Memories of Akbar Hashemi - May 19, 2002

I spoke about the necessity of taking moderate and independent positions with the aim of truth-seeking and avoiding partisan and sectional stances in the jihad of academia and opinion polling.

Complete text of the daily report:

A group of directors of the University Jihad came along with the staff of the newly established ISPA Opinion Poll Center. Mr. [Ali] Montazer Moghaddam, [the head of the University Jihad], gave a report and I gave a speech on the necessity of adopting moderate and independent positions with the aim of finding the truth and away from factional and sectoral positions in the [University] Jihad and opinion polling.  Mr. Montazeri Moghaddam, in private negotiations, complained about the lack of sufficient support from the government for Jihad and said that the construction period was a good opportunity for the growth of Academic Jihad. He was also upset with the judiciary for his treatment of his brother [Hadi Montazeri Moghaddam], who was the head of the Revolutionary Court of Karaj and had been sentenced to prison.  

Mr. [Seyed Hassan] Sh jaei Kiasari, the former representative of Sari, came. He had suggestions for declaring positions to strengthen villages and said that Mr. [Ghorbanali] Dorrie [Najaf Abadi, president of the Administrative Justice Court] does not use his legal right to implement the rulings of the court. In the evening, Mr. Masoud Karbasian, the head of Customs, came. He thanked me for my support of the important South Pars gas projects with his visit to the region and complained about the lack of government support, proposing measures to reduce smuggling by allowing imports.

The parliament granted permission to establish a court for the trial of international criminals in Iran to counter the actions of America and Belgium.

In Israel, during a suicide operation in Netanya, three Israelis have been killed and 47 others injured. In Gaza, several Israeli soldiers have also fallen.

East Timor, after being a colony for hundreds of years, being part of Indonesia for 24 years, and under the administration of the United Nations for 33 years, became independent today, and in the presence of Kofi Annan, [the Secretary-General of the United Nations], the flag of East Timor was raised in place of the United Nations flag.

In Pakistan, the American military base in Miran Shah was hit by missiles for the third time in a week. In America, the FBI has warned that a major terrorist operation may take place in the United States. Political observers interpret this action as an attempt to create panic and to reduce the pressure resulting from the exposure of the White House's inaction during the September 11 attacks. The killing of Riyaz Basra, the Indian astronomer who was a leader of the extremist Wahhabi terrorist group and commander of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (a Pakistani militant group), has pleased Indians and Shia Muslims; he was the killer of many Shia in Pakistan.