Ayatollah Khamenei’s Office for the Preservation and Publication of Works, in a long conversation with Mohammad Hossein Jafarian, writer, poet and critic of sacred defense literature, about the need to address issues related to sacred defense in poetry, reasons for neglecting it, and some other issues related to the recent meeting of religious poets. He has dealt with the supreme leader of the revolution. In a part of this conversation, Jafarian expressed a memory of the dimensions of the cultural and artistic personality of the supreme leader of the revolution, which is as follows:
I was present in many meetings with the leader of the revolution and I had a private meeting with him which was detailed and lasted for almost an hour and a half and many words were exchanged.
The last time was in Ramadan last year. After breaking the fast, we came to the yard with Mr. Shahram Shakiba and other friends. The leader of the revolution also entered the courtyard. When they reached us, they asked about my condition and contacted Mr. Mohammad Kazem Kazemi (Afghan poet). Then they took my hand and took me a few steps with them and on the way they asked where is Mr. Kazemi? I said that they are Mashhad; Did they say they came to this meeting? I said I don’t know and I didn’t see them. They contacted a few other Afghan friends and then they contacted me about a novel and said that an Afghan living in Norway had recently published it, which made a lot of noise in the world.
Because of my job, I lived in Afghanistan for many years and I follow Afghanistan issues very closely. I immediately said that you probably mean the novel “The Kite Runner” by Mr. Khaled Hosseini? They said no, I read that book. Then I said that maybe you are saying “from the land of the sun” which has also made a lot of noise? Then the man said no! The name of that novel is “From the Land of the Shining Sun”. I also read that novel. They said that another author wrote that book, which is very thick and detailed, and Mr. Kazemi also edited it. I said it is strange; If so, I definitely have it in mind. After that, I asked them, do you not remember the author’s name, which they did not remember.
Then, following the private meeting that I was at their service and the points that they said in that meeting to be followed up, I asked them to set another time so that I can come to their service again and provide explanations. Hazrat Agha said: “Mr. Jafarian! I am very busy. If it is possible and there is free time, I say that they should make time to see you.” I myself was impressed for a moment that Hazrat Agha should answer to Jafarian as well! Tears welled up in my eyes, then I kissed their shoulder, as a sign that my mouth was closed. I said that there is no problem Haj Agha. All of that was done, it was just an excuse to see you. No need at all, relax.
When the meeting was over, I called Mr. Kazemi and said, “What is this novel that was recently published and edited by you?” He said how did you know? I said, sir, they told me. He said this novel has not been distributed yet! There is a novel by Dr. Akram Othman, a great Afghan writer who lives in Norway, and it is about three thousand pages, and I edited it, but this book has not been distributed in Iran yet. I said that they said that I read that book, and Mr. Kazemi was very surprised
