Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - November 9, 1999 - Meeting with the Saudi Ambassador and Efforts to Restore Baqi Cemetery

In today's memoir, the meeting with the then Saudi Ambassador, who was a Shia, stands out. Akbar Hashemi discussed the restoration of the Baqi Cemetery in Medina, emphasizing its significance. The Saudi ambassador, [Jamil Abdullah Al-Jishi], was from the Eastern Province and had been a member of Saudi Arabia’s parliament. Both parties highlighted cooperation in the petrochemical industry and the importance of improving the state of Baqi Cemetery.

Meeting with Mohammad Fallah, Head of the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters

Mohammad Fallah, the head of the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters, presented a report on a trip by the Dublin Group to Iran’s eastern borders, where Western ambassadors and experts examined Iran's border control measures to prevent drug trafficking. Fallah expressed his concerns about the media's focus on the two-billion-toman loan given to Tehran’s municipality under [Gholamhossein Karbaschi’s] leadership, which had been directed by the then Minister of Interior, [Ali Mohammad Besharati]. He also invited Hashemi to attend a ceremony in Zahedan honoring the martyrs of the anti-drug campaign, mentioning his own struggles with nightmares due to the stresses of the job.

Fa'ezeh Hashemi Requests Tuition from Her Father

Fa'ezeh Hashemi, daughter of Akbar Hashemi and a prominent political figure herself, requested financial support for her university tuition from her father.

Meeting with Seyed Niaz Naqvi, Revolutionary Court Judge in Qom

Seyed Niaz Naqvi, a judge in Qom’s Revolutionary Court, requested permission from Akbar Hashemi to translate his sermons on social justice into Urdu for dissemination in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Naqvi also criticized the ineffectiveness of harsh measures against drug and goods smuggling. His judicial career, which included issuing strict verdicts during his time in Khuzestan, had drawn attention. Despite his Pakistani origins, Naqvi served in Iran’s judiciary and gained further prominence under the leadership of Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi when he became head of the judiciary.

Meeting with Tribal Representatives

Several tribal representatives from the Fifth Parliament met with Hashemi, seeking his help in resolving legal disputes between the Guardian Council and the Parliament over legislation concerning tribal regions. They expressed concern over the declining focus on tribal issues since the Reconstruction Era.

International News

In international news, the gathering of Iraqi opposition groups in the U.S. to discuss plans for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and the U.S. government's open support for them, was significant. The training of these opposition forces had also begun. Notably, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) did not participate in this meeting.