The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei received hundreds of professors and staff members of various Iranian universities and higher education centers across the country on Monday, October 1.
Speaking at the meeting, the Leader stated that the country's progress and dignity and national-Islamic identity are contingent on earnest efforts in the field of science and research. He also emphasized that religious thought should be enhanced at universities by constant presentation of new, profound, well-reasoned and convincing Islamic views.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the annual meeting with university professors as indicative of the high regard in which scientists and researchers are held under the Islamic Republic of Iran. He noted that the views that are expressed by professors and researchers at such meetings will help the country's decision-makers to take appropriate decisions and measures to promote academic research and accelerate the country's scientific progress.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic referred to Iran's glorious history and civilization.
"If we had kept up the pace of our scientific advancement in the early Islamic era, today the Iranian nation would be at the summit of scientific progress in the world. However, for various reasons our country was held scientifically backward. Today, considering the competent government that is in office, and in view of the awareness and vigilance of our nation and the presence of elites and intellectuals on various scenes, we are expected to make every effort to compensate for this great damage," the Leader told the audience.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that the 20-Year Perspective Document has provided an appropriate blueprint for the country's genuine progress and development. He stressed that relevant government officials are expected to draw up executive plans to accomplish all the objectives that have been envisioned in the above document, including the objective of turning Iran into an inspiring scientific authority in the region and the whole world.
The Leader also underlined the country's need for a comprehensive scientific map. He called on the High Council of Cultural Revolution to prepare the map as soon as possible by inviting the cooperation of scholars and elites, so that the planning for the Iranian universities will be done based on this scientific map.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized the significance of academic research, describing it as the motive power of the country's educational and scientific sectors.
"If we do not take the issue of research more seriously, we will continue to face the problem of reliance on foreign scientific sources because of our country's lack of scientific and academic independence," Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.
He further stated, "Of course we will continue with our interaction and scientific exchange with major scientific and academic centers of the world and, as was previously said, we would not refrain from gaining new scientific knowledge. However, we do not want to remain disciples and followers forever, and we would like to reach such a point as to play an influential role in our scientific exchange with other nations."
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Republic called for the enhancement of religious thought at universities and academic centers. He noted that the higher education officials should try to promote a religious atmosphere at universities, and he called on the clergymen active in academic centers to try to enhance religious thought at the higher education centers through the constant presentation of new, profound, well-reasoned and convincing Islamic views.
"It is possible to attract the hearts through strong logic, self-confidence and trust in the power of Islamic reasoning, as it recently happened at Columbia University," the Leader added.
Ayatollah Khamenei further referred to the arrangements that had been made by the American officials prior to President Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia University.
"The activation of all their media facilities and the regrettable and unacademic behavior of the president of Columbia University were aimed at angering or humiliating President Ahmadinejad, so that they could use this incident as a pretext for their later smear campaign. However, by the favor of Allah, and because of our president's appropriate use of the logic that has been recommended by Islam and his trust in this strong logic, the result of the meeting turned out to be contrary to what had been expected, and those who were present at the meeting also praised and approved of this logic," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience.
The Leader noted that the issues that were raised by President Ahmadinejad at Columbia University will give rise to many questions in the minds of the students who were present at the meeting. He predicted that those issues will be discussed in the American academic circles.
Further in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei described the logic and viewpoint of Islam on different issues as attracting the hearts and minds of human beings.
"Today, a basic vacuum has been created in the Western world, and the answers provided by liberal democracy are not able to fill this vacuum. However, Islam is possessed of strong logic in its real sense and presents a new and attractive and vigorous discourse in the world of thoughts and views," the Leader observed.
Ayatollah Khamenei called on the clergymen in charge of the Leader's representative offices at Iranian universities and higher education centers to expound on the Islamic tenets and principles with strong logic and reasoning in order to prevent the creation of any mental vacuum for students and intellectuals.
At the end of the meeting, which took nearly two hours, the university professors and academics said their evening and night prayers, which were led by Ayatollah Khamenei. Afterwards, they broke their fast in the presence of the Leader of the Islamic Republic.