The following is the full text of a speech delivered on October 16, 2005 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with exemplary university students and representatives of student organizations.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I have many things to say when I am among you friendly people. There are many people among you who want to raise points which they believe are interesting. It is a pity that in today's meeting, there is not much time for this. If there was enough time, I would definitely listen to your comments patiently despite my old age and the lack of patience that comes with it. But there is not much time today. The youth who are present in this meeting will have to keep their comments to themselves this time. There are times that one wants to say something but decides to hold one's tongue for some reason. Sometimes this is the right thing to do. It is not a bad idea to practice this once in a while and this meeting would be an opportunity for practice. By Allah's favor, there will be other opportunities and you will be able to say whatever you have in mind.
You dear youth put forth certain proposals in this meeting many of which are noteworthy. These proposals will be collected and evaluated by my office to see what we can do. However, I believe what is and what should be important for our students throughout the country is to see where our country is in the history and geography of the world from a broad perspective. Let us assume that at the bottom of their hearts and in their ambitions, students have gone beyond personal issues, employment and other such things. This does not mean that students do not want employment, marriage and housing. After all, these things are essential for life. Rather it means that the minds of young students are not fixed on trivial and temporary things in life. Their minds fly over these things and go after noble aspirations. From this perspective - which is necessary and an inseparable part of youth and life - what is our position in the history and in political geography of the world? What is the message of Islamic Iran for the world?
Apart from this, if we want to convey this message to the world, what should we do? This is the main point that I would like to discuss with you students. I believe this is the main question for our students.
But what is the answer to the question about our position in the history and political geography of the world? In short, our position is one that requires challenging the ugliness, hardships and pains that have resulted from the domination of wealth, power and corruption over the world. Do not underestimate this. Money and the power that results from it have enlisted even the most subtle and beautiful things in the world. Art is an example in this regard, which was also mentioned by one of the students who spoke in this meeting. Today Hollywood is the most outstanding and capable center for producing movies. What purpose is Hollywood serving? Who interests does it promote? What school of thought and what orientation does it serve? This is not a claim by a person like me who does not know much about the movie industry and barely knows Hollywood, rather those who are experts on such matters say that today performance arts - and Hollywood would be an outstanding example, otherwise the same is true of other movie industries in the world - are at the service of promoting moral corruption, nihilism and lack of identity. They are at the service of violence, at the service of keeping peoples busy with each other so that the privileged few can live without worrying about anything. This is true of the movie industry, which is very advanced. The same is true of poetry, narrative writing, painting and other arts.
Economic powers make use of religion as well. They make use of the church. A couple of years ago, I read a book by an American writer, which has been translated and is available in Iran. In that book, the author explains how powerful governments make use of the church. When I discuss the example of the church, I do not mean that the same cannot happen to mosques. Those who have wealth and power make use of mosques and spirituality as well. It is amazing how money has dominated the world. The consequences include widespread poverty in the world, lack of food for billions of people, wrong and anti-spiritual upbringing of new generations, wars that are imposed on peoples and reducing international organizations to the position of playthings.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an example. Everybody is saying that the International Atomic Energy Agency is an example of an organization that has been reduced to the position of a plaything. This agency is affiliated with the United Nations and it has been created in order to ensure non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Notice how this agency behaves towards different countries. Notice how it discriminates against certain countries. Notice how political factors play a role in it. This is because the agency is dominated by power and wealth. These are instances of the ugliness and great challenges that exist in the world. Who wants to confront them? One man, one political party or one organization does not have the power to confront them. It is only a collective international identity that can stand up against these deadly and devastating waves. Today this collective international identity is in the process of formation and the Islamic Republic is the core. Think about these things. We cannot afford to neglect these issues.
This is why they constantly try to hurt the Islamic Republic. The reason is that we are standing firm. Our resistance is accompanied by hope and it is not out of desperation. Some people who decide to resist announce that they will fight to the last drop of their blood. Of course, if it comes to that we are willing to fight to the last drop of our blood, but we know that it will never come to that.
We have managed to move forward on the path that the Islamic Revolution has determined for us. Centers of political power in the world announce that Iran has become a regional power and that if they do not stop us, we will become a global power. Is this insignificant? Do you think it is insignificant when a political system - which has been established in the name of religion, spirituality, justice and popular support - achieves such a position in the world? And this has happened in a world that is very advanced in terms of science and production of wealth. The system that has been established in our Islamic country has developed roots in other Muslim countries. We enjoy strategic depth in other Islamic countries. When you step into positions of political responsibility in the future and travel to other countries and speak to ordinary citizens in those countries, you will feel this completely.
Currently, the Islamic Republic has a place in the hearts of the Muslim peoples of the world. There are certain things that are very familiar for us. For example, when an Iranian president visits another country, the people of that country welcome his so warmly that it is very hard to imagine the president of any country other than Iran being welcomed so warmly in a foreign country. This is a fact.
The situation was the same when I used to visit foreign countries as President of Iran. The two presidents who were elected after me also travelled to different countries and ordinary citizens expressed their love for them. This is not an achievement for our presidents. It only shows how great our movement is. It shows we have created a great movement in the world. It shows your identity. It shows the identity of the Islamic Republic. It shows the position of our nation. We can challenge the unacceptable pillars which satanic organizations have created for themselves with their massive power. They start wars in the world. They cause famines. They create crises. Sometimes one single capitalist suddenly creates financial crises in several countries. Do you remember the Jewish and American capitalist living in Europe who managed to make Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand bankrupt? Notice how much power money has.
Therefore, economic powers are capable of creating crises. It is economic powers who create crises, wage wars and establish violent and brutal regimes such as the Israeli regime. It is necessary to challenge them. What is it that can challenge them? A vibrant collective international identity that relies on religious faith. It is this collective identity that would prevent humanity from feeling tired. Except for vibrant religious faith, everything else would cause exhaustion in the long run. A collective international identity can challenge those powers, reduce their influence and ultimately eliminate them. By Allah's favor, this goal will be achieved under the just rule of the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his re-appearance). However, we can prepare the ground, only if we have the necessary determination, resistance and wisdom. These things require resistance, courage and power as well as wisdom and acumen. They cannot be completed easily without too much effort, but they are possible and there has already been a degree of success.
The Islamic Republic has already developed nuclear technology. Of course, as I have repeatedly pointed out before, this is only an example. The arrogant powers could not imagine that one day the Islamic Republic would achieve progress in scientific areas. Those of them that could imagine this, did not want such a thing to happen under any circumstances. One of the youth who spoke in this meeting pointed out that at the beginning of the Revolution, there was a lack of university professors, there was a lack of medical doctors, there was a lack of experts. But today our country is scientifically advanced. Of course, this does not mean that we can afford to be less determined now. The amount of progress that we have achieved so far is very little compared to what we can and should achieve.
A few days ago, I had arranged a meeting with university professors. Several university professors from different fields of study stressed a point that has always been one of my firm beliefs: they said that the capacities and capabilities of the Islamic Republic is more than the achievements that have been made. We can make more achievements. This is not our rightful position in the world and we deserve more. All the efforts that are made against us, all the work that is being done to harm us, all the plots that are hatched against us and all the attacks that we are faced with are because of the position we have achieved and the accomplishments we have made. This is the answer to the first question.
The second question is: how can we succeed in the face of this challenge? This is something that is directly related to you dear youth. We need to achieve different kinds of power in different areas. Our primary goal is to achieve scientific power. Our universities are responsible in this regard. One of the gentlemen said in this meeting that we should propose the idea of a nuclear disarmament treaty instead of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which is known as the NPT. This is a very good and interesting idea, but it is easier said than done. An international treaty will not become a reality as a result of a few people discussing and promoting it. It requires a powerful source of support to become an international treaty. America and the Soviet Union - the two superpowers of the time - held meetings and made an agreement to sign a nuclear disarmament treaty, but the treaty did not become a reality because the two sides were not determined to take action. Who can propose the idea of a nuclear disarmament treaty and force countries throughout the world to remain committed to it? Of course, there is no need for military coercion, rather the kind of coercion that is backed by politics, the dominant cultural discourse and a national identity would be enough. Only a powerful country can do such a thing.
You must become powerful. If Islamic Iran manages to reach the same level of scientific progress as the scientifically advanced countries in the world, this will be possible. The reason is that knowledge produces wealth as well as military power and self-confidence. I have repeatedly said before and I will continue repeating that scientific power will be the base and foundation of your nation's power in the future.
It is necessary for both students and university professors to take universities seriously. You should know that there are plots to prevent our universities from working. Your concern is that research centers do not receive funds in a timely way. This problem is one that can be eliminated. It is possible to follow it up and find a solution for it. However, there are people who are making efforts and preparing plots to shut down academic programs and workshops and to discourage students from learning and acquisition of knowledge. It is necessary to counter this plot, which is a responsibility that should be shouldered by our government officials, student organizations and all those who have power and influence in the country.
Dear God, in this month of Ramadan, bring our hearts closer to Yourself. Dear God, preserve the enlightenment that You have bestowed on the hearts of our youth and combined it with sincerity and spirituality. Dear God, answer the prayers of our youth. Grant their requests. This was a point that was raised by one of the friends in this meeting and I would like to stress it in this way: Dear God, strengthen the bond between our young students and the youth of other countries on a daily basis.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings