Before I start, I would like to mention two points:
One of these honorable friends of mine - whose name I am waiting impatiently to hear so that we get to know each other - made a point which, as it happens, has preoccupied my mind for the past few days. It was about the large amount of clouds and the disproportionate amount of rain in Yazd.
Although it is very cloudy in Yazd, there is too little rain in this province. We were thinking about a solution to this problem. How can we save Yazd from its everlasting thirst? We intended to get a scientific center to investigate this issue so that we could find a way out of this situation.
Of course, some measures have already been taken in this regard. It is a pity that this fertile land has remained intact and these talented people, who are highly motivated to work, are deprived of what they deserve. Therefore, I would like to express my appreciation for your comment and also ask you to write what you said in this regard, sign it, and send me a copy so that I can take the necessary measures.
The second point is about Mr. Azar-Yazdi [an author whose books are very popular among Iranian children], who was kind enough to attend this meeting in spite of his illness. Some time ago, I heard that his efforts were appreciated in a TV program.
Although I am usually pressed for time, I followed that program and listened to his remarks. He said that nobody gave him a word of gratitude before the Islamic Revolution. Having seen that TV program, I made a mental note to tell him something upon seeing him. I thought I would not have the opportunity to meet him in person. As it happens, Mr. Azar-Yazdi is here tonight. The point that I would like to mention is that I feel indebted to this great man for his book. I particularly owe him a lot for edifying my children with his book.
I had a look at his book when it was first published - I think it was initially published in two or three volumes - "Good stories for Good Children". My children were in their early adolescence then. That was the time of dictatorship, and all the means were prepared to demoralize our youth. I felt the need for something moral, and at the same time interesting, to get our youth on the right track. There were many good books. I used to make a list of them and distribute it among university students and the students in secondary school. But we had nothing to offer to young children, until I found this book. I realized that, from several perspectives, it was exactly what I was looking for. I think two or three volumes of the book had been published until then. I bought them.
Then I waited until he published the fifth or sixth volume - I do not exactly remember. I recommended this book, not only to my own children, but also to any other children I knew in my family, for whom I thought it will be useful. That was a token of my gratitude to the author. He bridged a wide gap in our cultural history, and this is so valuable. This verbal appreciation cannot be a good reward for your sincere efforts. May God bless you and reward you for your services.
Tonight's gathering was so enjoyable to me, as it has always been. I always get spiritual satisfaction from the trips in this part of my annual schedule - which is allocated to meeting elites. I enjoy these meetings and feel refreshed. Different trips make me tired, but these act as a break for me.
Tonight is a special occasion. Firstly, compared to other cities in our country, Yazd has donated many elites to our society. Secondly, I remember from my youth that the people of Yazd are really affable and friendly, which was the prevalent mood in this meeting as well. Among the things you mentioned, there were some points that I enjoyed and learnt from. There were also some points I must pursue. I wrote down the main points.
Of course, your remarks have been written down and recorded, and they will be submitted to my office. We will investigate them and, we hope to pursue the important ones.
We have been talking for 3 hours now, and I had better draw a conclusion. Thus, I will mention only 2 or 3 more points. This meeting has an actual facet, an official facet, and a symbolic facet. The actual and official facet is that we must value the elites. I know that not all of the elites of Yazd province are present here, and that you are a selected representative group. I want to give you my word of gratitude and express my gratitude for your efforts in various fields: scientific, artistic, Quranic activities. And activities related to sports, religion, and academic sciences as well as activities related to laborers and other unions, Islamic Revolution, jihad, martyrdom, captivity, and so on. We appreciate your genius in all fields. This is the actual side of the issue. We feel duty-bound to prove this both in words and in practice. And this is the practical side.
The symbolic facet is intended to teach our nation in general, and the government officials in particular, that if they want to achieve their ambitions, they must know the elites and appreciate them. This is the content of our symbolic message. Every symbolic activity should have a content, and that is the content of our activities.
As for you, I should say that being an elite, a scholar, or a poet is an advantage, but the advantage is increased by a thousand times when it is accepted by God. As Sa'di says, "It is acceptable when it is accepted by God". And being accepted by God is not that difficult. Do what you think is beneficial to your country, and the future of your country. Utilize your genius and try your best to serve your people. That is something that is truly for Allah's sake.
There is no need to put your intentions into words and utter them verbally. "God, I am doing this for your sake." Sometime human beings say something in which they do not believe. As God Himself requires us, we must live in a way that brings about God's satisfaction. "The best people among you are those who are beneficial to others." This is the value system of Islam. If you serve people, you can get closer to God. Pious and faithful men know what God wants them to do, and they do it, just for His sake. Therefore, they accomplish their divine mission. This is an important and essential point.
The second point is that, art should preserve its identity, independence, and dignity. You should resolve to preserve those qualities. I do not intend to deny the positive effect of the encouragement and assistance that elites receive from government officials. I have many years of administrative experience in our country, and I know how effective those aids can be. These words are not to free the officials from caring about you. These remarks are to make you independent of their help. You ought to ask them for help, but you must not fully depend on their help.
Developing an original idea, or manufacturing a new product, is a kind of spiritual growth of an elite. The fact that the officials do not appreciate your work must not discourage you. Your criterion should be something beyond their encouragement or discouragement. That is my advice for you. However, it is self-evident that sometimes officials' help becomes vital.
Whether our enemies like it or not, our country is progressing. Whether they accept this fact or deny it, the fact of the situation is that we are progressing. Our enemies cannot deny our advances by their perfectionist criticisms. Our advances are undeniable. Some people are happy with our progress, they deserve to be happier. But there are some others who cannot tolerate our progress, let them die with envy.
You elites must make your own contribution to this progress, a contribution that is proportionate to your genius. We should progress in every field. I am not one of those philistine people who sacrifice poetry or art for the sake of science. As I mentioned before, science is high on our agenda, but we should strike a balance. We must not forget about religion, art, originality, industry, agriculture, foreign affairs, and so on. This is a whole and must not be dismantled. All of these fields ought to progress but in their own separate ways.
Ok, I do not want to keep you any longer. I appreciate those who told us about their views, and apologize to those who did not find the opportunity to talk. I am grateful to all of you, especially those who come from other cities. They were kind enough to come and added warmth to this session. I wish you all good luck and success.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings