Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 23, 1999

[Mr. Philippe de Sourmain], the French ambassador, came to see me. Our discussion focused mainly on expanding cooperation, the situation in the Balkans, and criticism of NATO for bypassing the United Nations and prolonging the displacement of Muslims.

Mrs. [Maryam] Behrouzi, [Secretary-General of the Zeynab Society], came and reported that allied groups had held a meeting and unanimously concluded that they should ask me to return to the political arena, both in parliament and in the executive branch. I told her that I remained committed to my policy of staying out of politics. I criticized the way certain right-wing factions had treated Fa'ezeh and said that they had suffered considerable losses as a result. In the end, she would not give up insisting that we attract centrist forces and prevent them from joining the left.

[Mr. Ghadimi], Deputy for Planning and Programs at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, presented the results of a research project using a computer and requested cooperation with the Center for Strategic Research [of the Expediency Discernment Council]. In the afternoon, a group of members of the scientific committee organizing the commemoration of Imam Khomeini’s passing came and asked me to give a series of interviews addressing questions and doubts that had recently arisen about the Revolution and the Imam.

Mr. [Gholamhossein] Rahbarpour, head of the Revolutionary Court, came to see me. He appeared embarrassed and was unable to justify the inappropriate treatment of Zan newspaper and Fa'ezeh. He then expressed concern about the state of the press and universities and asked me to speak out more in defense of the values of the Revolution and the Supreme Leader. He voiced concern over reports that the presidency of the Judiciary was to be transferred to Mr. Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi [Shahroudi], saying that this would have negative consequences for both the Judiciary and the Supreme Leader personally. He suggested that I accept the position, but I refused. He said he had proposed to Western countries that they consider developing a substance that could be used to destroy opium poppy fields.

Today, events were held in many places to mark the Second of Khordad [May 23, commemorating the second anniversary of the reformists’ victory in the 1997 presidential election]. Clashes broke out in some locations, and Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami, speaking at Azadi Stadium, took a position that appeared to accommodate both sides without fully committing to either.

Fa'ezeh had also traveled to Semnan to speak at a commemorative event. In Tehran’s Laleh Park, clashes broke out between students and the police, who prevented them from holding a march that was supposed to proceed from Enghelab Square to Azadi Stadium. The students called it “From Revolution to Freedom,” a slogan that could carry undesirable connotations and had attracted the attention of the head of the Revolutionary Court. [Mr. Rahbarpour] was also carrying several leaflets criticizing the Supreme Leader.