Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - September 10, 2001 - Meeting with Mohammad Reza Aref, the First Vice President, and a Report on His Programs in This Position

Meeting with Hossein Kamali After Not Being Re-elected as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and Hashemi's Suggestion for Him to Work as a Labor Consultant at the Strategic Research Center

Meeting with the Wife and Son of Seyyed Mojtaba Nawab Safavi

Meeting with Hadi Nejad Hosseinian, the Current Ambassador of the Islamic Republic to the United Nations, and a Report on His Activities in the Mission Area

Full Text of the Daily Memo:

Mr. Hossein Kamali, the former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, came. He expressed dissatisfaction with not being selected for the new cabinet and is still waiting for a suitable position. He believes that workers will join the ranks of the government's opponents due to Mr. Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s actions. I suggested he could serve as a labor consultant at the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council; he thanked me for this.

Mrs. Nira Ehtesham Razavi, the wife of the martyr Seyyed Mojtaba Nawab Safavi, and Mr. Seyyed Mohammad Baqir Razavi, her son who is a cleric, came to seek assistance in resolving the issues facing the martyr's family.

Mr. Hadi Nejad Hosseinian, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, visited. He said that Muslims in America are growing rapidly due to the immigration of Muslims and the conversion of African Americans to Islam. Although America officially reports six million Muslims, the Muslims themselves believe the number is nine million.

He mentioned that the Alavi Foundation in America generates two million dollars in net profit annually, which is spent on cultural activities for Muslims and helps establish new Islamic centers, and they need skilled propagandists. There are plans to establish a school for training propagandists in America. Regarding the possibility of poverty, corruption, and prostitution being included in this year’s report by Maurice Capiton, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, he said it would be very brief. I advised him to work to prevent this. He noted that our relations with America are deteriorating rather than improving, and the George W. Bush administration is harsh.

In the evening, Dr. Mohammad Reza Aref, the new Vice President, came. He explained his programs and policies and expressed concern about the atmosphere of distrust among officials and the pressure on managers, asking me for help to improve the situation.

At the Durban Anti-Racism Conference in South Africa, most speeches are against Israel, and there are ongoing large-scale demonstrations against Israel. Floods in the northern cities have caused significant damage.