Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 15, 1997

Efat and his relatives left for Rafsanjan by car for the mourning [Muharram] ceremony in Ali Abad Sadat. I had a radio and television interview for the results of my trip to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Dr. [Mohammed Ali] Najafi, [Minister of Education] came. He brought a report on the deficiencies and needs of education. In addition, he informed that he had spoken in support of Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Khatami for a propaganda tape that was supposed to be aired on radio and television, but the leadership office told him that it would be better to take it back. They have answered that due to the size and abundance of available human resources, education and training cannot be compared to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the same time, they said, this is not an order, but an opinion.

Mr. [Mahdi] Karroubi, [Syed Mohammad Mousavi] Khoyiniha, [Gholamjassin] Karbaschi, [Mohsen] Nurbakhsh and [Mohammed Ali] Najafi came. They were very concerned about the leadership's statements in the meeting with the radio and television staff, regarding the elections and propaganda, as well as the interpretations of it and the actions taken by the imams of Friday, Basij, intelligence, IRGC, and radio and television based on them. Some suggested Mr. Khatami's resignation and some were against it. They said that Mr. Ray Shahri's situation is the same. I advised them not to leave and because the leadership's statements were not clear, I said that they can also interpret for their own benefit.

At the same time, they informed the leadership office that they had agreed to meet Mr. Karroubi and Mr. Khoyini. I said that they can get better information about leadership in this meeting. They were happy about this news and insist that I help to solve the problem. I completed the rest of the evening work and came home. At night, Fati, Yaser, Mahdi and the children were here.