The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 21, 2007 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with basiji students.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
These precious meetings and you dear youth are one of the best blessings that Allah the Exalted has bestowed on me. Basiji students - the alive, active and vigilant forces, who are in fact well-prepared and committed soldiers of Islam and the Revolution - are a source of honor and blessings for any government official, actually for any person cares about the destiny of this country.
The brothers and sisters who spoke in this meeting made certain points. If there had been enough time, I would have preferred to listen to your comments and opinions for one more hour. However, even the few comments that you dear people made in this meeting have made me very happy. In the statements which were made by you dear basijis, what I clearly noticed was exactly what I have always wished for, what I have always prayed for, what I have always focused my efforts on: the existence of a clear and transparent frame of mind, a good understanding of the issues of the country and the world, the importance of Basij and the importance of the presence of our youth in scientific and political areas. In the statements of the dear people who spoke in this meeting, I noticed the perspectives that I have always tried to highlight to our faithful and revolutionary youth. I am confident that if more people had spoken in this meeting, this belief and this feeling would have been strengthened.
First of all, I would like to briefly mention some of the points that the brothers and sisters raised in this meeting. Then I will present a summary of the issues relating to Basij, Student Basij and general issues of the country.
First of all, I become happy when a basiji youth decides to come forward and say, "It is very good if the government solves the problems of students, which are easy to solve," or when he or she protests, "Scholarly work by Basij is not supported the way it should be." Such things make me happy. This is the exactly the expectation that I have of Basij. Basij is composed of caring people who believe that the country belongs to them and that the future depends on their efforts. They are concerned because they believe the country belongs to them. If a window breaks in a house, the guests and bystanders in the house may not care much, but as far as the owner of the house is concerned, this is a cause for concern and it does not matter which window has been broken. After all, the house belongs to him. I appreciate this sense of concern among you basiji youth.
Certain points were raised regarding the issue of whether or not to get involved in politics. Now I would like to make a few points in this regard and I hope that I will be able to clarify the issue. I believe there is no need to ask a question in this regard! Can basijis - revolutionary basijis and students - afford to remain indifferent to political issues of the country? Is it possible for them not to have any positions and opinions regarding political matters? Are such things possible? I advise you basiji students to avoid being conservative and to preserve the positive and dynamic features that truly characterize you as basijis and students. Of course, I would add that you should both avoid being conservative and remain vigilant at the same time. You should remain completely vigilant. You say in your slogans that students are vigilant. This is exact what is expected of you. I advise you to remain vigilant. Being vigilant does not just mean that students should hate America. What is America? Is America conceived as a geographic area or as a nation? Is America conceived as an abstract political, security and cultural entity? Is America conceived as a system that enjoys a massive source of financial support and massive experience in propaganda campaigns and psychological warfare? Hating such a system requires increased vigilance. This vigilance is not like vigilance in the battlefield. It is not like staying alert in the stronghold so that you can shoot the enemy as soon as he makes the slightest move against you.
It is not possible to see the enemy appropriately in a cultural, political or security war. Sometimes the enemy makes arrangements for certain people to adopt a righteous position. The enemy does not support truth and justice, so why does he want certain people to adopt a righteous position? This is because the enemy wants to complete his own puzzle. His puzzle consists of a couple of hundred pieces and the righteous position that a particular person is encouraged to adopt is just one piece of the puzzle. In such cases, it is necessary to avoid adopting the righteous positions that the enemy wants. It is wrong to complete the enemy's puzzle. This is the level of vigilance that is needed. Yes, you should enter into politics and think about political matters, but you should also remain extremely vigilant. The enemy should not be able to make use of any of your moves, comments and positions. This is the first principle and a red line.
How do we identify the enemy? How do we discover his tendencies? How do we know whether a specific action benefits or harms the enemy? This is the essential point. This is where it is absolutely necessary to be completely determined and vigilant and to avoid negligence. If you realize that there is confusion in an area, you should not enter that area. If you see that you have a firm foothold, take action. If you see that things are suspicious, refrain from action. Therefore, be vigilant but avoid being conservative at the same time. This is the political path that you should follow. Of course, it is difficult. It is not easy. But you are the people of hard work. You are basijis and you should undertake this difficult task.
It is possible that another academic organization might not have the capacity to even listen to this, but as basijis, you should have this capacity and you should undertake this work. This shows how different you are. The points which were made by the dear student from the city of Tabriz were very good and to the point. Such things - being clear and concise and adopting a view that rises above political and partisan matters - are exactly what I expect from our basiji students.
