The following is the full text of a speech delivered on October 28, 2009 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to a group of elites.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
As usual, today's meeting with you dear elites was very enjoyable, and it was very promising. Our educated and scholarly youth, especially those who are committed, are in fact the main source of hope for the country. And meeting with you dear brothers and sisters, my dear children, strengthens this hope not only in my own heart and in the hearts of our government officials but also across our country.
First of all, I would like to say something to the esteemed government officials - the honorable ministers as well as other government officials who are present in this meeting. You should match your plans and perspectives with this reality. This year, what I heard from the young scientific elites was notably better and more profound than what I heard last year from a group of elites. Similarly, what I heard last year from a group of elites was much far better than what I heard ten years ago from our young students and graduates. I have always been in contact with the academic world. As you know, each year I arrange several such meetings with the youth on various occasions. They talk to me and express their views. I have my own evaluation, which is independent of the large-scale and small-scale plans of the country. In my evaluation, there is a tangible difference between what we have today and what we used to have ten years ago. That is to say, progress is easily noticeable. Our esteemed government officials must keep this reality in mind when making plans for the future of the country. The points that were raised by the dear youth here are the exactly the ones that occur to the person who is concerned about the scientific progress of the country and its future. It is obvious that the youth are deeply concerned with the major issues of the country.
As one of the honorable youth said today, "activities should be based on future needs, and this future and these needs have to be outlined and portrayed." Regarding the same issue, another youth said, "We should determine the direction of our movement rather than following the direction set by westerners and solving the puzzles of their future life. We should see what we need and try to fulfill those needs." These are great comments. They are extremely important. These comments are the things that occur to any aware, sympathetic, and committed individual who looks at the scientific progress of the country from a bird's-eye view. However, although this perception is necessary, it is not sufficient. It is important to make plans on the basis of this perception. As some of the honorable elites said, we should promote the culture of being committed to the country among our elites. Our elites should not just have high expectations. Of course it is reasonable to have expectations. Having expectations is not unacceptable, but it is also necessary to feel indebted and responsible. They should ask themselves "what responsibility do I have to shoulder as a member of this nation?" and "what do I have to do?" These are very important. One of the ladies said, "We should think of religious spirituality as a major element of scientific movement, not spirituality that is devoid of religious faith and is in fact delusion rather than genuine spirituality." She is absolutely right. That is one of the main issues that we should pay attention to. If this happens, it will be possible for society to become moral - which is what the dear youth urged here and what I have constantly demanded. That is because it is not possible to move ahead by shouting slogans only. We must move ahead. We must move towards the goal that has been determined.
When I hear these comments from you, I feel more hopeful and I feel assured that this society and government will undoubtedly achieve its goals through this tangible material, spiritual, scientific, and ethical progress. And that is why the Islamic Republic has become immune.
Our friends also touched on the recent events. There are a lot of debates in this regard. Do not think that the IRIB is reflecting all the debates. No, there are many other things. Thankfully, you dear youth are intelligent and gifted, and many realities will gradually be revealed to you. I see that the Islamic Republic has become immune after the recent political events as well as the events of the past thirty years. That is no joke. Do not underestimate the security, espionage, and propaganda power of the different security and propaganda services of the world. Everybody can feel this. Maybe those who do not know much about different political issues are less aware of this reality. Do not underestimate Hollywood. As one of the ladies said, do not underestimate the power of the artistic influence of the west and the highly accurate organization of the elements of western propaganda. All this power as well as their inexhaustible wealth and their political organizations and propaganda machines have been mobilized against the Islamic Republic. You cannot find any other country in the world is the target of so much aggression. And the Islamic Republic is resisting. That is no joke. The strong structure of the Islamic Republic, which has become immune, is resisting. That is no mean achievement. That is not a conspiracy delusion. You dear youth should know this. You should not think that I get annoyed at such comments. No, I get annoyed when I do not hear such comments.
In my meetings with students and academics, I become sad when I notice that some people - for being considerate, respectful, or whatever - do not say some things which they think will annoy me. I do not at all get annoyed when such things are said. I wish there was enough time to talk about this so that I could reveal many of the unspoken realities. Of course I will do this in the future. You should not think that conspiracy against this country is just a delusion. No, that is a fact. Plots are being hatched all around us. The person inside the country who becomes the pivot of a movement along the lines of these plots may not be aware of this.
