In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; peace and greetings upon our Master Muhammad and upon his pure household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
Meeting with this group of young, outstanding personalities is a true source of joy and hope. Of course, even if I did not see you, I would be happy. This is because I know about you, about your efforts, and about the great movement, within Iran, that has taken off in the direction of cultivating outstanding personalities. However, seeing you is, naturally, more of a delight.
I am very thankful to you for coming here today, and I thank Allah the Exalted for giving us this opportunity to meet. --This boosts one’s hopes to a great extent. I am like this when it comes to hope. I have never been hopeless; and, by Allah’s favor, I will never be; but when one sees you up close and hears the very good things that were heard here, one’s hopes are naturally boosted.
I have written down a few details to discuss: one is about outstanding personalities, another is about universities, and the last – if there is time – is about the general affairs of the country. Let me say to you, beforehand, that I agree a hundred percent with some of the points that were raised today. Now, some statements were too technical and take a specialized mind (to understand). They were not within the remit of my knowledge and information, but some of the statements that the friends in the meeting made – both gentlemen and ladies – were very reasonable and logical.
I was the addressee of such statements, and I will pursue them -- God willing. And some of them addressed the honorable officials of the country, who are present at the meeting – the honorable ministers and the esteemed Vice President. In particular, a young man made some complaints at the end of his statements: his complaints are important matters which should be taken seriously. I do not wish to extend this to other areas – of course, the youth did so. But, this is not for me: the truth of the matter is there are certain issues that our dear officials should seriously pursue, God willing.
As for outstanding personalities, there are several perspectives about them. One perspective is looking at them as a source of joy, glory, hope and other such sentiments. In fact, this is an accurate image of the condition of the country. When you take a look and see tens of thousands of outstanding personalities throughout the country, busy working in different areas, this corrects your image of the affairs in the country. It gives you a precise image and mentality: this way of looking at outstanding personalities offers us delightful realities.
Another perspective involves planning for the affairs of the country. Well, sometimes, there are not active and intellectual minds in the country; therefore, you formulate plans in certain other ways. But, sometimes, there are thousands of young, enthusiastic, and intellectual forces with lofty thoughts, some of whom definitely have management capabilities – this is because lofty ideas are not necessarily equivalent to having management capability – and by considering these forces, you decide to formulate plans for the country. So, this is another way of considering outstanding personalities, and this is a fundamental point: their influence in formulating plans for the country.
Even when it comes to turning the oil-based economy into an independent, knowledge-based and resistant economy, they are influential. If we did not have outstanding, active, diligent, and enthusiastic forces, we would not embark on changing our economy. However, when competent, industrious, and enthusiastic individuals are available for the decision-making section of the country, one, naturally, takes action. Sometimes, we do not have intellectual and software resources, for example when it comes to engineering oil. In such circumstances, we say to ourselves, “Very well, let us continue using our oil wells the way we always have been.” However, sometimes, we find ourselves in a position where we have made extraordinary achievements in the area of oil and, as a result, we would be able to pursue new plans in that area.
Now, I have pointed this out to the officials in the charge of oil in our country. When they introduced the new plan on signing oil transactions, I said to them that they should discuss it with our youth and experts, saying, “We are extracting 30 percent from oil wells, but we want to make it 60 percent.” They should ask outstanding individuals to work with them, and they should set a two-year to a three-year limit and we will definitely reach that point. So, the existence of outstanding personalities affects our planning system. --This is the second perspective.
The third perspective is the issue of the scientific progress of the country. We need to progress in scientific terms: this is our definite need. If we do not progress in scientific areas, the threat of our civilizational, cultural, and political enemies will remain a constant threat. That threat will cease and diminish only when we progress in scientific areas: I have stressed this frequently. It is 20 years now that I have been stressing this, and I have frequently recounted this hadith: “Knowledge is power.” [from Commentary on Nahjul Balaghah, Vol 20, page 319] Knowledge is power. From this viewpoint, too, outstanding personalities are significant. They can help science progress in the country, and they can help it reach a position of power and glory with the result that its vulnerabilities will decrease. This was the third perspective I wanted to discuss.
And the fourth perspective is about improving the borders of knowledge. Today, knowledge at the level of humanity – not just at the level of the country – has certain borders. Well, we should play our part in breaking these borders and advance. We should expand the borders. In this case, we have had little participation in recent centuries. We can expand our participation. It was others who discovered steam power. It was others who discovered electricity. It was others who came up with new, recent inventions. We, too, should participate. We should open the borders of the country’s science and advance.
There are many forms of energy in this God-given nature. Our outstanding personalities should engage in discovering these new energies. Electricity existed since the beginning of the creation of the universe, but we did not know about it. Humans did not know about it, and they could not use it. Later on, a genius and an outstanding brain discovered it. Now, it has turned into the pivot of the entire human civilization. Why not discover—if you think there are—10, 20 other energy sources in nature which can equally influence human life, progress, and prosperity?
Well, our outstanding personalities should discover some of these hidden forms of energy and resources. We should expand the borders of scientific discoveries. So, we look at outstanding personalities from this angle as well. Notice that when I attach significance to outstanding personalities and respect them, this is because of considering these viewpoints. Our outstanding personalities can be influential in improving life, in improving planning, in helping the country progress, and in helping humanity progress.
Well, there is one point which I cannot pass up, and that is the view towards the bitter recent two-hundred-year history of our country. You, youth – particularly the ones who are busy working in scientific fields and the like – have less information in this regard. --This is because, unfortunately, you do not usually read up on history. We fell behind the caravan of world sciences for two hundred years because of ignoring outstanding personalities and Iranian talents. Well, the talent that you witness in the country, today, was not created all of a sudden. This talent has been there throughout history. The reason is the existence of the likes of Farabi, Ibn Sina [Avicenna], Khwarazmi, and hundreds of well-known scientists throughout the history of the world – not just our history. So, this talent was there. Hence, why did we fall behind in the past 200 hundred years – when science was progressing at a fast rate – in a way that we would be described as one of the most backward countries in terms of modern science? --This is a bitter and very strange history.
Notice that we form almost one percent of the world population. The population of our country is almost one percent of that of the world. In the decades before the Revolution, this was the case, more or less. We are about one percent of the world population. Therefore, our participation in mutual human efforts should at least be one percent. In the late Pahlavi era – the last part of those two hundred years which led to the victory of the Islamic Revolution in the year 1357 – [Iran’s] scientific production was one-tenth of a percent! Notice how far behind we were!
This lag was because of the incompetence of the rulers -- there is no other reason. Inefficient, materialistic, money-oriented, dependent and incompetent rulers who were arrogant and vain, but who would bow down to foreigners without thinking about the interests of their nation: this was the condition of our country. --These are bitter realities.
Of course, by Allah’s favor, today we have produced more scientific breakthroughs than our share – almost twice our share. We should normally obtain one percent of scientific production, but it is almost two percent in the present time. Our scientific production is 1.9 -- which is a very good figure. However, we are not satisfied. We should include more participation, but this is our participation rate in the present time. Dr. Gholami pointed to some of the figures and other gentlemen pointed to some others. If there is time, I might mention some others as well.
In the Bahman of 1313 [February, 1936] the University of Tehran – the first university of the country – was established. You should pay attention to these points. You good, pious, and intelligent youth should know these points about your country. Forty-four years later – in the year 1357 [1979], when the Revolution was launched – the university students within the whole country stood at 150,000. Some of those students were graduates, but the point is that after 44 years of having universities, the resources of universities were 150,000. Today, 40 years have passed since the Revolution and the students of our universities are more than four million, and we have several million graduates. Notice that there are two kinds of governments and systems, and this is how things show themselves.
This is the dark and bitter history of science and outstanding personalities in our country. In those days, scientific personalities did not use to be cultivated. Even if someone like Amir Kabir showed up, they would ruin him in such a manner. In the Pahlavi era, the situation was even worse, but they would keep appearances. We used to suffer from scientific, cultural, moral and political backwardness. One should be thankful to the Islamic Republic, the Revolution, and our magnanimous Imam for this great movement.
Well, I have a number of recommendations for outstanding personalities. One is that there should be mutual interaction between outstanding personalities and the management of the country: mutual interaction should exist. Of course, they are pursuing mutual interaction. --This was reflected in the statements of Dr. Sattari, but we should act more seriously in this regard. Later on, I might expand on this matter.
