The chief purpose of the Islamic Republic is to follow an Iranian-Islamic paradigm of progress. We do not desire the type of progressive manner used by the West. Western-style progress has no appeal for today's well-informed human. The progress made by developed countries in the West could not eradicate poverty: it could not eliminate discrimination; it could not administer justice in a society; it could not preserve morality. Primarily, this type of progress was founded on oppression, colonialism, and the looting of other countries. During this meeting, one of the gentlemen raised certain points in regards to the attack of the Portuguese on Iran; well, it was not only Iran: in Eastern Asia, the Portuguese and the Dutch raided many countries. But how large are the Netherlands, or Portugal and Spain, or England? How significant are their historical and scientific values? They grabbed the entire great Asian and African continents and clenched them in their fists. These continents were centers of wealth.
You should review the details in Jawaharlal Nehru's book "Glances at World History." He writes at length about the scientific and technological achievements of India before the British entered his country. Before I read anything in comparison to what was written by a well-informed man like Nehru Nehru--who book at a time when India was occupied by the British--I was unaware of such events. Visualize a country, like India, which was moving in a wise, appropriate, and scientific direction; but the British came along and occupied it with the help of science and weapons. Then, they killed people, destroyed and robbed its resources, and imposed themselves on this country almost immediately; they took resources of wealth out from India and invested them in their own countries: they made huge investments in this manner. That is how British occupied America--with riches, they stole from India.
Before American independence, when the British crown had control over U.S. states, the main source of income for English merchants came from a method of trade, conducted from the Indian Subcontinent to American coasts. This came to an end as a result of a confrontation between American civilians and Englishmen. Of course, it was not Native Americans who confronted them: this mission was carried out by English and Spanish immigrants and other immigrants. British domination over the U.S. came to an end, because of a war waged by Americans and because of American Independence. So, the English founded their civilization upon sucking the blood out of other nations.
Among their various other achievements: they could neither end oppression nor prohibit discrimination in their own country; nor could they promote welfare in underdeveloped countries. Today, you bear witness to conditions that these countries face: economically, socially and morally. You can see the decline of morality and this quagmire of decadence in the West: the progress of Western civilization is such and it has such characteristics. We do not, at all, accept it. We desire our own appropriate and ideal paradigm: which is an Islamic-Iranian paradigm; which originates from Islamic guidance; which benefits from Iranian traditions and requirements. It is an independent paradigm.
Ayatollah Khamenei, Aug 6, 2013
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