a car accident; he was traveling with his family to Mazandaran, and their car fell into a ravine between Qaemshahr and Savadkuh. He was driving at the time. In the afternoon, Mr. [Ghorban Ali] Dorrin Najaf Abadi called to request assistance for the funeral and the treatment of the injured to ensure everything goes well.

I read a document prepared by American researchers for the U.S. government, detailing the losses incurred by the U.S. due to its conflicts and hostilities with Iran and calling for the resolution of hostilities.