Mutual interaction on the part of outstanding personalities means that they should employ all their faculties for the progress of the country. Sometimes, they can do this individually; and, sometimes, it is the government that should help. Therefore, the role of outstanding personalities is that they should help improve their country. They should employ their faculties, their talents, and their capacities at the service of their country.
And the role of the government and the managerial system of the country is that it should render services by eliminating obstacles. It should do more to prevent outstanding personalities from falling behind at playing their role. If our outstanding personalities fall behind, the country will fall behind. Outstanding personalities should be dynamic, and they should improve themselves. It is not enough to be an outstanding personality. Dynamic, progressing, and active personalities are a great source of wealth for the country. --This is one point.
Another point which should receive attention is that it has been proven throughout the world that nothing is as efficient as manpower in the progress of a country. --This is completely clear. If there are noticeable and efficient human efforts, the country will progress. Otherwise, there will be no progress. So, human workforces are a treasure and a source of great wealth for every country including ours. Now that it is a treasure and a source of wealth, it is also subject to looting and plundering, just like any other source of wealth: the enemy is trying to take it away from the country.
Of course, this is not particular to us – it might be more intensified in our dear country – rather, the hegemonic apparatus and the system of domination are trying to snatch this source of wealth away from all nations. Why are they trying to do so? So that they can use it himself? No, this is not the whole issue. They will use it to their own advantage if they can, but their main goal is to monopolize.
The system of arrogance is after monopolization: scientific and technological monopolization, and the monopolization of wealth-generating and power-generating assets. --They are after this. That is why they assassinate scientists in other countries – they assassinated our nuclear scientists – because they do not want this source of wealth to exist in this country.
As I said, this is not particular to us. In Iraq – in the three, four-year period of time when the Americans were directly in charge of the affairs of Iraq after the ousting of Saddam -- tens of Iraqi scientists were assassinated. The Americans knew that if those scientists would survive, with Saddam not being there, they would help the country move forward. That is why they identified and assassinated these scientists one by one: this is the case in other places as well. Notice that this is a monopoly. So, outstanding personalities are their targets.
I do not wish to frighten you. I only want you to pay attention, arrogance and the hegemonic system opposes the existence of outstandingly talented personalities in a country – who are a source of progress and the greatest source of wealth for any nation. They try to take outstanding personalities away from our country in whichever way they can: through physical measures, cultural and scientific means, or by busying them with individual affairs which have nothing to do with the issues of the country and other such methods. --You should pay attention to this.
What does the System of Domination mean? The system of domination – which has been introduced into our political and international literature, a strong and efficient term – is led by people who have access to the tools of power, but they do not have the tools that retrain power. The tools of power include politics, media, weapons, money, and brazenness. And the tools to restrain power are religion, morality, and dignity, which are all absent in them: that is why they do whatever they want. The System of Domination calls for the division of the world into the oppressed and the oppressor. And their leaders are the ones whom I referred to. You need to be wary of the System of Domination.
The detail, which complements this issue, is that the way to prevent the enemy’s deception and his enmity towards the outstanding personalities of the country is to strengthen national identity and idealism. National identity should be strengthened in outstanding personalities of the country: they should feel that they are Muslim Iranians. They should be proud of being Muslim Iranians: this must be strengthened in them.
Exceptional people be proud of continuing an honorable and valuable history. Once, our sciences dominated fields around the world. At one time, our philosophy used to be the best in the world. The same is true of our scientists, our laws, and our fiqh (jurisprudence). We are the continuation of that history. Of course, there has been a disruption for at least two hundred years. However, after the victory of the Revolution, that great, historic movement has continued, and we have progressed despite all problems and obstacles: we should be proud of this. --This statement was in regards to national identity and ideals.
You, outstanding personalities, shoulder a heavy responsibility. Your talent and genius give you responsibilities. However, like all other responsibilities, this responsibility is a source of pride, honor, and dignity in this world and in the hereafter. By Allah’s favor, you will be honorable both in this world and in the hereafter. Notice that one of the enemy's methods is to wipe out ideas and identities: this is one of his goals. --You should be careful about this point of attack coming from the side of the enemy.
