A large number of instructors and scholars and researchers of the Islamic seminaries in the cities of Qom and Mashhad and Esfahan called on the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Thursday, November 29.
At the beginning of the meeting, which took nearly four hours, 17 Islamic seminary instructors and scholars expressed their views on various scientific and educational issues of Islamic seminaries.
In an address to the audience, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the fast pace of the development of modern technologies. He stated that foresight and development management and scientific planning and revision of educational texts and policymaking in response to the scientific necessities of Islamic seminaries and delineating the future prospect of Islamic seminaries are among the basic requirements necessitated by the growing trend and increasing influence of Islamic seminaries.
The Leader underlined the importance of institutionalizing foresight in Islamic seminaries and stressed the role that should be played by the High Council of Islamic Seminaries and senior ulama and clergymen in this regard. He added that the heavy responsibility of Islamic seminaries and the clergy toward the people's religiousness causes far-sightedness to be of double significance.
Ayatollah Khamenei also described changes and developments as something certain and unavoidable and also as something necessary for Islamic seminaries, especially with regard to educational and research methods.
"It is not possible to shun changes and developments, but they should be accepted and managed in an appropriate manner, and for this purpose competent management becomes quite essential," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic stressed the significance of policymaking for Islamic seminaries.
"The most significant task to be undertaken by Islamic seminaries is policymaking, and the High Council of Islamic Seminaries, while paying greater attention to policymaking, is expected to delineate the future prospect of Islamic seminaries by utilizing the views of ulama and scholars," the Leader remarked. He added that Islamic seminaries should also establish a planning council well versed in modern scientific planning methods.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the need for the promotion of free thought in Islamic seminaries.
"Islamic seminaries have always been the cradle of free thought and serious scientific discussions. Therefore, the promotion and encouragement of free thought should become the norm for Islamic seminaries, and ground should be prepared for the exchange and tolerance of different scientific views," Ayatollah Khamenei observed.