Akbar Hashemi’s Memoirs – February 2, 2003

The explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia with seven crew members on board during its return. Mr. Navvab, head of the Clergy Relief Foundation, requested that I gain the Leader's approval for establishing a retirement system in the seminaries; he criticized the Leader's economic views, stating they cannot lead to the country's economic growth and development. Mostafa Pourmohammadi mentioned that he recently accepted responsibility for the political and social department at the Leader's Office, but due to an atmosphere of inactivity and sluggishness, no progress is being made and affairs move slowly; he specifically noted that certain individuals are causing ruin there through negativity, leftist tendencies, and poor taste.

Full Diary Text:

The Space Shuttle Columbia, which had traveled to the International Space Station two weeks ago with seven crew members, caught fire and exploded yesterday during its return at an altitude of 60 kilometers upon hitting the atmosphere; six Americans and one Israeli female colonel were killed, and its debris was scattered. In Israel, they observed public mourning for their first astronaut. An emergency status was declared in the crash zone, and it was announced that no one should touch the shuttle fragments as specific radiation might cause unknown diseases. Given the presence of an Israeli, rumors of sabotage were raised but denied. It was stated that thirty minutes before the explosion, the crew had been informed of a major defect emerging in the shuttle. All shuttle launch programs in the US were suspended until the cause of the explosion is discovered. Years ago, the Challenger shuttle [in 1986] met the same fate. Meanwhile, Russia sent an unmanned spacecraft to the station today.

Mr. [Seyyed Abulhasan] Navvab, head of the Clergy Relief Foundation [Center for Services of the Islamic Seminaries], came to visit. He provided a report on the assistance provided, including the payment of 65,000 Tomans to every cleric over the age of 65 who is poor, has no income, and does not receive a monthly stipend—which the government pays in connection with the Shahid Rajai plan. He requested that I gain the Leader's approval for establishing a retirement system in the [Islamic] seminaries and criticized the Leader's economic views, saying these views cannot result in the country's economic growth and development, and that the only way forward is the construction policies of your government. He insisted that I be ready to accept responsibility to save the country. He believes this is the only way, which I did not accept. He mentioned that his brother has started a farm in Jiroft but is facing difficulties.

Mr. Mostafa Pourmohammadi came. He said that he recently accepted the responsibility for the political and social department at the Leader's Office, but due to the atmosphere of inactivity and sluggishness at the office, no progress is being made and affairs move slowly; he specifically stated that certain individuals are the cause of ruin there with their negativity, leftist tendencies, and poor taste. He mentioned that he has been offered the management of the global television network "Al-Alam," which is under establishment, and consulted me about accepting it.

Mr. [Mohammad-Taqi] Amanpour [former Deputy Minister of Jihad-e Sazandegi and CEO of the Iranian Oil Equipment Manufacturing and Procurement Support Company] came and said that after the merger of the Ministry of Jihad [Sazandegi] and the Ministry of Agriculture, the important aquifer management project has practically been shut down. He provided a report on the equipment manufacturing program at the Oil Equipment Company.

Dr. [Mehdi] Akbarzadeh [Advisor to the Minister of Agricultural Jihad] came and reported success in producing a valuable product in the pesticide manufacturing program.

In the evening, Dr. [Mohammad-Mehdi] Mazaheri, the Vice President for Cultural Affairs at the Islamic Azad University, came. He reported on the establishment of the Society of Specialists and the Society of Professors at the Azad University and the reforms in the Cultural Vice-Presidency. Accompanying him was Dr. [Kazem] Jajarmie, a professor at the Sorbonne University in France; they said Western universities are interested in establishing scientific links with Iranians. They asked me to help with this connection. They criticized Messrs. Ehsan Naraghi and Ahmad Jalali at UNESCO. Professor Jajarmie mentioned that he came to Iran at the beginning of the Revolution but returned due to harassment from [Abulhasan] Banisadr and [Sadegh] Ghotbzadeh, then returned during the Construction Government and did successful work at the Azad University, but currently, problems have arisen for him and he has returned to France.