Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - January 2, 2002

Representatives of the Supreme Leader Meet at Islamic Azad University

Consultative meeting of Dr. Reza Malekzadeh and Dr. Saeedi

Mohammad Ali Shari's consultative meeting and a report on women's seminaries and the establishment of a comprehensive university in Qom

Continuation of the Arrest of Shahram Jazayeri Arab in the Sixth Majlis and Kayhan Newspaper

Full text of the diary:

 The representatives of the leadership institution came to the Islamic Azad University and said that they have 20 offices with 60 personnel and that only 300 million tomans of the institution's 4 billion tomans credits are given to them, in addition to resources for the rights of individuals in the university. The cultural office, under the supervision of the president of the university, has cultural work and called for more coordination. I said that in view of the disturbances and opponents that the university has, they should be careful about discipline and calmness, and the representatives should not weaken the administration, and since 55 percent of the country's students are free at the university, at least half of the institution's credits should be spent there. They asked me to visit more university units.

Dr. [Reza] Malekzadeh, Dr. Saeedi, and his son, who is also a surgeon, came to follow up on the issue of education and the genetic industry. They said that a budget of 400 million dollars is needed to establish advanced educational and industrial centers, and they want it to be in the private sector. I said, "We should form a company and ask the Muslim people to buy shares."

 In the evening, Mr. [Mohammad-Ali] Shari'i, [the director of the Sisters' Seminary] and his colleagues came to follow up on the issue of establishing a comprehensive university in Qom, which I had proposed in a speech [recently] at a meeting of scholars from all over the country in Qom. Their suggestion is that it should be in the form of a city of research and science. They gave examples in the world and asked me to participate in the meeting of the Council of the Seminary of Qom in order to encourage them and get approval.  

Today, the parliament was tense in protest against yesterday's writings by Kayhan. The article says that 60 deputies [of the Sixth Majlis] are contaminated with Shahram Jazayeri in financial matters. They called this action a reason for the existence of a conspiracy against the parliament and asked the Supreme Leader to stop Kayhan, but today Kayhan continues the same story and some other newspapers have written the same thing. In his speech today, the Supreme Leader asked everyone not to weaken each other.  

In Afghanistan, Gul Agha [Sherzai, the governor of Kandahar], has warned [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar to surrender within a week or his hideout will be attacked. Argentina's fifth government is approved, but opposition demonstrations continue.