The following is the full text of the speech delivered on November 10, 2006 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the outstanding personalities of Semnan province.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
It is a very sweet and pleasant meeting in which a number of outstanding personalities and officials in different sectors of Semnan province have gathered together.
I sincerely thank all the friends who delivered a speech in this meeting. All the statements that you made are really valuable for me and for officials at different levels. I hope that all of us can benefit from your viewpoints and statements.
Personally, I am not satisfied with the number of people who delivered a speech. I liked to see more outstanding personalities - who are present in this meeting from various scientific, cultural, literary and other such areas - deliver a speech so that we would benefit from it and so that its media coverage would show part of the capabilities of this province to our dear people.
I will tell you that in the past, outstanding personalities were not at all treated the way they are treated in the present time. In the past, we did not at all see that a scholar, philosopher, literary personality, poet, young individual and Quranic expert talk to the people on TV so that the people get a chance to know them. After the Revolution, there have been some personalities who have been interviewed a thousand times. Either they or their families members, friends and students have been interviewed a thousand times. When we say "a thousand times", we are not exaggerating. I have some specific examples in mind. During the time of the former regime, they were not respected like this even once.
The former regime did not respect them by letting them speak to the people on TV so that the people get to know their youth, their elderly, their literary personalities, their scholars, their professors and their clergy. The arena was in the hands of some other people. Despite the good tasks that have been carried out in this regard, most of our people are not still familiar with outstanding personalities and the capability of the country to build such personalities. I myself have been in touch - since my youth - with many scientific but not well-known personalities. When I take a trip to provincial cities, some outstanding personalities whom I am not familiar with deliver a speech. Our country is full of prominent and outstanding personalities.
I do not want to say that we should become arrogant because of this. I am saying this so that we know the identity of our people. Our people have the capability to build outstanding personalities in the real sense of the word. There are outstanding women, men, youth and old people in different areas and they are people whose face and voice will never be shown and recorded by any camera and microphone, but they are really outstanding.
I sometimes visit the houses of the great families of martyrs and I see that a number of martyrs' mothers are really intellectual and religious. I have seen them in this place and other places as well. One is deeply moved when one meets them. An outstanding personality is a person who can show his capability with his character, identity and nature and in a modest way. I can see this. There are outstanding personalities all over the country and in all provinces, but we do not know them. It would have been good if 60 people - instead of the six friends, apart from the honorable governor, who delivered a speech - had delivered a speech. I am really interested in listening to this number of people. Unfortunately, time is limited. I recommend that meetings between outstanding personalities where we listen to them be promoted throughout the country. Officials at different levels should carry out this task. Wherever we go, this is part of our plan. However, officials and ministers in all provinces should include this in their plans.
I have no suggestion to offer about the way they should do so. They should see how they can bring outstanding personalities to the arena and how they can know them and introduce them to the people. Primarily, they should be known. Therefore, I am very happy with this meeting. Of course, I came a little - half an hour - late and I apologize to the friends because of this delay. The reason was that after saying prayers, officials - the ministers and officials who have come from Tehran - said that we should prolong the meeting for about 10 minutes so that we come to a conclusion about different matters related to our trip, but their 10 minutes turned out to be 40 minutes. In any case, it took us some time to perform wudhu again and make it to this place.
I would like to say something to the officials who are present in the meeting - both the honorable and dear governor of Semnan, Mr. Hajj Abdul-Vahab and different other officials. Mr. Abdul-Vahab is really a good governor and person. I know about his performance in different areas. I have said this in Semnan before and I have said it to him many years ago when he was the governor of another province. I have also discussed it with other governors and I would like to discuss it with different other officials: what exists on paper and in our minds is different from what may happen in the outside world. Our competence lies in our capability to realize what exists in our minds. It is true that nothing happens as long as we do not have a mental image. So, it is necessary for officials to know what they want to do and what decisions they want to make. However, there is some distance between making decisions, having the desire to reach the goal, and reaching the goal itself and this distance cannot be covered except with determination and diligence.
Yesterday, I mentioned mountain climbing to youth as an example. When we take a look at the peak, we see that some people have reached or almost reached it. When we take a look from the foot of the mountain, we become excited and we desire to reach the peak. But when we take two, three turns, we realize that it is very difficult. Many people come back from the middle of the way. Many of them get tired and stay there. That desired mental image is the peak of the mountain. We need constant work in order to reach it. Officials should pursue this constant work in a sincere, honest and determined way so that - by Allah's favor - it will be carried out.
The present time is not comparable with the pre-revolutionary era. In those days, no one could have thought that it would be possible to carry out this amount of work with such quality, but today, it has been done. You heard about this in the reports that officials in charge of industrial sectors, educational system and higher education delivered. The honorable governor raised certain points as well. Despite these good measures, our capacities are far beyond these things. Did you not hear what they said about deserts? Deserts are only one example. We enjoy great human talents and capacities. The goal should be what I have said many times: the country should be among the first countries in the area of knowledge and the products of knowledge.
I am not saying that this goal should be achieved in five, ten years' time. You can achieve it in 50 years, but it should be achieved and this requires diligence. I will tell you that our people are a people who can achieve it if they move forward. You can be sure about this. Not all peoples are like the people of Iran. Some peoples do not have the talent that our people enjoy. Some peoples do not enjoy the geographical location that we do. Some peoples do not have our cultural past and our cultural heritage. Some peoples are not as talented as we are. So, not all peoples are the same. Our people have the capability - in all areas - to achieve this goal if they show determination and make a decision. This Iran cannot be the kind of Iran that existed during Qajar and Pahlavi eras. This Iran is Iran of the Islamic era. We should be able to stand at the peak of human civilization because it is our right. We should do so because of our Islam, our faith, our talents and because of the fact that we are Iranians. Therefore, I recommend that officials follow up matters in a serious way.
I would like to say to outstanding personalities that being outstanding is really a value. However, as Saadi says, "Duty is fulfilled when the task is completely carried out". It is a value to accompany one's talent by cultivating other people's talents. Our dear outstanding personalities in any area should make efforts to build other outstanding individuals. First of all, they should build themselves.
Human beings do not have limits. One's knowledge can increase on a daily basis. For instance, if he studies more and carries out more research, Dr. Kardovani - who is an expert in his field of study - can acquire more knowledge, let alone youth and those individuals who are just beginning to grow. Dr. Kardovani said that he is 77 years old, but he does not seem to be older than 55. In any case, I believe that building oneself and other individuals is the responsibility of outstanding personalities.
I finish the meeting by expressing my gratitude and making an apology to you. It was a very good meeting. I hope that tonight's good memory will remain in our minds and that it will influence us.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings