Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – October 8, 1997

After the morning prayer, we went to the mountain. I went by car to Jihad Forestry Area, then we walked for an hour and a half at a steep altitude. We reached a spring called "Port Spring" which belongs to the private sector and pipes its water to a farm. The guards had prepared breakfast by the spring. While having breakfast, they explained about the condition of their home; Almost all of them - except three or four new ones - have bought a house. Cheap land in a good place and the metro company has built it for them with the method of participation and low cost.

Most of the heights of that region have been occupied by the army with barbed wire. After breakfast, we continued the route to Alborz ridge, which overlooks the Fasham valley from the other side. We reached an area where the army is building military buildings. "Forest". The executive engineer explained the project. A lot of work has been done to raise the road to that height and they are taking building materials. From there, we returned by car and went to Sohank village. We arrived home at half past eight in the morning.

Then we went to the office. Mr. [Ezzatullah] Nouri, the representative of Qorweh, came. He brought a petition from the residents who wanted to keep the Friday imam. He explained that Imam Juma welcomed Mr. [Mohammed Mohammadi] Ray Shahri and Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Khatami during the elections, and with the pressure of [Mr. Mohammad Reza Rahimi], the former governor of [Kurdistan], they ordered his removal and installed another Imam of Juma from their own line.

Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi, [Secretary of the Assembly of Militant Clergymen], came as a visitor and spoke at length about the harms of the confrontations that are being done to the Tehran Municipality and requested me to end the commotion and silence the propaganda related to windfall wealth.

Dr. [Mohsen] Nurbakhsh, [CEO of Central Bank] came. He reported that the currency is in good condition and all the debts will be paid by next year. We have good reserves and sufficient lines of credit, and with the acceptance of export deposits in the stock exchange, the smuggled currency has also decreased and calmed down, but the construction and investment situation in the last two or three months, due to the issue of windfall wealth by the leadership, has decreased sharply and people have withdrawn a significant part of their money from banks. He wanted me to talk to the leadership to calm this situation that has weakened the economy; He himself gave the same report to the leader.

In the evening Mr. [Mohsen] Rezaei, [Secretary of the Expediency Council], came for the program of the meeting. We went to Vahdat Hall for the ceremony of awarding prizes for distinguished books related to holy defense. Engineer [Mehdi] Chamran, [the head of the Foundation for Preservation of Sacred Defense Artifacts and Values] reported and I gave the awards. Then I spoke to encourage writing and explaining the history of the holy defense. After the Maghrib prayer, we watched the play Madinah Ghadir. It was about the martyrdom of Hazrat Zahra; not bad Mr. [Yahi] Rahim Safavi was also the new commander of the IRGC and he told about his disagreement with Mr. [Mohsen] Rezaei. He is worried that he will interfere in the IRGC through his associates.

I came home Chastity had gone to see the exhibition; He is satisfied with the progress of industries. He said, they announced his presence from the loudspeakers and said welcome.