The next point is that the manifestation of being an outstanding personality requires having a specialty: this is valuable. All the various specialties that are necessary for the management of the country and human societies are important. --This is, undoubtedly, a lofty value, but outstanding personalities should not be satisfied with only this. They must pay attention to lofty goals as well. There are a number of lofty goals. An outstanding personality should not drown themselves in an area of expertise in a way that they ignore their surrounding environment, the environment of society and the people. Outstanding personalities should not forget about the issues of the people. They must not forget about the important and fundamental issues of their people – including independence, justice, progress, and important issues related to social detriments. They must not merely attend to the knowledge that exists in them.
If you go on as a notable person under the flag of justice, its value will increase: if you do this under the flag of national independence and identity, its value will increase. There is an imposed economic, political, and security war against us. You cannot be indifferent in this war. When they surrounded the Commander of the Faithful (greetings be upon him), pushing him to accept the Caliphate, he said: “If people had not come to me and supporters had not exhausted the argument and if there had been no pledge of Allah with the learned that they should not acquiesce to the gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed, I would have cast the rope of Caliphate on its own shoulders.” [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 3] He said that he would not have accepted it if it had not been for that responsibility, but this responsibility exists. What is this responsibility? “The gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed.”
“Kezzah” in Arabic means gluttony and greed that prevents individuals from moving forward and working: of course, this is metaphorical. Gluttony does not mean eating food, in this case, rather it means privileges, astronomical rewards, and payments. “The hunger of the oppressed”: “saghab” means hunger. The Commander of the Faithful said that if he had not had any concern and worry about his responsibility towards the greedy and the privileged on the one hand and the oppressed, on the other hand, he would not have accepted the Caliphate. After that, he says, “If there had been no pledge of Allah with the learned.” --This means that your responsibility is not only to teach, but also to study and to research. One of your responsibilities is that “they should not acquiesce to the gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed.” Did you get it?--This covered one point.
Another issue is the enemy’s image creation. Right now, there is a strong propaganda and media war against us, much like the Sacred Defense Era. At the beginning of the war, we did not even have RPGs. Well, great battalions had rallied their forces against us. I was in Ahvaz, witnessing that the enemy’s battalions and armies would appear one after another. Well, our armies needed anti-cannon weaponry. And the one which is available, used by everyone, is the RPG, but we did not have any RPGs. The Army did not have the necessary organizational weapons either. We did not even have those weapons; meanwhile, the enemy had access to all sorts of weapons.
Today we experience the same situation: our propaganda and media resources against the enemy are similar to our resources against him in those days. Of course, in those days, we subdued the enemy: today, too, we will subdue him. Without a doubt, we will subdue him, but this is the same situation. With these extensive resources, the most important thing that the enemy wants to do is to create a false image of the conditions in the country, not only for the sake of deceiving the public throughout the world but also for the sake of deceiving the public's opinion inside our own country – even inside our country.
They talk so that you and I – who are breathing in the air of this environment – presume something other than the reality that exists. Well, this war does exist. If we do not play our part in this war, if outstanding personalities cannot play their part, they have not carried out their duties. Therefore, the last point which I mentioned – carrying out scientific endeavors under the flag of justice, breaking monopolies, fighting against oppression, and attending to the various issues of those who live around outstanding personalities – are among the necessary tasks: this was about issues related to outstanding personalities.
Of course, there is another issue in this regard, and that is about Iran's National Elites Foundation. I should thank the Elite Foundation. We should work day and night. Mr. Sattari cited Operation Val-Fajr 8 as an example, saying that our military organizations managed to strike 80 advanced military planes within a few days. He, who played a pivotal role in all those measures was like his own father, the late Shahid Air Force Brigadier Sattari. They did not sleep in those days, and I was aware of that. I was completely aware of it. They did not have the opportunity to sleep, sometimes for 48 hours!
They had divided the hawk missiles into two parts so that the enemy would not be able to trace them and strike our anti-aircraft weaponry. They would set up the launch machinery in one place and after firing the missiles, they would move it a few kilometers away so that the enemy would not be able to react. They would do such difficult tasks. They used to work day and night so that we would be able to – as he correctly said – strike 80, 90 advanced warplanes belonging to the enemy.
