Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 30, 2003

Mr. Abdul Halim Khaddam, First Vice President of Syria, came. Most of the discussion was about Iraq. He is concerned about Iraq becoming federalized and about drafting the constitution under the current circumstances, and is dissatisfied that the Arab countries have not opposed the Governing Council. The Syrians feel they are suffering losses on these issues; especially if the Shiite majority gets its rights, which would mean Shiite rule in Iraq, and this is something most Arab countries do not want. We agree on the non-continuation of the American presence in Iraq. He proposed holding a congress of all Iraqi political currents, religions, and ethnic groups for national unity against America.

Mr. Ali-Akbari, who claims to cure diseases by sending energy, came. He has prepared a voluminous booklet containing endorsements from well-known scientific and religious figures, doctors, experts, and people who, after seeing the effect of his treatment on their illnesses, have endorsed him and taken photographs with him. While examining and sending energy, he said that he can diagnose illness from a distance as well and cure the disease by sending energy to a point in the brain that has been built into human creation to issue the command for healing. He is in Iran two months a year, and people visit him by paying him three thousand tomans for a consultation, and he claims to cure them completely, and he also works for several months in America and Switzerland. Regarding me, he mentioned some points, some of which are correct; if he had not obtained the information from elsewhere. Regarding Effat, he mentioned her throat and larynx discomfort and cough, and then treated me, Effat, and Fati. He said he should come for three sessions. Regarding me, he mentioned slight discomfort in the knee, teeth, and eyes, but said nothing about cataracts.

He says that before the Revolution he was the muezzin of Jozestan Mosque and that he first realized his powers after defeating a large snake that was attacking people. Coincidentally, before meeting him, Dr. [Hadi] Manafi, [former Minister of Health], came and said that this person is a charlatan. Doctors oppose him, but with the endorsements he has from a number of physicians and a court ruling, the matter has become complicated.

In the afternoon, [Messrs. Mohammad Vali-Pour, Abdolhossein Naseri, Seyyed Najib Hosseini, Gholamali Kouhsari, Naghdali Gol-Cheshmeh, Alireza Ebrahimi, and Sobhan Hosseini], representatives of Golestan Province, came. They expressed their appreciation for my services to the region during my presidency and sought assistance in resolving the cotton growers' problems, constructing a nationwide water canal from Astara to Gonbad, and bringing industries to the province. They also proposed that I accept the candidacy in the presidential election, which I declined.

At night I was the Leader's guest. We discussed the nuclear issues. It was decided that, under certain conditions, we would accept signing the Additional Protocol, but its implementation would be subject to the legal process, and we would not accept suspending enrichment under any circumstances. [It was decided] to act through the Europeans and prepare ourselves for problems in the event of no agreement, and to prevent the Atomic Energy Organization from delaying completion of the work. We should pay more attention to the military forces. We discussed moving Friday prayers to the Tehran prayer grounds and the parliamentary elections. During his trip to Mazandaran, he suffered severe back pain and left his programs unfinished and returned to Tehran. We discussed the issues of Iraq, the misconduct of the extremist Second of Khordad faction, and cooperation with the opposition.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, the Americans suffered casualties today, and by exposing a personal intelligence agent by the White House, they have created a new problem for him.