Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - December 25, 2002

The head of Mr. Karroubi's office stated that the extremist actions of both factions and pointless disputes have caused many problems for the country; he asked me to prevent the elimination of the Reform movement and, as in the past, act as an agent of moderation to bring the two currents closer.

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan expressed gratitude for my assistance to Azerbaijan during the early years of [their] independence.

Full Text of the Daily Journal:

Mr. [Alireza] Safarian, the head of Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi’s [Speaker of the Parliament] office, came. He said that the extremist actions of both factions and pointless disputes have caused many problems for the country, and gradually, students are distancing themselves from the moderate "Second of Khordad" members. He noted that even someone like himself, who is among the veterans of the Office for Strengthening Unity (Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat), would be jeered if he went among them, and that the people's problems are increasing daily. He asked me to prevent the elimination of the Reform movement and, as in the past, act as an agent of moderation to bring the two currents closer together. I told him that regarding the possibility of elimination, they are likely documenting the statements of Kayhan [newspaper] and Mr. [Mohammad-Reza] Faker, but it is unlikely those remarks were made with official knowledge; it is a bluff, and they should not worry—unless they themselves pave the way with actions like "exiting the government" (khoruj az hakemiyat), which would make their situation more difficult.

Mr. [Gol-Mohammad] Salehi, the representative for Lordegan, came. He thanked me for my trip to the region and the action I took to solve the area's water problem; the Ministry of Energy had previously barred the local people from withdrawing water because of the water quota allocated to Rafsanjan, but at my request, that ban was lifted, and they can now take as much as they want. He also thanked our [son] Mehdi for the [Fuel Conservation Organization] bringing CNG gas to the region and covering 30 villages. He mentioned that the idea is common in Parliament that God has punished and taken revenge on all those who treated Mr. Hashemi poorly, without him having to take any action himself. He requested assistance for establishing an Islamic Azad University branch in Lordegan.

[Mr. Ali Hasanov], the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, came. He thanked me for my assistance to Azerbaijan during the early years of independence, especially for the help provided to save thousands of Azeri people and soldiers besieged by Armenians, providing camps for them, and the aid from the Iranian Red Crescent and later the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. He said his own parents and relatives were among those besieged and were saved, entering Iran via the Khoda-Afarin Bridge before returning to Azerbaijan with respect. He mentioned that the Relief Committee is currently helping Azeri refugees and the needy in 19 cities. I spoke about the necessity of greater cooperation between the two Shia countries and noted that to reclaim their occupied lands from the Armenians, they must strengthen their military capabilities alongside political efforts.

In the afternoon, I spoke with Messrs. [Mohammad] Yazdi, [Ahmad] Jannati, [Mohammad] Emami-Kashani [temporary Friday Prayer leaders of Tehran], and [Javad] Maghsoudi [head of the Friday Prayer headquarters] regarding the location for Tehran's Friday Prayers. Mr. Maghsoudi explained the problems caused by cold, heat, and rain for the people at the [grass field of] Tehran University, which has led to a decrease in worshippers; he asked for help in moving to the Tehran Musalla and making the sermons more attractive.

The trial of Mr. [Abbas] Abdi [board member of the Ayandeh polling institute] was held today; he confessed to mistakes and promised to make amends, the most significant being the providing of sensitive information to foreigners.