Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 20, 1996

At seven-thirty in the morning we went to [Mehrabad] Airport and immediately flew toward Isfahan. A group of ministers and deputies, Mohsen, Mehdi, Yaser, my brothers Mohammad and Ahmad, and Effat with a group of women relatives were with us. After the official welcome, we set off toward the city. Our problem was the two great clerics of the province, Messrs. [Jalal al-Din] Taheri, [Representative of the Supreme Leader and Friday Prayer Imam of Isfahan], and [Hossein] Mazahari, [Head of the Isfahan Seminary], whose observance and respect had to be maintained alternately.

The people's welcome was good, but not as good as Shiraz. We went straight to Imam Square. The gathering of the people in the square was also good. Mr. Taheri Isfahani, the Friday Prayer Imam, did his utmost in his welcome and praised me extravagantly and expressed regret that the Assembly of Experts [for the Constitution] had prohibited the continuation of the presidency after two consecutive terms, and the people welcomed this statement with slogans. I too gave a detailed speech on the greatness and consolidation of the Revolution and the honors of Isfahan in the past and present.

From there we went to the Telecommunications Center. After the explanations of [Mr. Ali Nadipour], the province's Director-General of Telecommunications, and Engineer Gharazi, [Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones], 208 telecommunications projects at a cost of 42 billion tomans were inaugurated. I too gave an encouraging speech on the greatness of the work and the high endeavor of the telecommunications people. For the inauguration of two new faculties of pharmacy and health and the start of operations of the second phase, we went to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. At the gathering of the university community, [Dr. Hamid-Reza Jamshidi], the university president, gave a good report and stated the indicators of health and treatment progress in the first and second plans, which are very honorable, and I too spoke in the same vein about the mind-boggling progress. The hosts' statements about the success of the construction programs are sweet to me and my companions.

We went to the Governor-General's Office. Prayers, lunch, a rest, and conversations with acquaintances took place during lunch. In the afternoon, for the ceremony marking the start of construction of the great Isfahan stadium, we went between Isfahan and Shahin Shahr. The athletes gave a warm welcome, and we visited the sports booths set up and the medals and cups. Engineer [Mostafa] Hashemi [Tabatabai, Head of the Physical Education Organization], offered his welcome, and the project manager spoke about the greatness of the project. I too spoke on strengthening sports and the necessity of the stadium.

Then we went to the ceremony marking the commissioning of the great Shahid Chamran Bridge, with the explanations of [Mr. Hamid-Reza Azimian], the mayor [of Isfahan], and the project manager, and the unveiling of the memorial plaque. A large crowd

of people had gathered there and were expressing their feelings. Beside the Zayandeh Rud, we had the inauguration of the Bird Garden, which is very interesting. With tall columns and net-like tents, they have enclosed an area of 16 thousand square meters. They have gathered various chickens and 75 species of birds there and have adorned the garden very pleasantly. After the visit, at the gathering of those present, [Mr. Hamid-Reza Azimian], the mayor of Isfahan, gave a report on the municipality's services, and I too gave a short speech on the correctness of the municipalities' path of collecting the costs of infrastructure and reconstruction of cities from the city residents, and on the greatness of the services of the Isfahan municipality.

We set off toward the Chehel Sotoun Palace. Along all the routes of movement, the enthusiastic gathering of the people is extraordinarily interesting; even more interesting than the official welcome itself. At Chehel Sotoun, there was the inauguration ceremony of the television [of Isfahan] [= Channel Five]. Mr. [Ali] Larijani, [Head of the Broadcasting Organization], gave a report, and I too expressed appreciation for the services of the Broadcasting Organization. With the presence of my brother Mohammad, the former managing director, beside the current managing director, speaking about the progress of the Broadcasting Organization was difficult.

We reached the time of the sunset prayer. After the prayer, we visited the newly built Museum of Decorative Arts of Isfahan and took part in the gathering of Isfahan's artists. Mr. Mirsalim, [Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance], offered his welcome, and Mr. [Akbar] Jamshidi, a Tabrizi-Isfahani poet, recited a poem. I too spoke about the importance and deep-rootedness of Yazd and Isfahan, and asked them to take part with their art in introducing the honors of construction.

From there, to take part in the gathering of the clerics and seminary students, we went to the Seyyed Mosque. It was a magnificent gathering. Messrs. Mazahari and Taheri gave good speeches, and I too gave a detailed speech on the importance of the Revolution and God's final proof against us and the duties of the clergy and my own services, as a cleric, in building the country's independence and creating prestige for the clergy, and I asked the clergy to take part in guaranteeing the people's worldly affairs, as they guarantee their hereafter.

Mr. [Mohammad-Kazem Asadi] Khansari, [Iran's ambassador to Libya], came. He gave a report on the trip to Libya and the message of [Muammar] Qaddafi, [Leader of Libya]. He had asked three things of us: 1—to mediate for taking Libya's weapons from Sudan, which had remained there on their way from China to Libya. 2—to ask Germany to give technology to Libya. 3—to mediate for the improvement of the relationship of Hezbollah [of Lebanon] and other Islamic movements with Libya. I was awake until twelve at night. I wrote my memoirs and went to sleep.