The jihad-orientated student trips are a very good initiative and they are one of the ways in which students can help the government. I will make a few points in this regard later on. Asking whether or not Basij should enter the arena of science, is one of those questions that surprise me. Why not? Basij should enter the arena of science before anybody else does. You should try and conquer the arenas of science and technology. You should conquer the arenas of scientific innovations and the scientific horizons which are known to mankind. Of course, it is not possible to do this without studying and working hard. And there are certain ways forward. I will speak about this issue later on.
Now I would like to briefly explain a point which was also mentioned by some of the dear people who spoke in this meeting. Basij is a two-dimensional organization: it is connected to both academic environments and to the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. What is the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps? Is it just a military organization? No, the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps is the symbol of revolutionary and courageous resistance. Never forget this. Do not think that the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps is just a military organization. Therefore, people cannot detach themselves from the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps by arguing, "The Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps is a military organization and we are not members of the military." No, the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps is beyond a military organization.
The Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps is an organization for resistance and selfless struggle. It is an organization that aims to achieve the same goals for which you are studying in our universities. It grew in the fertile ground that the Islamic Revolution provided, in the arena of selfless struggle. This is the essence of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. Of course, nobody would have believed that the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps would make such unprecedented and extraordinary progress. Many of the main elements of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps were young people like you. They were as old as you are and some of them were even younger than you. Once they found out that the enemy had attacked our country, they stopped thinking about their studies, their examinations, their classes, their teachers, their homes and their comfort and they went to the battlefield. "So of them is he who accomplished his vow, and of them is he who yet waits." [The Holy Quran, 33: 23] Some of them were martyred. Some others were wounded. Yet others returned from the battlefields unharmed. This is the nature of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. Of course, I am not claiming that anybody who went to the battlefield and put on the uniform of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps, is an angel. No, even an angel can turn into Satan. If human beings are not cautious, they might fall even when they have reached the position of angels. This is human nature. Some people failed to maintain the position they had achieved, but they are not the ones who determine the identity of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. The identity of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps is what I explained earlier. Of course, in spite of this unified identity, members of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps are at different levels.
Therefore, on the one hand, you are connected to university, student environments, studying, knowledge, scholarly debates and research and on the other hand, you are attached to the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. This is a special characteristic. Considering these two dimensions, are you members of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps or are you students? This is an important question. The answer is that you are not members of the military - you are members of a student organization, but a student organization that depends on a reliable source of support, on the symbol of resistance I explained earlier. Of course, this source of support does not limit basiji students. It does not put shackles on them. It does not restrict their scientific work. It does not make them members of the military. However, being connected to the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps gives them jihad-like experience and the discipline that results from this experience. This benefits student organizations. You benefit from the advantages and at the same time, you do not become members of the military.
Of course, I would not hesitate to add that being a member of the military is not at all a weakness. It is a source of honor, but you do not have this honor in academic environments. This honor is particular to military environments. Yes, a basiji student might even take part in war games or do other such things and achieve certain military accomplishments. Nothing is wrong with this, but the structure of Student Basij is not military in nature. Student Basij is a student organization and has the same characteristics that a student organization enjoys. Therefore, this is my advice to you: stay students and feel proud of your connection to the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. You are not members of the military. It is an honor to be a member of the military, and this is not just any military organization: we are speaking about the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. Being a member of the military is a source of honor, but nobody is forced to join the military.
What is the difference between this organization and other organizations? After all, there are revolutionary, pious and caring organizations other than Basij. The difference between this organization and those other organizations is that Basij - as individual basijis or as a group - is prepared to fulfill the needs of the Revolution at any time, regardless of what the needs are. This is the nature of Basij. Such an organization has been formed and you have joined it. If there are other people in other organizations who enjoy the same feelings as you do, then they are also basijis and the only difference is that they are official members of your organization. For example, in the workplace, anybody who enjoys these feelings is a basiji. In the clerical settings and in Islamic seminaries, anybody who enjoys these feelings is a basiji. In the marketplace, in office environments, in rural settings, anybody who enjoys these feelings is a basiji. Being prepared to help whenever and wherever one is needed: this is the feeling that defines Basij.
