Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met today with a large group of university students and academic elites. Speaking at the meeting, he stated that rational and lively efforts on the part of the youth to achieve justice and progress in the fourth decade of the Islamic Revolution are the most important duty of the young generation. "The faithful and hardworking young generation must try to generate new ideas through hope, tireless efforts, and appropriate planning. They must try to form an Islamic community that enjoys both material and spiritual progress," he noted. His Eminence said that although 30 years has passed since the victory of the Islamic Republic, the government is still in need of further efforts to build its foundations. He added: "Progress and justice have been declared as the goal and slogan of the fourth decade of the Revolution so that all efforts and plans are in line with these lofty goals."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution clarified the progress intended by the Islamic Republic, saying: "This progress includes spiritual and material aspects. We must try to raise living standards and boost scientific growth. At the same time, we must try to form a community that enjoys justice, Islamic morality, spirituality, deep faith, and increasing motivation."
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need for cautious avoidance of aberrations on the path to progress and added: "The wrong pre-revolutionary orientation - which held up the superficial pursuit of Western ideals as progress - was one of these aberrations. Another aberration is to be hopeless about the progress of the country even without denying the Islamic and Iranian identity of this nation."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also added: "Unfortunately, this aberration is guised under the name of realism, which means that Muslim nations must always emulate the West."
His Eminence referred to the recent scientific progress of the country, further adding: "This wrong idea and this aberration initially led some people to believe that the efforts to achieve the present scientific progress were doomed to failure. But our hardworking and faithful youth have now achieved such a high level of progress in some fields that they are considered to be ahead of the rest of the world."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the most important duty of the young generation is to move ahead in a thoughtful and lively manner in order to form a model Islamic society that enjoys material and spiritual progress. "The student movement is going to shoulder a heavy responsibility in this regard. But the government officials and our elites will have to take on a heavier duty," he noted.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also said that it is necessary to use original ideas in order to achieve genuine progress and help form the ideal Islamic community, further adding: "original ideas must be accompanied by an appropriate orientation, which requires adherence to the principles."
His Eminence described adherence to the principles as the hallmark of true progress and added that observing the principles help guard against aberrations.
Elsewhere in his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei said that clear expression of ideas and avoidance of conservatism are characteristic of university students. "This clear expression of ideas must be accompanied by honesty, and the students must be prepared to admit their mistakes."
The leader of the Islamic Revolution referred the comments by one of the students regarding the ways to realize the ideas of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and added: "We must infer Imam Khomeini's (r.a.) ideas by carefully studying his views and remarks."
He also referred to the comments of some students regarding the IRIB and added: "Just because the head of the IRIB is assigned by the leader does not mean that the IRIB should be immune from criticism. That is because the head of the IRIB is in charge of the entire national media."
His Eminence also added: "I receive many reports about the IRIB from different sources and I have already expressed my criticisms. The officials in charge of the IRIB have responded to my criticisms. Some of their responses are acceptable and some are not acceptable."
At the end of this meeting, the participants said their evening and sunset prayers led by the Leader and broke their fast.