The following is the full text of the Speech delivered on May 6, 2008 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to a group of elites in Fars province.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
It was very enjoyable for me to be in this gathering among you dear elites today. Thanks God, everything was as expected. The major part of the statements made by these dear elites contained some points which I benefited from. By Allah's favor, these friends' warnings, recommendations, and requests will be collected and handed in to the officials, and those issues which are directly related to me will, by Allah's favor, be investigated.
Attention to these great human resources is what the Iranian nation and I gain from such meetings. That is exactly the goal that I pursue when I arrange such meetings during my trips. On all my trips, pursue I insist on having a sincere meeting with the local elites, as I did here. The purpose behind this is to convince myself and some skeptical hearts that these great human resources are inexhaustible and extremely fruitful in our country. The reflection of this meeting on a national level will once again add a new honor to our national honors. That is the goal I pursue.
This meeting was arranged so that I could listen to your statements. I wish I had the time to listen to more comments. What I heard was beneficial and enjoyable to me. I am absolutely sure I would benefit and enjoy more if I had the opportunity to listen more.
However, what I want to say is that given the present conditions, there exist very bright prospects ahead of the Iranian nation. Our historical legacy, our invaluable talents, our efforts and motivation - which were evident in the remarks these friends made - and the religious and divine orientation behind our movement are all a great national treasure for us. All of these things promise us that, by Allah's favor, we will be able to revive the Iranian nation's Islamic civilization for the whole Islamic Ummah in the present era. By Allah's favor, we will be able to set an example for the movement of the Islamic Ummah.
As our friends said, Shiraz and the whole Fars province enjoy a great deal of resources. I must confirm what they said. Thanks God, Fars province is undoubtedly a prominent pioneer in literature, art, production - both agricultural and industrial. Production is especially important because the whole world is after it in the new industrial era. If we uphold the motto of innovation, which requires flourishment of talents and previous investments, there will be bright prospects for us. This motto which is a genuine motto indicates our current need. All the evidence that we have also points to this fact. Innovation is the current prerequisite for the progress of the country. Innovation does not mean that we should reject the past achievements. Rather, it means that we should build on the past as a foundation for the future, which requires that all our efforts be focused on the reconstruction of our country and history.
Today, the Iranian nation has to shoulder a heavy duty. Our nation has never been in control of its destiny as it is today. All those who are familiar with the history of this country would confirm this fact. In the past, the nation was only a tool in the hands of the rulers. Everything depended on the knowledge, insight, and will of the rulers. It was always the inclination of their whim that was the key factor. The nation could not exercise any initiative over the fate of the country.
All the talents that this nation enjoys and all that is left from the past are the result of the nation's great resources that originated from a source that was manifested through the ruler's will. That is to say, ordinary people, intellectuals, philosophers, men of letters, artists, and different social classes did not have any role in the policies or decisions regarding the fate of the country. Sometimes the rulers decided based on their will that a new war had to be waged and that new territories had to be occupied. And sometimes the will of the rulers determined that the nation had to retreat. In both cases, the nation could not impose its will on the rulers.
There have been some revolts, and some acts of resistance, but I cannot think of any great nationwide movement throughout the history of our country that was intended to lead the country towards its goals - goals that the nation pursued. The present era is a new phase in the history of the Iranian nation.
That is the fundamental difference today after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and under the Islamic Republic. The difference lies in the fact that the rule of an autocratic system has been turned into the rule of national and collective will. And that is the fundamental difference. Thanks God, the public will is in charge of making plans for the country based on the principles of Islam and the Holy Quran. You must appreciate this blessing. Today, whatever lies in the Iranian nation's inexhaustible treasury of talents can be utilized to help this nation progress.
Therefore, we need to promote innovation at all times, not only in our industries or agriculture, but also in the various aspects of our nation's life including the flourishment of talents and thoughts. Thankfully, we are not an unimaginative nation. Our nation is a nation whose history is indicative of its prominence, creativity, and talents. Therefore, we can promote innovation. We are 200 years adrift of the world. This is a bitter pill to swallow. What the reasons of such backwardness are is a different issue. But the reality is that we are at least 200 years adrift of other nations in terms of progress. All the achievements you heard of in this meeting and all those which you hear of in the country - which are in fact way beyond what was discussed in this meeting - can help us make up for part of this backwardness. If continued and increased persistently, and if accompanied by determination all the activities and innovations across the country can help us reach the position we deserve.
Backwardness of a nation is a great pain and a severe disease. This disease should be cured through grim determination and persistent efforts. The important fact was for us to realize and face up to this disease. We should next make efforts to treat this disease. The former has been achieved. The Iranian nation has realized this fact. It has realized the fact that it should seek the position it deserves. Our nation has accepted the fact that it has suffered several years of backwardness and negligence in the past. This is a fact that the Iranian nation has accepted. The Iranian nation did not continue daydreaming as it had been planned for it during the Pahlavi era. During that era, they had blindfolded us like a group of drunken people. By constantly describing our country as the cradle of great civilization and by constantly repeating similar words without taking a single step forward, they had confined us to the world of fantasies, and we had come to a standstill. And this means backwardness, because the world is not going to wait for us. The whole world was making rapid progress, but we were at a standstill.
This state of unawareness and intoxication is fortunately over. Our nation realized the facts. The great movement of our Revolution made us aware of the situation. Our youth have realized the fact that they should make rapid progress on this path. They know they need to move forward rapidly. They have both the potentials and the determination to do so. The path which lies ahead of them has been clarified. Therefore, we need to move forward. A heavy responsibility lies on the shoulders of universities, Islamic seminaries, research centers, and the officials in charge. Their responsibilities have been specified, and hopefully I can see that the movement has started, and God willing, we are going to make progress on a daily basis.
What you dear friends suggested, which were in most cases scientific and practical, were both correct and useful. I hope what you said will be put into practice. What I insist on as usual is that you elites and intellectuals, no matter where you are, should raise your hopes every day and should infuse the young generation with hopefulness. Instilling despair into people and painting a bleak picture of the future is a poison. This fatal poison is administered to the nation through hostile propaganda. And this is what you should oppose.
The future looks promising in all sectors, and I hope that such promising visions will be actualized in less than a generation. I hope our youth will see the day when the Islamic Republic reaches the position it deserves. I hope our youth will see the day when other nations, scientists, and scholars across the world feel that they depend on our country to take further steps in scientific areas. Such a prospect could be actualized in the foreseeable future. I hope that just as humans need to learn certain languages to acquire some of the skills they need, other nations will one day feel that they need to learn your language and know about your culture. That day will come, and such hopes could be actualized. Such a prospect is not far-fetched if we work hard and maintain the same amount of efforts, and motivation which is prevalent among our youth, intellectuals, and people. I hope these efforts will continue, and they definitely will.
Once again, I thank all you dear people who took part in this meeting. I especially thank those dear friends who mentioned some points during the meeting. I hope we will be able to appreciate the exceptional capacities which exist in this province.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's blessings.