I would say that being a basiji is a source of honor for myself. I have always tried to act like a basiji. When I was President, during the last year of my term - two, three months before my term came to an end - I delivered a speech in a university in a meeting with a group of students and I answered their questions. One of the questions that they asked was, "What are you planning to do after your term ends? What career are you going to pursue?" I said, "If Imam Khomeini tells me to go and become the head of a politico-ideological organization at a checkpoint near the border in the far southeastern part of the country, I will proudly go and serve the country there. If I am capable of carrying out such a responsibility, I am prepared to go and render services there." I am saying this because I consider you my own children. This is just a father-child talk, otherwise I do not want to speak about myself. You should be present whenever and wherever you are needed. This is basiji spirit. This is what defines Basij. Of course, some people are purely basiji and some others people are basijis only to a certain extent. Our country and our government need this and fortunately there is no shortage in this regard. This is the secret behind our resistance. This is the secret behind our hope in the future. There are no blind spots in the landscape that lies in front of us. Why? The reason is what I explained.
Today we have established a system that has introduced innovations in the complex world of politics and economics. They do not let this truth reveal itself in an appropriate way. The Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic have introduced controversial and significant innovations. I have repeatedly said that after going through numerous challenges and transformations, the world of politics has turned into a world of domination. That is to say, politics divided the world into those who dominate and those who are dominated. There are a few countries that dominate the rest of the world. And in the countries that dominate the world, the majority of the people are dominated and there are only a limited number of people in those countries that dominate the world and their own people. That is to say, the political pyramid of the world has a vast base that leads to a tiny peak at an extremely sharp angle. And it is those who are at the peak who rule the world. This is the world of domination. After the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the world of domination became even more exclusive in scope. In one way or another, the peak of the pyramid has been monopolized by one government and one superpower, namely America. And America is not satisfied with the present conditions. Even after Russia backed down, America did not become satisfied and it is constantly spreading its domination. Take the case of the missile system that is supposed to be installed in Europe. This is one of the things that America is doing to spread its domination. Another example is the presence of America in Caucasus. There was a day when Caucasus was Russia's backyard. America is besieging Russia as well.
In this world of domination, even European governments that are among powerful governments in the world do not dare stand up against the power of America and they only grumble sometimes. Even powerful European governments do not dare stand up against America, let alone ordinary and weak governments. However, in this world of domination, there is a nation that is questioning all the basic principles of that powerful peak. All the basic political principles of that powerful peak have been questioned. Being questioned is not in itself something bad, but it creates a problem for America: this political dispute is being watched by a massive number of people. Who are the people who are watching? The people of the world: they are watching and they see what is happening. As far as the arrogant power of America is concerned, the effect that this will have on the spirit of nations is worse than any poison. Today America is the most hated government among the people of the countries whose governments are dominated by America - in Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. And this is not just a coincidence.
Try to appreciate the value of your martyrs. Try to appreciate the value of that resistance. Try to appreciate the value of that resistance by Imam Khomeini (r.a.), which was more solid than steel. These are the things that affect the people of Palestine, the people of Lebanon, the people of Latin American countries, the people of southern Africa, the people of Middle Eastern countries and the people of Arab countries - whose governments are dependent on America - in one way or another. The important point is that Iranian youth should know Iran's position in this camp. A great war is going on in the world. This war is not fought with canons and guns. It is a battle of wills and policies. What is the position of Iran in this war? Iran is at the headquarters of a front whose soldiers are the people of different countries. When the President of Iran travels to Indonesia, the people shout slogans in his support during Friday prayers, in universities and in his meetings with university professors. If he had been allowed to walk in the streets of Indonesia, ordinary citizens would have also shouted slogans in his support. We should not treat this issue lightly. These are important points.
When I was President, I made a trip to Pakistan. There was a demonstration in Pakistan and for this reason, President Reagan - who was supposed to visit Pakistan after me - cancelled his trip. They realized that it would be a disgrace for him. This was because they realized that if he travelled to Pakistan, the people of Pakistan would not welcome him the way they welcomed the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Currently whenever the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran travels to an eastern country - whether it is an Islamic or non-Islamic country - the people of that country respond to the news of our President's trip with enthusiasm and they express their love and support for him. And whenever they are told that the US President wants to travel to their country, they set his photos on fire and tear up the US flag in the streets. This is how the situation is. This is how the battle of wills and policies is currently fought in the world. This is the way the forces have been arranged.
