Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – March 30, 1997

[Mr. Yahya Al-Ishaq], Minister of Commerce, came to congratulate Eid and report on the good distribution situation during Eid. Then Mr. [Ali] Shamkhani, [Navy Commander] came and asked me to participate in the ceremony that they are taking to introduce Iran's naval power in the shadow of the construction of the era of my responsibility, and he insisted on kissing my hand, which I refused to protect the character of the commanders. He said that he made a vow in Ahvaz and it is strange that Mr. Al-Ishaq insisted on the same and said that he has not kissed anyone's hand so far. Mr. Shamkhani asked me not to pay attention to the army; Although they have performed badly in the parliamentary elections.

Mr. [Mortaza] Alweiri, [the head of the Free Trade Zones Organization] came. He asked for the solution of the cultural and administrative problems of the free zones and to remove the disturbances and announced the success of the plan to produce crystals and advanced pipes in Qeshm and complained about the IRGC's disturbances.

Mr. [Abbas Ali] Vakili, [head of the headquarters for handling the affairs of freedmen] came and asked for the establishment of economic institutions for freedmen. Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Asghari came. He complained about the lack of proper responsibility and expressed concern about the possibility of interfering in the elections as it happened in the Majlis elections, and also complained about the interference of the IRGC and others in Hamedan against the governor.

Mr. [Sidhadi] Khosrowshahi came. He complained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not refer him to important work and asked to become the ambassador to Turkey, London or Egypt and said that Oxford University has invited him to teach. He brought some Turkish and Arabic newspapers that had written about me. He asked me to tell the Ministry of Guidance to print the books he wrote about Seyyed Jamaluddin Asadabadi. In the evening, in the meeting of the government board, we had some resolutions.