This meeting is of great liveliness and attraction, and one can see the manifestations of youth being displayed at this gathering.
The dear youngsters talked about the parched land, desert environment and dry climate of this region, but when I notice this group of young people with such pure feelings, pleasant words and flourishing thoughts, green meadows, an invigorating climate and bright prospects unroll before my eyes in this province.
The first time that I met the youngsters of this province, I was almost your age. I was 24. This goes back to nearly 40 years ago. At that time, what brought me here to Zahedan, the provincial capital, was a sense of responsibility. In those days Zahedan was a really backward region.
Later, when I was exiled to this province, my previous familiarity with the local inhabitants helped me establish cordial relations with the young people. The best of these young people were martyred. Martyr Karimpur was from Zahedan. He had the kind of zeal and fervor that was displayed by the youngsters speaking at this meeting today. And Martyr Atashdast was from Iranshahr.
What you said about youth and young people has long been my belief. The need to eliminate deprivation that you pointed out has always been of great concern to me. And I have often warned of the various threats to our cultural and moral values that you feel worried about.
It is important that you have a sense of responsibility. This means that besides matters that are related to your personal life, you should also feel committed and responsible towards the issues that concern the whole nation or even the whole humanity. No individual or nation would be able to reach the peak of prosperity without having this sense of responsibility and commitment.
Fortunately, the Iranian youth are vigilant, sensitive, well informed and always on the scene. In particular, the political understanding and political demands of the Iranian youngsters, including both boys and girls, are unique. This is why we have made great achievements, but for the same reason we are also the target of certain threats.
Today, the Zionist-run corporations and conglomerates and the expansionist powers are coveting the natural resources and national wealth of various countries, especially those countries that are mostly underdeveloped. However, the main obstacle to their expansionist goals is the will and resistance of the nations possessing those natural resources.
The most effective way for these powers to paralyze those nations is to paralyze their youngsters, since the youth are the active force of any nation. And the most effective way to paralyze those youngsters is to plunge them into moral corruption and defile and corrupt their minds through sensual pleasures, carnal desires, promiscuity, drunkenness and addiction to narcotics.
The same policy is also being carried out by the Zionist circles in the Western countries in order to prevent the young people from causing any trouble for the Zionists, namely to prevent them from voicing objections to the immense influence of the Zionists in their countries. In the United States, in particular, the Zionists wield immense influence in political, economic and cultural spheres.
The enemies have presently targeted the determination, religious faith and moral values of the Iranian people, especially our youngsters. Last year, one of the high-ranking officials of the occupier Zionist regime told the U.S. officials that if they intend to dominate the Middle East, they should not waste their time on countries like Iraq, but that instead they should focus on Iran!
However, in his advice, which was covered by the foreign press, he warned the U.S. officials that Iran is not like Iraq, North Korea or Afghanistan, and that it cannot be occupied through military aggression, since the Islamic system in Iran relies on the Iranian people and is safeguarded by the people.
Thus, he suggested that the United States should try to make the Iranian people give up their support for the Islamic system by promoting the Western culture and American values in the Iranian society, which he said would make the people lose their interest in their own culture, religion and traditions.
He said that after a few years when the Iranian people have turned their back on their religion and culture, the United States would be able to remove this major obstacle and overthrow the Islamic system only through a limited military operation!
Earlier, when different towns and villages in Afghanistan were being bombed by the U.S. planes and innocent Afghan people were being killed in the U.S. bombings, an American military strategist had suggested that if the United States, instead of firing missiles at the Afghan cities, distributed women's underwear, Western clothes and pornographic compact disks among the Afghan youth, it would be able to capture Afghanistan without any military spending!
Today, the policy on Iran is the same policy that was carried out with respect to Andalusia. Once Muslims established an Islamic country in southern Europe, in the region that is present-day Spain. This country, which extended as far as southern France, became the cradle of civilization.
The fact is that science in Europe originated from the civilization in Andalusia. This is what the Westerners have acknowledged themselves, although some of them are now trying to remove this page from the history of science!
When Europeans decided to retake Andalusia, they formulated a long-term policy. They began to corrupt Muslim youngsters. One of the measures that they took to achieve this aim was to bequeath vineyards so that the wine produced from them would be distributed to the youth free! They also encouraged youngsters to indulge in sensual pleasures and give free rein to their carnal desires!
The passage of time will not change such policies on corrupting nations, and the enemies are following the same policies even today. But they are also pursuing certain economic, cultural and political objectives.
Today, the United States is aiming to wage war on Iraq in order to control its oilfields, influence OPEC and ultimately dominate the Middle East oil and economy.
Besides, the enemies hold a grudge against Islamic ideology, since it has challenged the ideology of the Western schools of thought and impugned liberal democracy, which is the hoisted banner of the West.
Islamic ideology infuses Muslim nations with courage, energy and the will to defend and maintain their independence. This phenomenon has been quite evident in one of the most important and strategic parts of the world, which is rich in oil and other mineral resources. This is why Islam is today the target of plots and hostility of the arrogant powers.
I would like to ask the youth to embark on a real jihad and struggle. Jihad does not only mean fighting an enemy in the battlefield. Indeed, making endeavors in the arena of science and research and promoting moral and cultural values in society are also different kinds of jihad in the way of Allah.
Almighty Allah says in the holy Qur'an: "Mohammad is the Apostle of Allah, and those with him are firm of heart against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves..." (48:29)
In another verse of the holy Qur'an, Almighty Allah tells Muslims: "Allah only forbids you from making friends with those who made war upon you on account of (your) religion and drove you away from your homes..." (60:9)
Thus, it becomes clear from the above verses that Muslims should adopt a tough stance against those who are opposed to their religion, culture, traditions and values, and who are taking hostile measures to undermine the Muslim nations' dignity, independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
My dear youngsters! Another point that you should be aware of is that those who seek to foment discord between the Shias and the Sunnis and set them against one another are opposed to Islam as a whole. I have often stressed the significance of harmony and concord between the Shias and the Sunnis at different gatherings in this city.
The enemies' plots are aimed at pitting the followers of these two Islamic schools of thought against one another. This is why I have often told the venerable Shia and Sunni clerics to beware of these plots and try to foil them by strengthening their unity and solidarity. Muslim brethren should be compassionate and kind to one another.
I pray to Almighty Allah to bestow His grace and guidance on our dear young people, to assist our government officials in performing their heavy duties and to increase His favor on the Iranian nation.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings