Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – October 7, 1997

Until 8:30 in the morning, I read the memoirs of 1360 for a few days and got it ready to print. Dr. [Abdullah] Jasbi, [President of Islamic Azad University] came. He expressed concern about the weakening of the Islamic Azad University by the government and asked me to dedicate one day a week to the university as the chairman of the board of trustees and to get an office there and teach a lesson. He asked for permission to respond to the spraying of groups such as Tahakim Vahdat in their own way.

I had an interview with Iranian [newspaper] publications for the book of the year and some other publications. The brotherhood of Muhammad came. He brought some vitamin C and E. He wanted us to go to Lalon [village] one day. Fati and Mohsen came in the afternoon. They talked about current affairs and politics. In the evening, Mr. [Mohammed] Hoyda, the former ambassador to Belgium, came. He is tired of working in the cultural center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to inactivity and wants a more active job.

Mr. [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, the governor of Ardabil, came. He gave a report on the situation there and said that the country's minister has proposed Mr. [Syed Mahmoud] Mirlohi to the government instead. He said, [President] Mr. Khatami was not well received in Ardabil. Few people were in the streets and in the stadium, a small crowd came and we had to bring people from schools and offices to fill it and because people had installed limited placards, we had to make placards with different names by the municipality. He said, at the request of the Ministry of Interior, they gave untrue news. He criticized the lethargy and inexperience of the president's office.

[Mr. Gurban Ali Dari Najafabadi], Minister of Information came. In the case of Mr. [Ahmed] Azari Qomi, who recently wrote a letter to him and insulted the leadership and the Ministry of Information and said that the Ministry of Information imposes the authority of the leadership through intimidation, in the event that he is not an absolute mujtahid, and also consulted Ayatollah Montazeri about their documents in SAVAK and about his deputies. He expressed concern about the growth of forces opposing the system and the weakening of the leadership's influence and popularity, as well as the weakness of the government in taking effective measures, especially the weakness of the economic headquarters of the government and the beginning of stagnation in the country's economy, which will also bring inflation. In order to prevent these incidents, he asked for my help and criticized [Mr. Abdullah Nouri], the country's minister, for his linear performance and the elimination of his non-linear forces.