The following is the full text of the speech delivered by Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on August 26, 2008 to a group of elites.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Being in the company of a promising group of elites and discussing one of the most essential subjects of the country – that is, scientific progress and, consequently, technological progress – is very enjoyable for me. All the comments that the dear young brothers and sisters make here lend credence to the idea that there is a growing trend in producing elites and promoting constructive thought among our youth. And this promises a prosperous future for the country. Apart from what has been recorded, I can, more or less, remember the comments that our elite friends made last year. Those comments had the same characteristics. The ideas, which our youth and elites come up with and which they think they should discuss with me, are of paramount importance to me. One can easily see that there is a growing interest in scientific progress and the importance of science and technology. Also the orientations are obviously more in line with the lofty ideals of the Islamic Republic.
Now let me make a point here, which may provide an answer for the question that one of our dear brothers asked shortly before my speech. Knowledge – including theological and epistemological knowledge as well as the type of knowledge that helps man make better use of the natural resources which have been created for man in the wonderful form of nature – is a divine blessing for all communities. Since the beginning of time man has been seeking to decode and make sense of the secrets of the enormous and complicated structure of nature. This is a fact that has been endorsed by Islam and all other religions. There is no religion – and this is especially true of Islam – in which you can find a single sentence implying that worldly knowledge is useless, detrimental, or not worth seeking. On the contrary, all knowledge that man has so far obtained – which has provided the means for man to make better use of the nature that God has created for him – as well as all knowledge that man has not so far managed to gain access to (man may obtain knowledge in the future that will be qualitatively and quantitatively better than all knowledge that he has so far acquired) are valuable from an Islamic perspective.
Knowledge has inherent value. Knowledge can act against values only when it is used to oppose the interests of man. Knowledge can facilitate the process of acquiring divine understanding. Those who have the knowledge are in a better position to understand the righteousness of the message of Islam and the prophets. Knowledge must not be contaminated with carnal desires, ulterior motives, allure of the material world, and other materialistic tendencies. Knowledge may sometimes be regarded as something evil, but it is due to the fact that it has been used against human values or that it has been used to promote materialistic and carnal tendencies. Knowledge is not inherently bad. Therefore, there is no doubt that knowledge has inherent value. All types of knowledge including epistemological and theological knowledge, natural sciences, or intellectual knowledge such as philosophy and fiqh are all extremely valuable. The type of knowledge that has been gained through exploring the world and decoding its secrets is part of this great treasury of knowledge.
The world, land, and natural resources that are at our disposal could most probably be utilized a million times better than they are now. Man will most probably make far better use of water, earth, natural resources, air, all materials that the earth holds in it, and all other things that we are currently using unappreciatively. The oil that we currently use to generate energy might in the future benefit man so much and become so valuable for him that no wise person would ever think of using a single drop of it for generating energy. Man may then replace oil with other sources of energy. As you know, garbage is currently being recycled, and valuable products are being obtained from it. Garbage is a simple example. There are many other things that may be utilized in this way. How can we obtain the necessary knowledge? How can we make our way through the secrets of nature and utilize the knowledge? That is only possible through acquiring knowledge. "Acquire knowledge even if you have to travel to China." This tradition by the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) does not imply that we must go to China in order to learn fiqh or philosophy. Rather, it advises us to seek knowledge – any knowledge, including science and technology, which is a product of science, as well as other types of knowledge. These are necessary. The points that I just made were obvious ones. I cannot image that any of you elite youth should have any doubt in this regard and wonder what Islam is saying.
The 20-Year Strategic Plan is by no means rooted in the Western ideology. We have changed its direction. A point which is worthy of attention is that many of the things we do follow a good framework, but not the right direction. There were such things in Islam too.
The Hajj which you perform – and which deeply affects many of our pure-hearted youth – is a tradition that was established by ignorant people during Jahiliyya [the ignorance era in pre-Islamic Arabia]. The people used to circumambulate the Kaaba during Jahiliyya as you do today. During the Hajj, which was performed in haram months [the months in which wars are forbidden], people would travel from all around Arabia – nobody believed in Hajj outside Saudi Arabia at that time - to Mecca in order perform the rituals. The procedures are the same as what we do today, but the concepts on which these rituals are based have totally changed. Nowadays, when we circumambulate the Kaaba, we display a manifestation of monotheism, showing that the entire world revolves around the Kaaba as the representation of monotheism. This is a symbolic act that started in Islam and resulted in Kaaba being the manifestation of monotheism in Islam. It also led to Hajj acting as the best means for creating unanimity among a large group of people in the Muslim world. This is the general direction of Hajj today.