Today, the same endeavors are required: Mr. Sourena Sattari – the son of that Shahid – and his friends and colleagues should work day and night. You must work day and night. Work so that you can identify, attract, guide and organize these outstanding personalities. Listen to them, and solve their problems so much so that they would not come here to complain, like the taekwondo fighter [who spoke before]. You should not differentiate between day and night when it comes to working. By Allah’s favor, you will work hard.
Another point is that gentlemen who are busy working in the area of directing outstanding personalities – more than all, the Elite Foundation – should make sure that their work does not turn into a daily routine. People begin projects enthusiastically and excitedly; but, after some time, it becomes a routine or a daily chore. --This should not happen. There must be constant innovation and novelty. Methods, systems, and tasks should be remodeled and updated, if necessary, they should be reorganized.
The Elite Foundation must formulate plans regarding the issue of national identity, which I've mentioned before. They should certainly benefit from the Leader’s Representative Office in Universities because they will help.
They must attach significance to knowledge-based companies. I have heard that the standards of these companies deteriorated. Once, I recommended that a decline in standards among knowledge-based companies should be prevented: of course, this is based on a report. You should definitely pursue this matter. You must not allow the standards of knowledge-based companies to go down. You must not be satisfied with numbers only. There is no doubt that if there are 30,0000 knowledge-based companies instead of 3,000, it will be better provided that they are, in fact, knowledge-based companies, and the necessary regulations are observed in them.
And the last point about the issue of outstanding personalities is that you should try to benefit from talented outstanding personalities in the selection of managers of the country. --Medium management needs such youth. You might say that such youth do not have the experience to be in top-tier management, but they can undertake medium management. You should benefit from them, particularly the ones who are pious and who pursue religious, Islamic and other such obligations. Thankfully, such individuals are large in number. Perhaps, the majority of them are like this.
I would like to say a few things about Iranian Universities, as time is running out. In the past four decades, Universities have been at the service of Iran. Some people criticize our universities, saying that they only care about ISI articles and the like. --This is my own criticism as well. I, too, have said many times that Universities should not merely comply with the demands of those who want the articles or who demand that one percent; rather, they should look and see what Iran wants. I have said this many times, and I would like to stress it again.
However, it should not be uttered and presumed that universities are not at the service of the country's affairs; because, they have served: so many important construction projects have been carried out in Iran. Who has carried these projects out? University students have, most of whom were very young. I have written down in my notes that industries related to dam construction, power plants, bridge, and road construction have been developed in the country. --These are astonishing developments in Iran, and Who has carried them out?
At the start of the war, I visited war zones. There, jihadi oriented (selflessly endeavoring) youth came up to me saying that they were building Silos. A Silo is a complicated structure, unlike its appearance; some people think that it is just a column, but it is an elaborate and significant technical structure. So, they said that they were building silos. I said, “Can you do that?” They replied, “Sure, we can.” So, I answered: “All right, go do it, and I will help you.” That is how we turned into one of the developers of Silos in the region. These geniuses were simply a number of young students. That was while before the Revolution, we used to buy our wheat from the US and our Silos used to be built by the Soviet Union! --This is one of the complaints that we used to make before the Revolution, in opposition to the regime. We used to have American wheat and Russian silos from the Soviet Union.
We did not have the manpower to do those tasks, in any way; but our youth explored these things, and they accomplished much. So many tasks have been accomplished: all these modern roads and all these extraordinarily beautiful and solid bridges have been built. --This has been done in Tehran in one way and in provincial cities in other ways. On some of the roads, this has been done in a different way as well. Who has built them? It was the great people from our Universities who built them.
As for defense-related industries, our industries of defense are leading. Fortunately, one of the great aspects of cooperation between industries and universities has been defense-related industries: they cooperate with universities. Unfortunately, other organizations – executive organizations – have less cooperation. However, the following industries maintain good cooperation: industries related to defense, missiles, drones; and the important industry of nuclear energy with its various dimensions.
