Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – June 3, 1999

At nine in the morning, we went to the International Conference Center for the opening ceremony of the program for foreign guests attending the anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s passing. Mr. [Abdolrasoul] Vesal, [head of the Foreign Committee for the Commemoration of Imam Khomeini], delivered the welcoming remarks and presented a report. I spoke about Imam Khomeini’s role in leading the Revolution and fulfilling the people’s longstanding demands and aspirations, including the establishment of Islamic governance and popular sovereignty, the rejection of despotism and colonialism, and the achievement of independence and self-sufficiency. Before the session, during a private gathering, there was criticism of the excessive number of conferences and the lengthy speeches delivered by officials, which were considered incompatible with modern methods of public communication.

I went to the Koushk office and attended to my work until the afternoon. In the afternoon, at home, I studied the book summarizing Shaykh [Morteza] Ansari’s discussions on Istishab (the presumption of continuity) and Ta'adul wa Tarajih (the balancing and preference of conflicting legal proofs). Mr. [Moslem] Gholipour Gilani wrote the book, making the material concise, accessible, and easier to understand in Persian. It is a good work. Studying it brought back memories of my earlier seminary lessons.

At night, I spent some time organizing my library. Mohsen came and told me that the Executives of Construction Party had invited him to join them as part of their new plan to expand the party. I told him not to accept for the time being. Effat was angry about remarks a woman had made concerning Fa'ezeh at their meeting that day, and the disagreement escalated into an argument.

Among today’s news, the acceptance by [Slobodan] Milošević, [the president of Yugoslavia], of the Group of Eight’s proposal concerning Kosovo was significant. What is remarkable is that this acceptance came after 72 days of NATO bombing and destruction in his country, and from a position of weakness and desperation. It is an example of the poor judgment of an arrogant and harsh leader. Further demands imposed by Western powers are likely to follow.