The direction of Hajj was totally different from today during Jahiliyya. It was exactly the opposite of what it is like today. Several idols were hanging both inside and outside the Kaaba. Those days, those who circumambulate the Kaaba were in fact worshiping the idols, and did not know anything about God. Even the very act of walking around the Kaaba did not create unity among them. Rather it resulted in enmity among them. This was because they worshipped different idols. Some would come to worship a particular idol, while others were there to worship others. And all these idols were inside the Kaaba. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) did not change the rituals at all – the general form of Hajj was preserved. Rather, he changed the direction of the rituals. The Hajj which was the manifestation of ignorance, blasphemy, and worshipping idols was turned into the manifestation of monotheism, purity, and worshipping God.
Form is not that important. There is nothing wrong with using nuclear energy. Rather, those who use the energy against humans are at fault. Using such technologies as nanotechnology, or complex electronic and aeronautic industries is not wrong. They are useful technologies and help humans to use the natural resources which have been made available to them by God in the best way. Those who use these divine blessings and treasures for such purposes as bullying, dominating others, and violating other people's rights are at fault. You – who follow the right principles, who believe in God and human values, who are opposed to oppression, tyranny, arrogance, and governments that are based on the interests of a particular group – should learn these sciences so that you can promote your own values and principles in the world. Is this something bad? Someone might board a plane and travel to a particular city or country to engage in debauchery. Conversely, another person might board the same plane and travel to Mecca to worship God. The plane is not at fault here. Rather, the purposes and directions are different. You should gain knowledge and use your special talent to reach high positions in this regard. You should use this opportunity and position to promote true values – not false values, debauchery, and domination of bullying powers over humans.
Today, more than two billion people are suffering from hunger in the world. This is not a trivial matter. Today, there are nations that enjoy great resources, yet their people are suffering from hunger. Currently, oppressive, domineering, and arrogant powers rule the world. How has the US reached its current position in the world? How is it able to bully other countries in the world? This is because they had the knowledge and used their knowledge to achieve these purposes. Western countries misused their knowledge in this global competition which has always been launched throughout history.
Throughout history, different nations have been superior to others in terms of scientific achievements. You cannot find a single nation that has constantly been able to keep ahead of other countries in terms of knowledge. This is a divine law of nature. In the competition among human communities, Eastern countries were once the prominent force. Other times, it was Islamic countries – Iran in particular – who got ahead. Our country once enjoyed the same position as that of certain Western countries today, which have advanced scientific positions and are superior to other countries in scientific areas. Iran was once in such an advanced position, and European countries as well as Eastern and Western countries were behind Iranian scientists in regard to scientific achievements. We had great scientists who were superior to scientists of all other countries not only in science, but also in technology. This was once the situation. However, Western countries took the lead after a while.
An important point in this regard is that Western countries used their superior scientific position for political, economic, and hegemonic purposes when they reached this position. It was then that colonialism started. Colonialism did not exist prior to that time. Colonialism means that a country – thousands of miles away – invades another country which enjoys great resources, like the Indian subcontinent, and establishes its rule there through the use of force and advanced weapons. As you know, England is an island. Since the English people were experts in sailing, they further developed their skills in this regard, took risks, and finally managed to rule over India. They used their scientific prominence for political purposes. This was something that other scientifically advanced countries had never done before. England, Belgium, and Netherlands – which first targeted Eastern states and the Indian subcontinent and established colonialism for the first time – as well as other countries which invaded Africa – Portugal for instance – used their scientific capabilities for political purposes. This means that it was them who established colonialism for the first time. When a nation is colonized, its destiny is determined by the colonizing country. They used this opportunity to keep those states in a state of ignorance, and stopped the competition among nations as much as they could.
This is something that happened. This was a case of misusing knowledge. The world is liable to changes. Human beings never limit themselves to a certain level of progress, and you cannot prevent human beings from making progress. The blossoming of human talents will continue to have its effects. Different movements were started by different people in different parts of the world. The current situation of the world is that the powers which have made great scientific advances try to monopolize their knowledge. As you well know, certain advanced Western countries prevent other countries from gaining access to certain aspects of their knowledge. This means that their knowledge has been monopolized. This is like certain confidential documents which are only published after they are considered as old. Similarly, their knowledge is only made available to other countries when it is no longer first-hand. They would let others use their knowledge when they have progressed to a higher stage. This is how they behave. They monopolize their knowledge.
In today's world, we need to start a scientific movement to put an end to such domination. The Islamic Republic – which follows the opposite values compared to what the Western domineering powers seek today and which has gained political success and made progress in different fields through resistance during the last 30 years - needs to make progress in scientific fields if it is to achieve its goals – lofty human goals that are accepted by all humans. It is due to this reason that I said that making progress in scientific and technological fields must be a fundamental discourse in our country today. This is an undeniable fact. Without making progress in scientific areas and improving our scientific capabilities, and without making use of such capacities in our daily lives, we will not be able to oppose these powers. It is only in this case that the flag of the Islamic Republic will remain hoisted. Maybe I over-elaborated on the issue. This was because I thought that elites might not be fully aware of the uses of knowledge and technology. It was due to this reason that I provided more explanations in this regard.
Knowledge brings about power and wealth. The Islamic Republic should make progress in the scientific arena if it is to gain power to defend the nation and the values of the Islamic Republic – this is how power should be used. Power should be used to stand up against bullying powers, and not to bully others. The Islamic Republic is also in need of scientific progress if it is to gain wealth to put an end to the various problems which the country has inherited due to several years of domination by hegemonic powers over the country. Knowledge is a means for all nations to gain national wealth and power.
Fortunately, we enjoy great resources in our country. If one is to provide an accurate account, one can say that we were kept in a state of stagnation for 150 years. The great talents which we see in the country today are not limited to the present time only. Different Iranian generations enjoyed such great talents. However, we were kept from making progress. This was mainly due to the domination of oppressive and totalitarian governments in different eras – particularly in the contemporary era when there was corruption and lack of independence in the country. We are currently suffering from such stagnation. Nonetheless, the Iranian nation's talent is above average.
I have constantly mentioned this point. It was thought at times that this is only a claim. However, this is a fact that has been globally reflected on various occasions. They write about our talented people in American magazines and mention some of our universities in particular. Of course, they pursue evil goals through this. There is no doubt about the fact that the universities which they mention – in Tehran and Isfahan – are prominent ones. But they pursue evil goals by mentioning these universities. This is because universities are made up of human resources: students, professors, and the management. Both students and professors are among the talented generation of Iranians. Therefore, this is not limited to a particular university and is an all-encompassing matter. Wherever efforts are made, such prominence will be observed, yet they only reflect a few instances. We enjoy great human resources, that is, the level of talent is above average in our country.
This is a factor that could help us make up for this stagnation. We have made great achievements during the recent years due to the recent scientific efforts. During the past 10-12 years, great progress has been made in the country due to the new movement which has started in the country in regard to training elites as well as the production of knowledge and software. We should appreciate these accomplishments.
Of course this does not mean that I am satisfied with the current rate of progress in the country. This does not mean that I think the goals have been accomplished. It will take a long time for us to make up for these years of long-standing stagnation, particularly in the current situation in which we are alone. Other countries do not support the Islamic system and Islamic thought. The Chinese people – as they are today and whose capabilities were only partly revealed in the Olympics – have made great scientific achievements. But, one should also take into consideration the fact that the Chinese people had nothing in the year 1948 – when the new communist china was founded. However, the Soviet Union – which was a country with a more established background in terms of ideology and scientific and technological achievements – provided China with whatever they needed to make progress. This was during the Stalin era. The existence of a great country like china – which did not have the same population as today at that time, but was a great and highly populated country anyway – next to the Soviet Union and in the heart of Asia was very valuable for the Communist Soviet Union of those days. Therefore, they provided China with whatever they needed. They even provided them with nuclear energy. But our youth achieved nuclear energy through their own efforts. This is while the Chinese people received nuclear energy as a gift from the Soviet Union. They even provided North Korea with nuclear technology – both China and Russia did.
If you take a look, you will see that the achievements made by countries like China were all due to the strong support which they received from other countries. The same is true about India as well – of course in other aspects. The bitter dispute that was caused between China and Russia – as you know, there was bitter dispute between these two communist countries for several years after the Stalin era, like the dispute between the East and the West, and maybe a little more serious than that – caused the Russians to support India which was a neighboring country to China. For their part, the Chinese also started to support Pakistan which was a rival for India. This indicates the fact that political factors played a role in the selection of allies. On the one hand, China provided Pakistan with nuclear energy technology, and on the other hand, Russia provided India with nuclear energy and helped them make other sorts of accomplishments. This proves the fact the both India and Pakistan owe their current achievements to other countries.
Today, I can see that none of the countries which have made progress in various fields are in a similar situation as our country today. While our country was the subject to enmity from several countries – both the communist countries of the East and the capitalist countries of the West seriously opposed us; European countries, eager to adopt a moderate stance, not only did not help us but dealt blows to our country as well – our smart and clever youth managed to make progress. Great achievements have been made in the country, which is the cause of hope about the future. Our youth can make progress in the future as well. Therefore, I am very optimistic about the future. Although I appreciate the current situation, I do not by any means consider it acceptable to limit ourselves to the current achievements. Neither the administration officials, nor you and your professors should limit yourselves to the current level of progress in the country. There is a long way ahead of us. We need to make a lot of effort. There is still a long way to go before we reach the peaks. We should try to narrow the gaps as much as possible.
Making such achievements requires money and wealth. However, we should acquire wealth through the same way. As some of you mentioned – most of the points that were mentioned were correct, and are also among the notes that were given to me – we should try to acquire wealth in the same way. The day when we can base the country's income on our knowledge and not on oil will be a very good day for our country. We are currently using our resources. Most of the country's budget is dependant on oil. Oil is one of our resources, and we are using up this resource because there is no other choice. We should look forward to a day when we can earn money and acquire wealth through knowledge. Then, that wealth will also contribute to the promotion of knowledge in the country. There is a relationship between knowledge and wealth: Knowledge brings about wealth, and wealth promotes knowledge. The existence of each results in an increase in the other. We should pursue this goal.
Of course, we should observe divine and moral principles in our efforts, as was mentioned by some of the dear youth in this meeting. The efforts that are being made by our youth are indeed promising and delighting. Good points were mentioned during the meeting. I also had the same points in mind, and would like to emphasize those points again. Fortunately, the officials in charge of the National Institute for Elites are making strenuous efforts. I am very delighted that this new movement has been started. However, the weaknesses should also be taken into consideration and be eliminated on a regular basis.
One of the weaknesses is lack of collaboration. There should be complete collaboration between the different sectors involved in scientific and technological activities. I previously talked about the connection between industries and universities – fortunately efforts are being made in this regard and these efforts will hopefully continue. Some of the officials mentioned a few points about elites getting involved in research centers and industries. These points mentioned are promising and will be announced in due time. Nonetheless, collaboration between the different scientific centers is a vital factor. The Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the presidential department for science and technology, the national institute for elites, the institute for scientific and industrial research, and all other sectors active in this regard should develop close collaboration among themselves so that no gaps open up and the activities of one sector do not neutralize those of others.
Another point which I have to mention here is that of appreciating elites. The IRIB and our media are responsible in this regard. The names of actors are usually mentioned in different advertisements. For instance, in the quiz shows that are usually shown on TV, there are questions about the name of a hero in a particular movie. They even give prizes to those who know the answer. What will happen if someone does not know the answer to such questions? Let's imagine millions of people have not seen the movie and do not know that particular actor. Is this a problem? Is knowing the actor an advantage? Also concerning the issue of sports, I have always said that I am a supporter of professional sports. Some people used to say that professional sports were not needed. However, I believe that professional sports are necessary. This is like training elites in sports. Professional sports are like a mountain peak. If there is no peak, there will be no mountainside. If we make the peak, the mountainside – public sports – will be built. Therefore, I support professional sports. I also support the athletes who win medals and raise the flag of our country in different competitions. I am thankful to these athletes. However, what I intend to say is: why should we not value the scientific elites as much we value athletes? There are so many scientific elites in our country who have reached the peaks. Other countries will immediately snatch these elites away if they have any access to them. We need to appreciate these elites.
For instance, I can mention the late Dr. Saeed Kazemi Ashtiani or the dear youth who attended this meeting last year and has now passed away. These elites should be introduces to the people and praised. We do not even introduce our past scientific elites. Many of the people in our country do not know the great scientists and ulama of our country in different fields. This is not limited to such fields as religious jurisdiction, philosophy, and religious sciences. This is also true about the scientists who were prominent figures in some of the most common fields – such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, and mechanics – and who made great achievements. Even the inventions which they made are now being used by our people. Yet, our youth do not know their names, and we neither introduce nor remember these elites. This is a major drawback which has to be overcome.
There are other points to be mentioned as well. Some of the points were mentioned in the meeting. One of the points concerns the practical utilization of the scientific projects for practical purposes. This is an important point. The administration officials should definitely take measures in this regard, and they have planned to do so as far as I know. Hopefully, the right measures will be taken to commercialize the outcome of the projects.
Let me make the last point here. You should appreciate the opportunity to serve the country through your knowledge. One can serve the country in different ways. However, one of the best ways to serve the country is through knowledge. Different people such as politicians, merchants, businessmen, and those active in different industries also serve the country. But one of the most prominent ways of serving the country is through knowledge. The reasons were previously mentioned. This is because knowledge brings about national power, wealth and grandeur. What you do – studying and rising to high scientific ranks – will count as an act of worship if you have the intention to serve the country. This means that the same thing could be counted as an act of worship or a sin depending on the intention we have in mind. If you remember God, say your prayers sincerely, and have the intention of getting closer to God when praying, then this would count as an act of worship. However, if you say prayers out of hypocrisy, then your prayers would count as a sin. Hypocrisy is a great sin, an instance of which I just mentioned. This means that the intentions we have in mind when doing something are very important. If you make scientific efforts, study, and make efforts to rise to high scientific positions in order to serve the country, the people, and the Islamic Republic, then these would all count as an act of worship.
I hope God Almighty will bestow success on you all. I hope our youth will increase their scientific efforts and research on a daily basis. I hope our faithful and pious youth will be at the vanguard in this great competition among nations. I hope God Almighty will bless you all.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings