Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – June 24, 1983

I stayed at home; I was studying and writing. Before noon, Ahmad Aqa came. He reported that the Society of Seminary Teachers [of Qom] and the Combatant Clergy [of Tehran] had given the Imam a list to complete [the membership of] the Guardian Council, but apparently the Imam had already made his decision. He said that because sometimes during Friday prayers and the speeches before them, things are said that are not in the public interest, the Imam had said that you should be consulted and that their live broadcast should be prevented so that it could be controlled. I said, I agree, but preparations would have to be made, and besides, I do not have such an opportunity that I could be consulted on every matter. The [disputes among officials in] Isfahan and [the new members of] the Guardian Council were also discussed. I sent word to the Imam asking him to give some money for the construction expenses of the large Tehran prayer ground. The prayer ground is to be built on the site of the former Abbasabad barracks, and with the Imam's donation, an account will be opened to collect contributions from the people.

Early in the evening, the Imam's office had sent, for consultation, the text of Colonel [Muammar] Qaddafi, the leader of Libya's letter to the Imam and the Imam's prepared reply to him. Mr. Qaddafi had written to the Imam that there might be forces behind the suppression of the Tudeh members. He had asked him to investigate the matter personally. The Imam has given a good reply.

Tonight in the west [of the country], in Sardasht, we had an operation against the Iraqis and the counterrevolutionaries. It was successful; they have retaken the border heights and killed, wounded, and captured several people, and seized a number of light weapons as spoils.