Whenever I have a meeting with talented and brilliant youngsters, I consider the meeting a very pleasant occasion. The reason is that the future of our county or any other country depends on its youngsters. The dear youngsters who are present at this meeting have tried hard and brought honor and dignity to our country through their creativity and innovation. I am grateful to every one of them.
Our gifted and brilliant youngsters belong to the great Iranian nation and its deep-rooted and glorious historical identity. Great injustice was done to the Iranian nation and to our national identity for long years before the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The remarkable talent and potential that our dear youngsters have were also possessed by the previous generations. However, encouragement, motivation and self-confidence are needed in order for this potential to be fulfilled and developed. But the ruling regimes before the revolution did not take any steps in this direction.
The officials of the former Pahlavi regime pursued certain policies that were aimed at suppressing the young generation's talent and potential and preventing the fulfillment of their potential. This reason for what they did was clear, since they believed that the Iranian nation should always remain dependent on outside powers, the powers that dictated such policies to the officials of the Pahlavi regime.
Who brought Pahlavi regime to power in Iran? Who installed Reza Khan as ruler in this country? Today, the answers to these questions are quite clear, since today everybody knows that Reza Khan was brought to power by the British, who also deposed him when they felt he could no longer serve their purposes, and who instead brought his son Mohammad-Reza to power in Iran. This is one of the clear chapters of our contemporary history.
Those who installed Pahlavi rulers in this country also tried to keep them dependent on themselves through certain policies. When Mosaddeq's movement, which was a national movement, took place in Iran, it was the British rather than Pahlavi regime that felt the most threatened. And when the British noticed that they were not able to cope with Mosaddeq alone, they invited the Americans to interfere in the situation in Iran.
The United States intervened and turned into the dominant power in this country. An American official with a suitcase full of dollars came to our country and overthrew the national government by creating a superficial crisis. Consequently, Pahlavi regime managed to bring the situation under control.
The documents indicating this interference are now available to the public. Unfortunately, our youngsters do not have enough time to look into these documents. But they should be informed about the policies of the United States and Britain toward Iran and the history of their intervention in our country.
The foreign ministries of those countries have now published the documents of their interference in Iran. In those documents, the names of their officials who brought to power the first and second Pahlavi rulers in this country have been specified. Also, the name of the American official who came to Iran with a suitcase full of dollars has been mentioned. Even the plot that was hatched in the U.S. to overthrow the national government in Iran has been clearly explained.
The independence and self-confidence of the Iranian nation will deal a blow to the illegitimate interests of expansionist and interventionist powers. Dependence on outside powers is a lethal poison to any nation. The antidote to this poison comprises awareness, intellectual and scientific independence, self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Naturally, these powers are making every effort to prevent the Iranian nation from getting access to this antidote.
There is strong evidence proving that for long years, Pahlavi regime followed the policy of creating obstacles in the way of the fulfillment of the potential of our brilliant youngsters and the progress and development of our nation.
Of course before Pahlavi regime, Qajar rulers also did the same thing. But they did so due to their ignorance and negligence and because of their lack of familiarity with modern science. Perhaps there were certain politicians in Qajar period who were manipulated by outside powers and who served their interests.
This is what happened to our nation in pre-revolution era, the era in which great oppression and injustice was done to the Iranian nation. The Islamic Revolution put an end to that oppression, but this is not enough.
The mere removal of obstacles to the progress and development of a nation is not enough for the fulfillment of the noble aspirations of that nation. The accomplishment of a nation's ideals is contingent on several factors, the first of which is the support and assistance extended by state organs and government officials.
You have witnessed the great achievements of our youngsters over the past decade. Ten years ago, our students did not accomplish so many achievements in different scientific Olympiads, and there was not so much innovation and creativity in our academic circles. Out gifted and talented young generation is making progress at a rapid pace.
Last week, I told a group of youngsters that the Iranian nation should attain such a high level of scientific progress and development that scholars and scientists in some other parts of the world will find it necessary to learn the Persian language if they intend to grasp a new scientific theory.
The second factor contributing to the accomplishment of the lofty goals of a nation, which is also a very important factor, relates to young generation. Our youngsters should try to further strengthen their spirit of inquest, hope, self-confidence and the belief that 'we can'.
There is a common proverb among Arab nations which says "the strongest proof that something is possible is its occurrence." Likewise, the strongest proof that the young Iranian generation is able to open new frontiers in science and technology and introduce innovations - something which I have often emphasized over the past years - is the scientific and technological progress that Iranian youngsters are currently making in various areas. The success of Iranian students in scientific Olympiads is just one example of such accomplishments.
Nevertheless, most of the Iranian people are not informed of these achievements. I insist that relevant state organs and the media publicize the scientific and technological accomplishments of our talented and brilliant youth.
Before the revolution, Iranians could not build dams or power plants. They could not even understand sophisticated technologies, let alone developing them. But today the Iranian nation, thanks to its brilliant youngsters, has developed the most sophisticated and cutting-edge technologies and made great headway in the field of science.
The accomplishments of the Iranian people in various areas of science and technology are indebted to their self-confidence and self-reliance, the qualities that were infused in them by the Islamic Revolution. The revolution also prepared the ground for the fulfillment of the potential of our young people and the flourishing of their talents.
Pessimism and nurturing no hopes of progress is a lethal poison. Before the revolution, the politicians of the time, most of whom were even academic figures, poisoned the minds of our young generation with the wrong belief that Iranians were not able to attain progress and development.
Today, Iranian youngsters have shown that they are able to make remarkable scientific progress. They are even capable of opening up new horizons in science and technology. But of course we do not expect this to happen over the next five or ten years, as certainly more time is needed to accomplish this goal.
In a previous meeting, I told a group of youngsters that our talented youth should keep up their efforts and persevere in their scientific research and studies, so that in the next fifty years our country will be able to present the most advanced technologies and scientific theories in various areas to the world.
Therefore, the present achievements of Iranian youngsters in various scientific fields are just the initial steps and a prelude to greater accomplishments, and greater strides should be taken in this direction. Our youngsters should always bear in mind that their present accomplishments indicate that they are capable of reaching the peaks of scientific and technological progress through greater efforts and perseverance.
In general, attaining real progress and development depends on two major factors: scientific knowledge and religious faith. Scientific knowledge without religious faith will cause many problems for mankind. The same is also true about religious faith without scientific knowledge.
I have often said at such meetings that during the Sacred Defense era, foreign countries did not sell us even simple things like rocket-propelled grenades or barbed wire. But our youngsters in those years managed to manufacture one of the most advanced rockets, which were used on the battlefields in the defense of our country against foreign aggression.
The talented Iranian youngsters in the army and particularly in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps performed great tasks. Above all, they repelled Iraqi aggression and restored security to our country. Thanks to their endeavors, today there is a secure and suitable atmosphere for your scientific and intellectual activities.
You should try to deepen your faith and trust in Almighty Allah and seek assistance from the Almighty in whatever you do. Religious faith plays a major role both in your personal achievements and also in the progress and development of our nation. Also, you should make every effort to obtain scientific knowledge and increase your scientific capabilities.
Our young generation today, like a mountain-climber who is at the foot of a mountain, should continue its advancement toward the peaks of scientific achievements with firm will and determination. This noble aspiration and lofty objective can be accomplished through long-term planning, perseverance and tireless efforts.
Besides, you should always bear in mind that the favorable conditions for scientific activities that exist in our country today owe their existence to the struggle and self-sacrifice of those young people who sacrificed their lives in the Sacred Defense era. Most of the martyrs of the Sacred Defense were brilliant high school or university students. You should commemorate and express gratitude to those legends of jihad and martyrdom.
Today, our nation is deprived of the scientific talents and capabilities of those youngsters. But by sacrificing their lives in defending our country during the years of the Iraqi imposed war they rendered much more valuable services to our nation, since they safeguarded our country's independence and territorial integrity and restored our security.
I pray to Almighty Allah to assist you and bestow success on you all. The officials of the government are also expected to perform their duties and extend the necessary assistance with regard to your scientific and intellectual activities.
I hope you will shine in the world with more scientific achievements and technological accomplishments and, thus, bring further honor and glory to our nation. I also hope you will make greater contributions to the progress and development of our country.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings