Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 19, 1997

The members of the [Economic Cooperation Organization] ECO, [South Asian Regional Cooperation Association] SAARC, [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] ASEAN and Forum came. Mr. [Hossein] Kazempour [Ardabili, Iran's representative in ECO] and Mr. [Onder] Ozar, Secretary General of ECO reported. Asian regional organizations are formed once a year in a country under the guidance of SCAP to exchange experiences. I also talked about Iran's successful experiences in the four topics they discussed, investment, transportation, poverty alleviation and manpower.

Mr. [Gholam Ali] Kiani, [CEO of the Defense Industries Organization] came and asked for help for the defense industries. Mr. Masih Mohajeri, [the editor-in-chief of Jumohri-e-Islami newspaper] came and expressed concern about the type of radio and television propaganda and confirmation of the leadership and the one-sided propaganda of the Friday imams attributed to the leadership. He is worried that it will cause the separation of the youth from the centrality of the system and he asked me for a cure and consulted me about continuing to work in the newspaper. I told him to stay. He praised my Friday prayer speech.

Mr. [Mohammed Ali] Keynejad, [Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution], came for the order of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. Asr Salmani came for correction. Dr. Habibi, [first vice president] came for the issues of the expediency council. They talked about the [presidential] elections. He thanked me for my talk in the Friday prayer.

Two of the office staff came and complained about the one-sided advertisements on the radio and television and said that if it were not for my Friday sermons, many people would be completely pessimistic. Mr. Nouri Qazi came. He gave a report on the malfunctioning of the executive headquarters of Farman Imam.