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The following is the full text of the speech delivered on October 28, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with participants of the national conference on population change and its role in the different developments of society. The conference was held in Qom on October 31, 2013 and the full text of this speech was read out in this conference.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

The issue of population, which is discussed seriously in society and which is a point of contention, is a very important issue. Without a doubt, as a general policy the country should move towards an increase in population. Of course, this should be done in a reasonable and moderate way. All the criticisms and problems that are expressed in this regard - we have witnessed some of these criticisms and problems - can be answered and resolved.

What is important is that our country with its natural capacities and with its political geography needs a larger population. Moreover, as I said before, the issue of youth is a very important, fundamental and determining issue for the country. According to the research and analysis that experts have carried out and according to the statistics and figures that they have released, if we move forward in this way, our country will suffer from aging in the not too distant future and, in fact, there will be no cure for this malady. No one will have a cure for this malady, not just our country. That is to say, the countries which suffer from aging and infertility today can hardly find a cure for this problem. Naturally, we too will encounter such a problem and we should not let our country reach this point. Of course, considering Islamic principles and ideas and also the political geography of the Middle East region and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the issue of population and population increase are a clear and definite matter.

In my opinion, the conference that you gentlemen organized is one of the good things that have been done. We do not want to address this issue by chanting slogans, adopting a superficial outlook and other such things. We do not want to say, "Say salavat and then be done with it". We want to resolve the issue in a deep and analytical way so that we can clear up doubts in this regard and so that the truth of the matter becomes clear. I believe that we can do this. Our thinkers and experts on the issue of population - wherever they are - can present cogent and proper reasons for population growth. This conference is the first step. It is the preliminary step, but in my opinion, it is more important than passing laws in this regard because creating the proper culture for this issue and many other issues is the most important thing.

This culture should be created but unfortunately, it does not at all exist today although we and other people have said that it should be created. This issue has also been addressed in the Majlis and other people have more or less discussed it. However, cultural work in this area has not been carried out in the proper way.

In my opinion, what you have done is very good and appropriate. But you should not think that it is enough to hold a conference, deliver a speech and then publish a number of articles. This is necessary, but it is not enough. You should benefit from the resources which exist in the country to promote this idea among the people and this idea should be deep, fundamental, reasonable and convincing for anyone. Therefore, this issue should be worked on and you gentlemen have done this.

I usually advise the groups of people who are after organizing a meeting or conference that they should not view these meetings as an end in themselves. Rather, they should view them as an opportunity to pursue the matter so that the result of such meetings and conferences will be appropriate and praiseworthy. And you gentlemen have probably done this because, thankfully, you are wise, you are interested in research and your organization is one that has a good record in such areas. But you should not stop at this point.

You should consider the different aspects of this issue. You should see what things make our society lose interest in bearing children. This lack of interest in bearing children is a malady. Otherwise, one naturally likes to have children. Why do a number of people prefer to have only one child? Why do they prefer to have only two children? Why do women and men avoid - in different ways - having children? You should look at these issues and see what factors play a role in this. You should identify these factors and ask experts and thinkers to think about finding a cure for these pathological factors. I believe that these factors are pathological and problematic.

You should think about different issues such as the issue of late marriage. Without a doubt, one of the factors which reduces fertility is late marriage. Well, this is one of the things which should be thought about in the country. Why do people marry late? Do 17, 18, 19-year-old youth not need to satisfy their sexual needs? We should think about this. Well, on the one hand, they say that these youth have no house, job and income. We should see what we can do so that all these things can happen at the same time. We should not think that one should definitely own a house and have a highly-paid job in order to get married. This is not the case. "If they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace" [The Holy Quran, 24: 32]. This is the Holy Quran which is speaking to us in this way. You should resolve all the existing problems in this regard. The position that you enjoy and conferences like this require that this scientific work be done. That is to say, you should not merely express your thoughts, requests and slogans about this issue. This should really be worked on and it should be done in an intellectual and analytical way.

The factors which play a role in population decline and growth should be analyzed in an appropriate and proper way so that outstanding personalities are convinced. Well, in the present time, the masses of the people are religious and pious. When it is announced that they should have more children, they accept this advice. But outstanding personalities in our society should be convinced of this. They should accept this issue. If outstanding personalities accept this, it will be easy to develop the proper culture. By Allah's favor, the gentlemen in this conference should make efforts in such areas and I hope that you will be successful.

I still believe that our country should not be a country with a population of 75 million. Our country should have a population of 150 million. Of course, this is the minimum figure. We can even speak of higher figures. Considering its vast area, its diverse climate, its infrastructural resources and its potential scientific capability, this country can definitely be a populous country and by Allah's favor, it will manage this population on its own. As we think what happens to a family if it is burdened with four, five children, we should also think how these four, five children can help the country make progress when they grow up and find a job.

There is an outlook in our country which tries to copy western or European lifestyle and which has led to such a situation. This is a legacy which has been bequeathed to us. We too showed negligence in a particular period of time and we did not do what we should have done. This is while today a number of these western countries are suffering from population decline and they are regretful about this. And there are a number of western countries which do not suffer from a decline in population. That is to say, there are large families in these countries such as American families with 10, 12 children. So why should Iranian families - which copy the western lifestyle - have only one child or two children? These things exist in the present time and the reports that we receive reflect these facts. I hope that, by Allah's favor, you will be successful.