One needs to be clever to realize this. Some people are not clever enough. I have the experience of being with different people. Some people do not understand whose tune they are dancing to. But whether they understand or not, whether they know it or not, it does not change the fact that these plots are being hatched. However, this country and this government have not grown weak. The scientific community of this country - that is to say, you dear youth - is noticeably more advanced today than it was ten years ago. What is the meaning of this? It means righteousness. It means nobility. This means we have a long historical background. "Do you not see how Allah sets forth a parable of a good word as a good tree?" [The Holy Quran 14: 24] That is our belief. We work devotedly and wholeheartedly.
I do not want to deny the existence of the shortcomings. I know the shortcomings better than many of the critics. But these shortcomings will not be remedied through exposing them to the public. No, there are many problems that will not go away when you make them public. They will be remedied through action, not through words. Words, making uproar, and playing with words will not at all help solve the problems. That was what you saw in the case of the recent electoral issues. Campaigning should legally start one month or twenty days before the elections. But electoral campaigning started before Norouz. Unfortunately, the TV, which is criticized by some people, also reflected the campaigning. I did not give my approval. You should not think that just because I appoint the head of the IRIB, I should see each and every program to be aired by the IRIB and give my seal of approval in advance. That is not the case. I am not pleased with many of the programs broadcast by the IRIB. In particular, I did not want national TV to prematurely reflect some of the electoral trips, the comments that were made, the rallies that were staged, and the debates that were held. Unfortunately, TV broadcast those things three months before the election - which was supposed to be held on June 12 - just to give the impression that we have freedom of expression inside the country! That created uproar in the country. Intellectual uproar is different from appropriate debates.
I suggested that you hold some free debates in universities. Why did you not do so? You should hold free political and intellectual debates in Tehran University, Sharif University of Technology, and Amirkabir University so that some students can go there and express what they think, critique each other's comments, and debate with one another. The truth will be revealed in such debates. The truth will not be revealed when someone throws around criticisms. The truth will not be understood appropriately in this way. Creating intellectual chaos through playing with words will not at all help the country to progress. You should make use of my experience in this regard. What will help the country to progress is genuine freedom of thought - that is to say, freedom of thought and expression, ignoring other people's encouragement and provocations, and not being afraid of being jeered at.
Sometimes you say something and suddenly see all the political observers of the world, who have many evil intentions, burst into applause. You should not be encouraged by this. Do not get carried away. Engage in appropriate and logical debates. Exchange views and then think about them. That is what the Quran recommends. "So give good news to My servants, who listen to the Word, then follow the best of it." [The Holy Quran, 39: 17-18] One should listen to different comments and choose the best, otherwise creating uproar will only result in what you saw after the election. Reflecting the uproar before and after the election would have only led to this, especially when foreigners are involved too. Why do you think the propaganda machines of the world widely report on the events that are not in favor of the Islamic Republic? Why are they doing this? Should we not think about this? Should we not study this? These are what we should pay attention to.
Anyway, the country is making progress. You should not doubt the fact the country is making progress. Our past plans have undoubtedly had their own flaws, but the final outcome of all of these positive and negative points is what you see today. Our youth have made progress in terms of scientific knowledge, political insight, and religious orientation in their thoughts. What our youth said today about spirituality, religion, independence, and relying on western plans and predictions - which are now commonplace among your discussions - used to be considered among intellectual and prominent comments a short time before your era. But these things are commonplace in our society today. Is it not progress? We are making progress. Of course we have a lot of enemies, and there are many obstacles to be overcome. If it had not been for the obstacles, we would not be so experienced. Our Islamic society and the Islamic Republic would not be so experienced. There are obstacles to be overcome. Walking on a flat surface will not strengthen one's muscles. In order to strengthen one's muscles, one must go climbing and try to overcome obstacles. Our society has been doing this, and it will do so in the future. You should know that today's young generation cannot be stopped.
