Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 18, 1982

Until seven-thirty, I studied. At eight, the open session began. Before the agenda, I spoke on the occasion of Army Day. Dr. [Hassan] Rouhani also gave a report on the situation of the broadcasting organization. We passed several bills.

Today, the Majlis guards had shouted "Death to America" as the representatives accused of liberalism were entering. They were upset about this situation and at noon Dr. [Kazem] Sami, Dr. [Yadollah] Sahabi, and Engineer [Hashem] Sabbaghian came and sought a solution from me. A number of scholars from Gorgan also came and complained about Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad Kazem] Noormofidi, the Friday prayer leader. Mr. [Kazem] Akrami, the representative of Hamedan, also came and spoke about the dispute between the Sepah of Ilam and the Friday prayer leader there.

At two, I went to Mr. Khamene'i's office and we watched the film of Qotbzadeh's interview with him and Ahmad Agha. He confessed to the conspiracy to assassinate the Imam and officials, overthrow the government, and his connection with Mr. Shariatmadari through [Abdolreza] Hejazi and [Seyyed Mehdi] Mahdavi, as well as requesting weapons from a member of the French Socialist Party. It was decided that part of the interview would be broadcast.

In the evening, I met with the Pakistani economic delegation headed by Ghulam Ishaq Khan and we talked about the need to expand relations and establish an Islamic community.

Then I participated in the meeting of the Central Council of the Islamic Republican Party. There was discussion about the mid-term elections, broadcasting Qotbzadeh's interview, and so on. Dr. Velayati gave a report on the mediation delegation of the Islamic Conference. This delegation brought a proposal for a gradual withdrawal of Iraq. The war atmosphere of the country and the high expectations of the people, especially the combatants, are such that they ridicule such proposals and do not consider even an immediate and conditional withdrawal sufficient, and they criticize the war officials for not immediately entering Iraqi territory, and we spend a lot of time convincing such people. At night, I came home. Late at night, the office informed me that Mr. Shariatmadari had sent a telegram in which he exonerated himself.