A few years ago – when nuclear energy was still our inalienable right [audience laughs] -- they held a comprehensive exhibition at this Hussainiyah. Most attending the event were young. I entered the building, and I walked around the exhibition for one or two hours. All of the presenters were young, the same age as you. Such great achievements have been carried by young university students and graduates. Radar technology, aerospace industries, biological sciences, biotechnological sciences, tens of advanced products in manufacturing new medications and biological products have been developed by academic personalities.
Additionally, the very important science and industry involving stem cells – which contains a great standing at a global level – has been developed upon by the [academic] children of the late Shahid Kazemi (God’s mercy be upon him). They turned their scientific findings into developed technology, and they benefitted from that technology for medical treatment. Today, understanding stem cells is an important project in Iran, and it has led to great things. Stem cell research scientists are among high-ranking scientists throughout the globe, and there are other such achievements.
All these services have been rendered by universities. Therefore, universities should not be accused of not having been at the service of the country because this is not the case. They have been at the service of the country. Of course, universities have many flaws. The dear brothers and sisters who spoke here mentioned some of these flaws. I advise you to carry out research at all levels. You should attach great significance to the idea of research. A relationship with universities should be taken seriously: the relationship between universities and industries – including agricultural industries and the like. --This would be a great achievement for both universities and industries.
We must reach a position wherein dissertations prepared by students, from different scientific fields, have sponsors from the start of their development -- whether private or governmental sponsors -- we should reach this point. Presently, this is the case for many countries. During the dissertation presentations of students, the owners of industries interested in those dissertations show up, and they attract the students who are defending their dissertation right then and there. They sign a contract with them, and they benefit from them. Industries can benefit from universities to a great extent, and universities can benefit from industries to a great extent as well: this has not been accomplished the way we have wanted.
After nine years, the comprehensive scientific plan should be updated. Of course, the comprehensive scientific plan is well-organized, but nine years have passed since its preparation: this should be reviewed and updated. There are new issues which should be inserted. And of course, everyone should attach significance to it.
The next matter regards our scientific relations with countries in the direction of a quantum leap – Asian countries. We should mainly look to the East. Our inclination towards the West -- Europe and other such regions --will bring us nothing but a waste of time and trouble, and it will only force us to carry favors for them and become humiliated. We should be more inclined towards the East. There are countries which can help us: we can face them as equals. We can help them; they can help us: we can have positive scientific interactions with them.
Another issue is about interaction with the administration for the sake of identifying needs and priorities. The interaction between universities and the administration should be manageable: universities should carry out the tasks that the administration needs. A task which was recently carried out by a number of university professors on economic matters made me happy. It was a good task. I do not know if the administration acts on those words of advice or not, or to what extent it acts on them, that is a different issue, but the fact that university professors and economists of the country feel responsible is great.
Different groups, particularly Basiji professors, have written numerous letters addressed to us. I, too, send those letters to the administration, and they should act on them. They have also sent letters to the administration and to the honorable President with information about banking issues and issues related to cash and foreign currency. They have sent these letters either individually or collectively. A number of exceptional and intelligent youth have offered solutions and recommendations, individually. I have asked my office to study and organize them; and, then send them to the executive officials of the country so that they can benefit from them. --These are very good matters. The definition of the relationship between universities and the administration is a very important issue. Now, this discussion has reached an end.
I think our time is up. I guess it is time for the Adhan (call to prayers). I had written down a few points about the issues of the country wherein the summary is that the enemy wants to present a misleading and horrible image of the country, which is the exact opposite of the truth. The country has a delightful and beautiful panorama from many different aspects – in all aspects. Now, the price of foreign currencies goes up and down for a few whiles, and the people have livelihood problems as a result of this: these problems exist and we are aware of them, but the image that the enemy wants to promote and impose does not exist. Despite their foolish attempts, the opposite image exists.
It is time for Adhan, and our discussion is over [one of the participants says, “Let us continue after Adhan.”] After Adhan, it is time for lunch [Supreme Leader and audience laugh]. After Adhan, it is time for daily prayers and lunch. I do owe you a discussion about some concerns of the country; if I am alive and meet you again, we might speak to one another soon.
I hope that God will approve of and preserve you. Today, all of you are beautiful green saplings. I hope that by Allah’s favor, you will turn into fruitful trees and prove yourselves valuable to your country.
Greetings are upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings
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