Let me give you a piece of advice now. Knowledge is the secret behind the progress of the country. That is to say, knowledge constitutes the pivot of a country's power, power accompanied by progress. Science, scientists, students, and scientific environments are the target of many of the plots hatched today against the Islamic Republic. You should keep this in mind. Do not let the enemy's arrow hit its target. Do not let scholarly work stop. Among all the comments that were made here, knowledge and research are the most important. The wealth of the western world is the result of its knowledge. Its power is the result of its knowledge. Its current bullying is because of the knowledge it has. Money does not in itself bring about power. Knowledge is what brings about power. Today if America did not enjoy this level of scientific advances, it could not bully other countries in the world the way its does now. It could not interfere in global affairs. Power can only be gained through knowledge. You should attach a lot of importance to knowledge. That is why I have for years emphasized the issue of knowledge, research, progress, innovation, and pushing back the boundaries of knowledge. It is not possible for the country to become powerful in the absence of knowledge. Knowledge brings about power.
They suggested that the nuclear sites of Iran should be bombed. One of the political figures of the world said that Iran's knowledge cannot be bombed. I do not want to mention his name here. Of course everybody knows him, and his statement was broadcast in the world. He was right. For all his lies, he was right this time. Even if they bomb Natanz and Isfahan's Uranium Conversion Facility, how do they want to bomb our knowledge? As you see, knowledge brings about immunity and power. Take care not to let them cause disruptions in your universities, classrooms, research centers, and research projects. Whenever you see someone causing disruptions, you should be suspicious of him or her. They have targeted your power and your future.
There are many things I would like to tell you, especially the youth. I think the point that was raised today by the artist is very important. As she said, some people may determine the taste of western markets regarding, for instance, paintings, and then sponsor those kinds of paintings in order to encourage our painters to fulfill western needs. The same is true of film-making. In film festivals, they may nominate the films that are in line with their wishes. Similarly, the same thing goes for our scholarly work, our papers published in ISI journals, and the area of research in our research centers. Unfortunately, "sponsors" allocate financial aids to different areas in order to steer research towards those areas. Keep this point in mind. That is one of the prerequisites for scientific independence of the country. That is a prerequisite for independent scientific movements, artistic movements, and, more appropriately, political movements.
Another piece of advice I would like to give you is that your talent is a great blessing. And just as you thank Allah for such blessings as health and life, so you need to be thankful to God for being talented as well. Blessings are bestowed on us by God. You should be thankful to Him for this blessing. Keep this advice in mind. There are many blessings that we tend to ignore. But when we suffer from the lack of these blessings, we become aware of them. Being young is a blessing. When you grow old, you come to realize the importance of this blessing. Being talented and intelligent is a great blessing. One must be thankful to God for this blessing as well. What does it mean to be thankful to God? Being thankful has three elements. First, one should recognize the blessing one enjoys and not ignore it. Second, one should know that the blessing is bestowed by God, that it is a divine gift to man. Third, one should utilize the blessing in an appropriate way. Being talented is a blessing that has to be utilized in the right way. That is what will awaken the spirit of commitment in human beings - commitment to one's society, to the future of one's country, and to the great facilities that give rise to talents and intellectuals in the first place. That is how one should be thankful for this blessing. No one should consider himself or herself as an island, isolated from society. People should not think that they have to turn their spiritual wealth into material wealth once they have gained it. That is not the right attitude. Spiritual wealth has to be spent for the sake of the country's future.
I would like to give a piece of advice to government officials as well. First and foremost, government officials are advised to be thankful to God. They should be thankful to God for our elites. Again, being thankful has the same three elements. First, as government officials, we should identify the elites. Second, we should know that these elites are a blessing and that they have been bestowed on us by Allah. Third, we should make use of the honorable elites and their precious talents in an appropriate way.
Now I would like to talk about the comments that the dear youth made here. As I said, there are many things to talk about. When criticizing the unfairness of an organization or a person, we ourselves should not be unfair. We should keep that in mind. Is the IRIB reflecting the real situation of the country? No, it is presenting an incomplete picture of the situation. There are many prominent and great advances that the IRIB fails to reflect. The reason is that you who are in contact with different events are not aware of many realities of the country and many of the advances made in the country. That is a flaw in the IRIB, otherwise if the IRIB could appropriately reflect the realities of the country - the way the national TV of western countries make their lies appear true, using their great experience and artistic means - our young generation would be far more committed to its country, religion, and the Islamic Republic. That is the criticism I would level against the IRIB. If the IRIB could reflect the situation of the country in an appropriate way, its viewers would be by far happier than they are now. Many things are being done in the country that would make the people happy if they were reflected. These good pieces of news are not just limited to scientific areas. There are good pieces of news in social and political areas as well. Many people - I mean, most people - are not aware of this. I often complain to government officials why they cannot announce their achievements. Appropriate public relations is an art, especially if it is done in an artistic way. They lack this ability.
A criticism that I usually level at some people is that they give foreigners the benefit of the doubt, while they doubt whatever they hear from our own sources. Why? This approach is harmful. It is not right. This approach has to be rectified. Of course you competent youth will, by Allah's favor, enter different arenas and take control the publicity areas of the country.
The same is true of our press. I normally take a look at 16 or 17 newspapers a day. Not that I read all of them. I just look at the headlines and usually read the parts that I find worthy of attention. Many of our newspapers are unfortunately weak in reflecting the realities, and they act unfairly when they distinguish between primary and secondary issues. We should think of the recent events in terms of primary and secondary issues. We should identify the main issue. There are some other issues around the main issue that are of secondary importance. This is not to say that secondary issues are not important, but the main issue is more important. The main issue in the recent events was the election itself. Questioning the election was the most serious crime that was committed. Why do you close your eye to this crime? So many efforts were made to draw the people to the ballot boxes, and a new record was set in democracy, something that they constantly claim to support. And then some people claimed that the election was fake right after the election day without presenting any reasons. Is that a minor offense? We should be a little fair in the case of these events.
The enemy made the best of these events. Some people inside the country, who were opposed to the Islamic Republic since the beginning, grabbed the opportunity. Their enmity is not something new. They have been opposed to the Islamic Republic for thirty years. When they noticed that some elements of the Islamic Republic were leading the way, they stepped in and grabbed the opportunity. And you saw what happened. In the early hours [of the post-election turmoil], I sent some private letters to the gentlemen who were leading the way. When I said those things in Friday prayer sermons, it was not the first time I was making those comments. I had already issued some private letters and recommendations. But when you have no choice, you may be forced to say some things in public. I sent them private letters. I told them that they were starting something that would slip out of their hands in the end. I told them that other people would take advantage of the situation. As you saw, some people did take advantage of the situation later on. They crossed out "death to Israel" and "death to America". What was the meaning of that? Those who enter political arenas should be able to act like a professional chess player and predict the next 3-4 moves whenever they make a new move. They should be able to predict their opponents' move. They should think ahead and see what they should do next. If you see that you will be trapped in your next move, you should not make the move you are planning to make. But if you do, it means you are an amateur, to put it politely. It means you are not good at this job, this game, and this move.
They do not understand what they are doing. They simply make a move without knowing how they will be trapped in their next moves. They do not understand that their move will lead to their checkmate. They should have calculated these things. That was the main point. Questioning the election and lining up a group of the people - who did not have any ulterior motives and who had appropriately entered the arena of the election according to their beliefs - against the country and the Islamic Republic are not a minor offense. If you are fair, you should see those secondary moves and issues. You should keep the importance of those secondary issues in mind. But at the same time, you should take the greater importance the primary issue into consideration as well.
Of course, in my meetings with you dear elites, I feel bad when I discuss something other than scholarly and spiritual things and when I do not provide you with advice. I do not like to talk about other things and discuss political issues. But today I was forced to say what I said. The student also complained that they do not criticize the Leader. Tell them to criticize me. I did not say that no one should criticize me. I have no objections. I welcome criticisms. Of course they do criticize me sometimes. This is not a good time to explain. Criticisms are being voiced. Many criticisms are leveled at me. I receive criticisms, and I understand them.
I hope Allah the Exalted will lead us in the direction He wants, the direction that He is satisfied with. And I hope He will make your future better than your past and make you a source of honor for your country. You who are young will see your country at the peak of power one day, and I hope you will have a good memory of me.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings