Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 7, 1996

Mr. [Mohammad Reza] Abbasi Fard, [Executive Deputy Head of the Judiciary] came and complained to the Guardian Council for examining him for the nomination of experts [for parliamentary elections] and then rejecting him after the examination. Mr. [Mortaza] Bank, the governor of Kerman, came. In order to prevent arbitrary actions, he appealed to the Guardian Council to cancel the elections and stressed the integrity of the elections in the cities of Kerman province.

Mr. [Mohammed Ali] Zam, [head of the art department] came. He spoke about the services of the art field for the Islamic Propaganda Organization and criticized the Ministry of Guidance for being strict with filmmakers. [Mr. Jassim Mohammad Al Aoun], Minister of Communications [Transport and Water and Electricity] of Kuwait came. The negotiations were formal. I asked many questions about the situation in Kuwait and the relationship with Iraq. Mr. [Mustafa] Mirslim, [Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance], came to set the agenda of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. The members of the Supreme Council of the Hajj mission came. Mr. [Mohammadmohammadi] Ray Shahri, [representative of the religious guardian and head of Iranian pilgrims] and [Mohammad Hossein] Rezaei, [head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization] reported and brought their new difficulties. I also spoke and emphasized about building relationships with Muslim personalities during Hajj, for understanding Muslims and bringing important ideas closer together.

In the evening Mr. [Mustafa] Pourmohammadi, [Deputy Minister of Information] came. He explained about the results of the negotiations with the Iraqis and the arrangement of the pilgrimage to the shrines and limited trade and passage of the Iraqis through Iran, which was also approved in the meeting of the Supreme National Security Council. In the Supreme National Security Council, our new issues with Germany were discussed and decided after the arrest warrant of the Minister of Information and the quality of dealing with it.

Mr. [Mohammed] Yazdi, [Head of the Judiciary], quoted Ayatollah Khamenei's speech in the gathering of scholars of the Guardian Council. They object to the annulment of some cases of election results that are done outside the legal standards. They say that such cases should be left to the parliament. In the evening, I spoke with Mr. Emami Kashani and with Dr. Velayati, [Minister of Foreign Affairs] about the issue of Mr. Abbasi Fard's failure in the [nomination of the Assembly of Experts] exam, regarding the follow-up of Colonel Gaddafi's message about their weapons in Sudan.