Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 7, 1996

Dr. Habibi, [first vice president] came and reported on the trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kyrgyzstan and the signed contracts. The president of Bosnia has clearly said that after God, America supports them for now. They expect us to activate their steel factory. In Kyrgyzstan, a minibus production contract has been signed there with an Iranian company.

Mr. Mohammad Reza Beheshti [son of Martyr Beheshti] came. He expressed concern about the tight cultural atmosphere inside, due to the dry pressure of the Saints and Hezbollah. Mr. [Syed Mustafa] Mirslim, [Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance] and [Mohammed Ali] Taskhiri, [Head of the Islamic Culture and Communication Organization] came. They reported on the progress of the work of the Communications Organization and requested for more effective cooperation in the work and more budget. The problem of the separation of leadership representatives and seminaries outside their group was raised.

A group of [construction] agents came and got an opinion about the presidential election. They are worried about the explicit interference of the leadership in the election process and want to know their politics from the beginning; I said it will be clear soon.

Mr. Fakhreddin Hejazi came. While expressing his loyalty, he asked for help for the Ba'ath Foundation. In the evening Mr. [Syed Abd al-Karim] Mousavi Ardabili came. He is sick and recently he has fever for a few days and he is a little worried because of his previous two strokes. He expressed concern about the current political situation of the country and the pressure on a part of the forces of the revolution and the risk of one-dimensionalization of the sovereignty in favor of the conservative movement. The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution had a meeting with several resolutions.