Thousands of high school students from different towns and cities across the country who were members of the association of student Islamic societies called on the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Wednesday, May 9.
In an address to the audience, the Leader described the Iranian youngsters as faithful, dynamic, full of aspirations, talented, self-confident and innovative. He stressed that at the present stage of the Iranian history that the great Iranian nation has raised the banner of spirituality and is taking great strides toward the summits of scientific progress and material welfare, the main responsibility for the great edifice of the civilization and progress of the Iranian nation rests with the young generation.
Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the dark era when oppressive rulers governed the country and prevented the talented Iranian youth from fulfilling their potential and thus caused the Iranian nation to lag behind the advanced nations in science and technology.
"Under those hard conditions, some prominent personalities prepared the ground for the awakening of the Iranian youth and caused the inception of the Islamic movement through their warnings and important measures. This was the case until Imam Khomeini caused a great and fundamental change in the country through his firmness of purpose and divine leadership and through his mobilization of the young generation," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic pointed out that the human beings in the world, especially the people in the West, have become fed up with materialism. He added that the powers dominating the world are trying to stop human beings from treading the path of spirituality.
"In this kind of world the Iranian nation, which benefits from considerable material resources and remarkable spiritual wealth, especially numerous young talents, has raised the banner of spirituality and declared that it intends to lead human beings to prosperity and welfare and security and progress and independence through adherence to spiritual values, and it has proved that achieving this goal is quite possible," the Leader observed.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that arrogant powers are trying to create political and economic obstacles in the way of the Iranian people's progress in order to prevent the Iranian nation from accomplishing this objective.
"The reason for their opposition is that the achievement of this goal will undermine the ideological and intellectual foundations and methodology of the Western world and pose a serious challenge to the global arrogance. However, the Iranian people who enjoy strong will and firm determination are going to continue treading their path," Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Republic described as 'decisive' the role played by youngsters in the Iranian nation's progress and material prosperity and spiritual salvation. He added that the enemies are making every attempt to deprive the Iranian youngsters of their faith and self-confidence and enthusiasm and creativity and dynamism and turn them into ineffective elements.
"Despite all these attempts, the Iranian young community is an active and faithful and lively community," the Leader remarked.
Ayatollah Khamenei further stated that the members of student Islamic societies are tasked with a double responsibility. He explained that in addition to playing their role in the country's progress as youngsters, the members of student Islamic societies should, through their words and deeds, also act as a guide to other youngsters who may be treading a wrong path.
The Leader referred to the obtaining of knowledge, self-purification and engaging in sports and taking physical exercise as the main factors contributing to the youngsters' success and progress.
"The establishing of ties with Almighty Allah, saying one's prayers with complete concentration, the deepening of one's religious beliefs, acting with good manners, respecting and obeying one's parents, displaying a sense of responsibility, making efforts to obtain scientific knowledge, boosting one's power of thought and wisdom, taking part in group activities that serve the public and engaging in sports and taking physical exercise in one's youth, which is the golden era of one's life, will not only help to give a proper shape to one's human identity, but they will also serve as a precious asset to one's entire lifetime and an eternal treasure for the hereafter and the life after one's death, which is one's real life," the Leader told the audience.
In conclusion, Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the future of the country belongs to the young generation. He placed emphasis on the fact that in a not-too-far future the Iranian youngsters will definitely be living in a wonderful world which will be the outcome of the efforts that are being made by them at the present time.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Leader's representative in the association of student Islamic societies and the director of the National Youth Organization Hojjatoleslam Aliakbari presented a report about the activities of some 12,500 student Islamic societies in more than 270 towns and cities across the country.
Hojjatoleslam Aliakbari also noted that the association of student Islamic societies has nearly 412,000 members.