The headquarters of this side of the battle is Iran, hezbollahi Iran that is determined and hardworking, but lacks the resources that the opposing camp enjoys. This is because from a hundred years ago, treacherous Pahlavi and Qajar kings harmed the country as much as they could. They plundered our national resources and harmed the country as much as they could. Iran had to start from zero. The opposing camp has been preparing itself for two hundred years, both with its domestic recourses and with what it has been stealing from the world. The opposing camp lacks nothing in terms of scientific and economic facilities. On the other hand, this side of the battle is seriously disadvantaged in terms of material facilities - namely money, weapons and other such things. However, the world sees that these two camps are equal and that hezbollahi forces are even superior in certain cases.
Why are we considered superior to the opposing camp? What is it that we have but the opposing camp does not? The presence of the people. We have a nation that is firmly attached to the Revolution. Among our people - who are at different levels - the majority of the people believe that whenever, wherever and however they are needed, they should lay down their lives and step into the arena. This is our strength. How did we achieve this? Through religious faith, revolutionary spirit and religious motives. This is a truth that materialistic people could never understand. They could never understand how much strength religion can give to a nation and a government. Naturally the Islamic Republic started on this path, the path of religious faith. Now what is the position of you basiji students at the headquarters of this battle? Reflect on this issue and determine your position. Of course, you need careful calculations. Students are exceptional, especially when they are dominated by basiji motives and spirit. This means that they are very precious as far as this great movement is concerned.
At the beginning of this year, I said in the city of Mashhad that the enemy is pursuing three goals. The first goal is to keep the economy of the country backward in order to make the government - which is a religious and loyal government and supports Islamic values - look incompetent and ineffective. For this reason, the enemy has prepared plans to keep our country economically backward. The second goal is to keep the country scientifically backward. This is because the country will not make progress except through science. The Iranian nation has no choice but to strengthen its scientific foundations and to make progress in science. And Allah the Exalted has bestowed the necessary talent on our nation. The third goal is to destroy the unity and solidarity that exists among the people of Iran - or between the Iranian nation and the other Muslim nations. For this reason, I introduced the slogan of "National Unity and Islamic Solidarity."
You can be active in all the three areas as far as helping the government is concerned. There is no need for me to give you the formula. Some of the friends who spoke in this meeting argued that the formula is unilateral and some others argued that the formula is bilateral. Go and find the formula yourselves. You are basijis. You should be able to find a way to figure out the formula if you are organized in an efficient way - and you should be - and if the cabinet members cooperate with you. I am sure the cabinet members cooperate with you because both Mr. Zahedi and Mr. Lankarani are basijis. Try to figure out how you can benefit from the government, from the country and from the massive number of pious, prepared and talented youth to help the country make progress in different areas - in scientific, jihad-related and economic activities.
Of course, you dear youth should be cautious. I am not advising you to become an active member of such and such an organization at the beginning of your academic studies. I am not advising you to become an advisor to a cabinet member or other such people. No, I do not believe in such things. A title that brings about prestige but little else is useless. Just try to become a cog in the big wheel of the activities carried out by our organizations - be it economic activities or administrative activities. In this great factory, even one loose screw will ruin the final product. In case of production lines, you have seen how each worker fulfills his duty of tightening a nut or bold or other such things. Each and every one of these actions plays a role in the production line. It is necessary to pay attention to this issue.
Student Basij has certain needs to be fulfilled, essential and fundamental needs. The first need that should be fulfilled is the need for thinking, analysis and insight. It is necessary to think and theorize about the issues of the world of Islam, the issues of the Revolution, international issues and current issues so that basiji students can be more intellectual, more eloquent and more innovative among other students. As I said, try to rise above partisan perspectives. Look at everything from above and watch the entire scene. In a vast front line that extends a hundred kilometers, there are different units. A person who is working for a particular unit only sees his own unit. But a person who is flying over the front line in a helicopter sees the entire scene and the arrangement of all the units. Try to look at the conditions of the country from above. Then you will be able to correctly identify your position. You will be able to correctly figure out where you should be. You will be able to correctly figure out what you should do. You will be able to correctly figure out what you should be sensitive about and what you should not be sensitive about. As I said, sometimes it is necessary to avoid announcing a certain truth because it will only contribute to completing the enemy's puzzle. Take care not to complete the enemy's puzzle at any stage.
Another need that should be fulfilled is scientific jihad. Scientific jihad is necessary for you. You should enter the arenas of science. Our ministries should cooperate in this area. The departments in charge of research should cooperate. Financial and administrative departments of our universities and ministries should help with financial matters. The Basij Resistance Force should also help in certain areas.
The issue of morality and spirituality is another main thing that you need. You are good youth. This is not a compliment. Our basiji youth are truly good. However, being good is a matter of degrees. Never limit yourselves to a certain degree of excellence. Always try to improve. Try to avoid committing sins. Carry out your religious obligations with enthusiasm. Always remember God. Develop a close relationship with the Holy Quran. When you are together in different settings, try to increase each other's piety and spirituality. If a friend is making a mistake, try to stop him in a brotherly and enthusiastic way. My dear ones, try to improve your behavior. Through practice, one can behave the way one wants, especially during youth. It is not impossible to change one's behavior at an old age, but it is very difficult. But in your case, improving your behavior is very easy because you are young. If you lack discipline but you are determined to learn discipline, it is easy for you to do so. If you are not generous but you are determined to become generous, it is easy for you to become generous. If you are bad-tempered and grumpy but you are determined to improve, it is easy for you to do so. If you in the habit of backbiting and finding fault with different people but you are determined to control yourselves, it is easy. Through practice, you can move towards improvement and transcendence. You need this. The majority of the young people who enter university have pure hearts and they want to find and join a center of spirituality. Basij is what they have in mind and they have certain expectations of Basij. In a sense, you are similar to seminarians like myself: people have higher expectations of seminarians and the same is true of basijis. Therefore, morality and spirituality are among the main things that you need. Try to promote moral lessons among yourselves. Try to use the help of those who deliver speeches on morality. Of course, take care not to fall into the trap of materialistic people. This is because such things are becoming very common these days. There are some materialistic people who falsely claim to have met an infallible Imam and they do such things in the name of spirituality. Take care not to fall into their trap.
Establishing centers for thinking and theorizing is among the things you need. We should minimize borrowing words from foreign languages. Unfortunately, lack of serious efforts [in the area of coining new words] has caused us to borrow words from other languages. For example, the Farsi word for "think tank" is a word-for-word translation of the English term. I do not want to use that term, but I do not have a choice. Establish centers for thinking - or "think tanks" - so that people can sit down together and produce good ideas. Use the help of reliable and intellectual people. The magazines that are published by basiji students should be very rich in content so that any student and professor and anybody from outside the academic environment can benefit from reading them. This is among the things you need.
Selecting qualified people to serve in different parts of this great system is another need. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) would always advise everybody - particularly students - to guard against those who infiltrate the system. During the early years of the Revolution, members of the Tudeh Party were very skillful at infiltration. Through flattery, deception and hypocrisy, they would infiltrate the system. Of course, later on a number of other people learnt from them and infiltrated different organizations of the country. This reached a point where they even demanded dual government. You can remember this: it happened only four, five years ago. They wanted dual government. They wanted to split the system from above. This was unbelievable. They reached this point in their campaign. Be cautious. Branching off and letting splits develop within the system are dangerous. People might decide to leave an organization because of particular thoughts. These thoughts might be valid but not important enough to sacrifice solidarity. I proposed the idea of national unity and as far as you dear basiji students are concerned, national unity starts from Basij: it starts from unity within your own organization. Do not let the enemies isolate you from one another.
Another piece of advice that is necessary for you is that although you are basiji and you are very active, you should take care not to lose your dynamism. You should guard against laziness. This is an important point. It is very important to avoid laziness.
With the recommendations that were offered and with the characteristics and insight that you enjoy, I believe that Student Basij will, by Allah's favor, bring about more blessings for the country in the future. I feel that Basij - especially, Student Basij - will benefit the country even more in the future.
I have many things to tell you and I am sure you also have many things to tell me, but unfortunately time is always limited and we have to end this meeting. Dear God, enlighten the hearts of these young people with the light of Your knowledge and mercy. Dear God, enlighten our hearts with the spirituality of these youth. Dear God, make us more successful on a daily basis in the difficult jihad in Your way. Strengthen our resolve and willpower. Dear God, annihilate the enemies of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Revolution. Help the Iranian nation fulfill its great wishes. Associate the immaculate souls of our honorable martyrs and the pure soul of our magnanimous Imam Khomeini (r.a.) with the souls of the Infallible Imams and the martyrs of the early Islamic era. Make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake) satisfied with us.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings