Statements in Meeting with Members of the University Basij Scientific Committee

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I am very grateful and very pleased that friends have arranged this good meeting. This gathering is, in fact, a symbol of a specific combination of knowledge and faith; university professors with a divine Basij spirit embody the combination of knowledge and faith. The session was also a warm and good one. I listened carefully to the statements of the friends - those who spoke are our sages - and they presented good suggestions; of course, some of these suggestions are related to the government - the honorable ministers and officials are present, and the government agencies should follow them - while some suggestions are broader and beyond the scope of executive bodies, which we should think about and, God willing, utilize and implement.

The suggestion regarding naming the day of martyrdom of martyr Chamran as "Basij of Professors" and "Basij Professors" seems to me to be a meaningful and profound suggestion. The late martyr Chamran was truly a model and embodiment of what we desire for the upbringing of our youth and our university students to move towards. It is worth mentioning.

And the right of this dear martyr necessitates that we say a few words about martyr Chamran. First of all, this martyr was a scholar; he was an outstanding and very talented individual. He himself told me that at the university in the United States where he was studying at the advanced levels - as far as I remember, he was one of the top two students in that university and that department and that field - he described the professors' interactions with him and his progress in scientific work. He was a full-fledged scholar. At that time, the level of his passionate faith was such that he abandoned the name, bread, position, title, and seemingly rational worldly future and went to join Imam Musa Sadr in Lebanon, engaging in jihad activities; this was during a period when Lebanon was going through one of the bitterest and most dangerous times in its history. We were hearing news from Lebanon in 1978. The streets of Beirut were barricaded, there was provocation from the Zionists, and some from within Lebanon were assisting; a strange and sorrowful situation prevailed there, and the scene was very chaotic and mixed.

At that time, a tape from the late Chamran reached us in Mashhad, which was our first introduction to him. There was a two-hour lecture on this tape in which he explained the situation in Lebanon and what was happening there. It was very interesting for us; with clear insight, a completely transparent political perspective, and an understanding of the arena - what was happening in that chaotic scene, who was facing whom, who had motives for continuing the internal slaughter in Beirut - he had filled these insights into a two-hour tape and sent it, which reached us. He went there and took up arms. Later, it became clear that he also had a political vision and understanding and that he possessed the fog-lamp of the era of sedition. Sedition obscures the space like a thick fog; a fog-lamp is necessary, which is insight. He fought there; after the revolution succeeded, he made his way back here.

From the very beginning of the revolution, he was present in sensitive arenas. He went to Kurdistan and actively participated in the wars there; then he came to Tehran and became Minister of Defense; after the war began, he set aside the ministry and other government positions and came to Ahvaz, fought, and stood firm until he was martyred on June 31, 1981. For him, position was not valuable, the world was not valuable, and the appearances of life were not valuable.

He was not a dry person who did not understand the pleasures of life; on the contrary, he was very delicate, had good taste, and was a first-class photographer - he told me that he had taken thousands of photos, but he was never in those photos; because he was always the photographer - he was an artist. He had a pure heart; he had not studied theoretical mysticism; perhaps he had not been trained in any monotheistic school or practical path, but his heart was seeking God; a pure heart, God-seeking, engaged in supplication, and engaged in meaning.

He was a fair person. You must know the story of Paveh, where martyr Chamran and a few of his companions were besieged on the heights after several days of fighting; the counter-revolutionaries had surrounded them, and they were close to reaching them when Imam became aware of the situation, and a radio message from Imam was broadcast that everyone should go towards Paveh; this message was broadcast at 2 PM; at 4 PM, I witnessed in the streets of Tehran that trucks and pickups were filled with ordinary and military people from Tehran and all other cities, heading towards Paveh. After the Paveh incident, when martyr Chamran returned to Tehran, in a meeting we attended, he reported to the then Prime Minister that there had been an emotional connection between them for a long time. In that meeting, martyr Chamran said: "When the Imam's message was broadcast at 2 PM, as soon as the Imam's message was broadcast and before any news of the people's movement reached us, we felt as if the siege had been lifted." He said: "The presence of the Imam and the decision of the Imam and the message of the Imam were so effective that as soon as the Imam's message arrived, it was as if all that pressure had ended for us; the counter-revolutionaries lost their morale, and we became invigorated and attacked and broke the siege and managed to come out." At that point, the then Prime Minister became angry and reproached martyr Chamran, saying: "We did all this work, we made all this effort, why do you attribute all this to the Imam?!" He did not consider any considerations; he was fair. Although he knew that this statement would create grievances, he said it.

For him, presence was a permanent matter. We went from here together to Ahvaz; at the beginning of our journey to the front, we went together. We entered Ahvaz in the darkness of night. Everything was quiet. The enemy was stationed about eleven or twelve kilometers from the city of Ahvaz. He had gathered sixty or seventy people with him from Tehran and brought them; but I was alone; we had all gone there on one C-130 plane. As soon as we arrived and received a brief military report, he said: "Everyone get ready, put on your clothes so we can go to the front." It was around nine or ten at night. Right there, without wasting time, they brought military uniforms for those who were with him and did not have military clothing; they all put them on and went. Of course, I asked him if I could come too? Because I did not think I could participate in the military battle. He encouraged me and said: "Yes, yes, you can come too." So I took off my clothes right there, put on a military uniform - of course, I had a Kalashnikov that I picked up - and we went with them.

From that very first hour, he started; he did not allow any time to be wasted. You see, presence is this. One of the characteristics of the Basij and the Basij movement is presence; not being absent where we should be present. This is one of the foremost characteristics of the Basij.

On the day of the liberation of Susangerd - as you know, Susangerd had been occupied; it was liberated for the first time, then occupied again; the second time, a movement was made, and it was liberated - a lot of effort was made to organize our forces - the army forces, which at that time were under the command of others - to come and participate in this attack and agree to enter this attack. The night before the attack was to take place from Ahvaz towards Susangerd, around one after midnight, we were informed that one of the units that was supposed to participate in this attack had been removed. Well, this meant that the attack would either not take place or would be completely unsuccessful. I wrote a note to the commander of the division in Ahvaz, and martyr Chamran also signed it - recently that respected commander came and framed our note and gave it to me; a nearly thirty-year-old keepsake; now that paper is in our possession - and until around one o'clock after midnight, we were together, and efforts were being made to ensure that this attack would definitely take place the next day. Then I went to sleep, and we separated.

Early in the morning, we got up. The military forces - the army forces - moved, and we, along with a few people who were with me, followed them. When we reached the area, I asked where Chamran was? They said: "Chamran came early in the morning and is ahead." I mean, before the organized and structured military forces - which had a plan for where they should be positioned and how their military formation should be - moved and set off, Chamran had moved ahead and gone several kilometers forward with his group. Then, thanks be to God, this great work was accomplished, and Chamran was wounded. May God have mercy on this dear martyr. This was Chamran. The world and position were not important to him; bread and name were not important to him; it did not matter to him whose name it would end with. He was fair, straightforward, brave, and tough. In the midst of tenderness and poetic and mystical sensitivity, in the position of war, he was a hardworking soldier.

I saw him teaching our forces how to fire an RPG; because the RPG was not among our organizational weapons; we neither had it nor knew how to use it. He had learned it in Lebanon and pronounced RPG in the Arabic accent; we said RPG, he said RBG. He knew it from there; he had also obtained some through certain means; he taught them how to fire the RPG. I mean, in the field of operations and in the field of action, he was a completely practical man. Now, see a plasma physics scholar at a high level, alongside the character of a sergeant teaching military operations, with those delicate feelings, with that strong faith and that toughness, what a combination it becomes. This is the Basij scholar; this is the Basij professor. This is the complete example that we observed up close. In the existence of such a person, the contradiction between tradition and modernity is nonsense; the contradiction between faith and knowledge is laughable. These fake contradictions and false contradictions - which are presented as theories and some pursue them because their practical extension is important to them - are meaningless in the existence of such a person. There is both knowledge and faith; there is both tradition and modernity; there is both theory and practice; there is both love and reason. What they said:

"With reason, the water of love cannot go to a single drop."

"Poor me, who is made of water and fire."

No, he had both water and fire. That spiritual and faithful reason has no conflict with love; rather, it supports that sacred and pure love.

Well, now the expectation we have, and this expectation is not too much, that is, the environment one observes - these vibrant spirits of yours, these pure and clear hearts, these bright minds, this mobility of your thoughts that one witnesses up close in various arenas - gives hope and this expectation to a person, is that the product of the Islamic Republic university - not as an exception but as a rule - should be like Chamran; not that Chamrans should be an exception. This hope is not unfounded.

If in 1997, when you first gathered in Mashhad, some in Isfahan, and some at the University of Science and Technology, under the name of Basij professors, it was said that ten or twelve years later, several thousand Basij professors with these motivations, with these loves and with these orientations would exist across the country, no one would have believed it; but it happened. I do not want to exaggerate; I do not want to present reality in a more colorful way than it is for myself and for you and deceive ourselves with illusions; no, it is clear that we are not all at the same level - some of us are higher and some are lower: our faiths, our loves, our ambitions, our motivations - but this movement has transformed from a narrow movement that some had no hope would remain and some had endeavored to eliminate it, into a movement that can no longer be stopped: the vast movement of revolutionary, faithful, and Basij professors across universities, in various scientific fields and at high academic ranks.

So this expectation is not unfounded; when one sees this movement, sees this growth, this expectation is not unfounded that we want the Islamic Republic university to nurture elements like Chamran in the future. Then you will see what will happen! What will happen! A military with international demands at the highest level: in the field of humanity, in the field of governance, in the field of women, in the field of ethics, and in the field of science. Our current demands are international demands.

Now some - whether in the press or not - when the name international comes up, they smile mockingly; they do not understand; they do not comprehend what a broad horizon means. Unless you have a view towards the peak, it is impossible to move towards the base, let alone have hope of reaching the peak; high ambition. In our narrations, believers are also advised to have high ambitions. The great ones also tell the seeker: "Let your ambition be high." These initial steps and early conquests should not make anyone complacent; high ambitions must be maintained. The gaze must also be human. A human is what is spread throughout the world; "Either a brother in religion or a counterpart in creation"; either their religion is the same as yours, or if their religion is not the same, in creation and existence, they are like you; humanity. The gaze must be directed towards such a vast expanse.

The aspirations we have today for this vast expanse are aspirations that no aware nation, no wise scholar, and no fair politician can reject. We claim the elimination of the system of domination; that is, the relationship of domination: the dominator and the dominated; even a person living in a country whose government is completely dominating does not reject this; that is, in international relations, the relationship should not be one of domination and subjugation. Likewise, justice and the use of knowledge for the comfort of humanity, not for the threat of humanity. Especially during these recent periods after the scientific movement in the world - the Renaissance - and especially in this last century, much of what has been done in the field of science has been a threat to humanity instead of being for its comfort; either a threat to life, or a threat to ethics, or a threat to family; and encouraging consumerism and filling the pockets of international plunderers and the owners and creators of trusts and cartels. We say that science should be placed in the service of humanity; in the service of human comfort, in the service of human peace, and in the service of the spirit and soul of humanity. These are professions that the world cannot reject.

You know, when a military with these ideals and a nation with these characteristics - using the faith-based ambition for progress in these areas, utilizing the Quranic promises regarding the support of believers, not fearing death and considering death as a means to God and martyrdom for God - adorns and honors personalities who are scholars and wise like Chamran, where will it reach?! This is the expectation we have.

One sentence about the Basij: The Basij was a strange and unparalleled movement that occurred during the revolution. This also arose and stemmed from that divine wisdom that God Almighty entrusted to the heart of that great man - that Imam (may his soul be sanctified). The Imam was wise; wise in the true sense. Sometimes we use the term wise for small people; but he was wise in the true sense of the word. "And whoever is given wisdom has indeed been given much good"; God Almighty had given him wisdom. From his heart, certain truths overflowed and poured out; among them was this issue of the Basij; which the Imam, from the very first day of victory or even before victory, by bringing the people into the arena, by placing the burden of movement on the shoulders of the people, by trusting the people, laid the foundation of the Basij. He trusted the people; the people also gained trust in themselves; they gained self-confidence; if the Imam had not trusted the people, the people would not have trusted themselves. The foundation of the Basij was laid right there. In fact, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps grew from the Basij; the construction jihad grew from the Basij; although the Basij organization was not a structured organization like in later years, the culture of the Basij, the movement of the Basij, and the essence of the Basij became the source of great blessings in the country, in our society, and in the Islamic system. The Basij is such a reality. The Basij is, in fact, an uncolored, unpretentious army that is widespread across the country; and this army is for struggle in all arenas; not just in the military arena. The military arena is a limited occasional corner. War does not always occur.

The arena of Basij presence is much broader than the military arena. What I have said repeatedly and emphasize that the Basij should not be considered a military institution is not a formality; rather, it is the truth of the matter. The Basij is the arena of jihad, not combat. Combat is a corner of jihad. Jihad means presence in the field with effort, with purpose, and with faith; this is jihad. Therefore, "Strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of God"; jihad with the self, jihad with wealth. Where is jihad with the self? It is not just about going to the battlefield and putting our lives on the line; no, one of the types of jihad with the self is that you spend the whole night on a research project and do not realize the passage of time. Jihad with the self is that you give up your leisure, give up your physical comfort, give up that lucrative and profitable work - as the foreigners say, money-making - and spend time in this scientific and research environment to achieve a living scientific truth and present it to your society like a bouquet; jihad with the self is this. A small part is also jihad with wealth.

So the arena of the Basij is a public arena; it is not specific to a class, nor specific to a part of the geographical sections of the country, nor specific to a time different from another time; nor specific to one arena over another. It exists everywhere, in all places, at all times, in all arenas, and in all classes. This is the meaning of the Basij.

Now you want to be Basijis at the university. It is clear what needs to be done. What does the university need? What does the country need? For several years, we have raised the issue of science; you see today that many of the envy, rivalries, and feelings of backwardness of our international enemies are due to your scientific progress. Those who admire the Iranian nation today do so because of its science; those who harbor enmity do so because of its science. Your scientific progress has such an effect.

This is just the first step. We have not done anything yet. Yes, in nanotechnology, biotechnology, nuclear discussions, aerospace, and various advanced scientific fields, significant and important progress has been made; but these are nothing in the scale and measure of a country's scientific movement. One of the friends said, and I also have this statistic, that the speed of scientific progress and knowledge production in our country is eleven times the world average. This has been mentioned by a Western research center - based in Canada - with its details. Of course, this eleven is the average; in some areas, it is thirty-five times the speed of global growth; in some areas, it is less; the average becomes eleven times. This means that our speed of scientific progress in the last ten to fifteen years is eleven times the speed that the world has had; this is very important. However, this is not what we expect and seek; this is much less than that. This speed must continue with the same intensity until we reach the desired level; this is necessary in the university.

In the university, nurturing a person at the level of martyr Chamran is necessary; we need this. Well, then the Basij professor knows what to do in the university; this constant presence, this timely and appropriate presence, this sincere and jihadist presence for the Basij professor means what has been said. And the professor has a very important role. The role of the professor in educational environments is a very prominent and important role. The professor is not just a teacher of knowledge; rather, the character and method of the professor can be a mentor; the professor is a nurturer. The impact of the professor on the student, apparently, is greater than the impact of other factors influencing the scientific, spiritual, and material advancement of the learner; in some cases, it is much greater. Sometimes a professor can transform a class, a group of students, or a student with a single appropriate sentence into a devout human being. It is not even necessary for them to teach religious sciences or teachings; no, sometimes in a physics class, or in a mathematics class, or in any other subject - human sciences and non-human sciences - you can say a word, or make a good use of a verse from the Quran, or point to the power of the Creator and divine creation that remains in the heart of this young person and transforms them into a believing human being. This is how the professor is.

Of course, the opposite also exists. Unfortunately, there are professors in our universities today - although they are few - who act in exactly the opposite way - now whatever their subject is; whether it is related or not - and with a single word, they discourage this young person from their future, from the future of their country, from their future presence in the country, they make them indifferent to their past heritage, and they make them thirsty to drink from the unhealthy and polluted sources of foreigners and leave them. We have such cases too. The professor has such a role. Therefore, with the meaning we give to the Basij, with the meaning we give to the professor, and with the perception we have of the Basij professor, it becomes clear how sensitive your role is in the university.

The existence of this collection is a blessing for the Islamic system; a great blessing. This many faithful professors do not exist in any of the Islamic countries - and even less so in non-Islamic countries - as they do in our country. A university professor, a scholar, a specialist in their field, and a believer in God and in jihad and in the path of God and divine goals; and with this large number and quantity. This is unprecedented in the world. This is also one of the blessings of the great Imam. Appreciate this; hold onto it with both hands. Organize it; specify its goals; clarify its activities that the Basij professor must undertake; and in the true sense of the word, be the commanders of this vast arena of jihad in the way of God. This is a very important task.

Today, the country needs these things. This is not just a matter of today; it always needs it; however, today we are in a sensitive period. If I were to convey the essence of my understanding and perception to you - which perhaps in a short time, an argument cannot be presented for it; of course, it is substantiated, but perhaps it cannot be argued in two words - it is that the global arrogant centers are making their last efforts against the Islamic movement, whose real symbol is the Islamic Republic. In many arenas, their efforts and plans have hit a dead end, and they have lost control. This belt that they had wrapped around global issues and the demarcation they had made, in the most sensitive points on earth, namely the Middle East, this belt has been torn - or at least loosened; but in my opinion, it has been torn - and has slipped from their hands.

May God have mercy on the late Sheikh Hossein Lankarani, the old political cleric. He likened the situation of the tyrannical regime in the years 1974 and 1975, or perhaps even earlier - in the late 1960s - to someone who has gone onto a dome and has a silk handkerchief in their hand filled with walnuts; and the corner of this handkerchief has opened, and the walnuts are falling one after another; this person wants to catch these walnuts, one falls from one side, another walnut, another walnut, and they are on the dome! Eventually, a person on flat ground can gather the walnuts however they can.

In my opinion, today the system of domination has such a state in facing the Islamic movement. Its foothold is not firm; because many of the old, solid propaganda tricks of theirs have been revealed to the people of the world. Today, in American society, deep anger at the powerful presence of the Zionist lobby is gradually developing. This dissatisfaction among the American people - who are the center of the movements of the Zionists and the powerful Zionist capitalists - is gradually coming into being; of course, the ruling regime in America is very strict with the people - a specific type of strictness - and they occupy them with life and entangle them in life so that they have no time to scratch their heads; yet this state is coming into being. This is our reliable information. In European countries, it is in a different way. In Islamic countries, it is evident. In Middle Eastern countries, it is evident. The nations have a state of hatred - and sometimes animosity - towards the United States regime and the system of domination in the world. They cannot gather this either; they keep trying, but they cannot gather it.

If the Islamic Republic had not emerged and risen in the world, their problem would not have arisen so soon, and this problem might have emerged fifty years later for them; it might not have emerged so soon. However, the presence of the Islamic Republic and the emergence of the Islamic Republic have complicated their problems; hence they are extremely hostile. They also act with hostility; but it is a panicked and frantic hostility. The hostilities are of this kind. Now the actions they take, the measures they adopt, the uproars they create, the propaganda they pursue, a resolution in the United Nations, a few sanctions, and then exaggerating the sanctions more than their reality, then keeping military threats in a half-hearted manner behind it, all of this is because they are in a state of passivity in the face of this great, solid, and foundational Islamic movement in the entire Islamic world, with the Iranian nation at the forefront of this movement.

Of course, they create difficulties; there is no doubt. In all social encounters, there are difficulties; but a person endures the difficulties to reach greater benefits and a higher point. Today is like this. Therefore, this period is sensitive in that regard, and it requires work, it requires effort.

So, primarily in universities, scientific work, research and investigative work, spiritual and faith-based work, instilling the spirit of jihad and struggle in all activities, are the main pens that must exist. And then organizing this movement. Of course, my belief is that a devout professor interested in working for the country is not limited to this collection that is present in the Basij of professors; it is beyond this. Many are not even members of the Basij, nor are they part of the Basij of professors, but in essence, they are Basijis, in essence, they are devout, in essence, they are ready - of course, the level of readiness is not always the same; the levels of faith are not the same; it has always been like this, and it will continue to be like this - but they are part of the collection. It must be organized; a wise and prudent outlook must be maintained; programs must be specified; goals must be specified. This is the work that must be done. This is upon your collection.

Then, in individual practice, you must pursue the education of students, the presence in the intellectual space of students. Basij professors can have a spiritual, guiding, and calming presence in the hearts of students and in their mental space. The important role of creating insight - both in the collection itself and in your audience, who are the students - is one of the very important tasks. And insight plays a significant role. Practicing presence. Just as I mentioned about martyr Chamran; from night until after one o'clock and more, he is pursuing work, early in the morning - dark, light - he is ahead of everyone on the front, and wherever necessary, he is present. This constant and timely presence wherever necessary must be practiced. All of us must learn this.

Unity and cohesion within and also injecting unity into the community. Brothers, sisters, dear ones! Today, the country is very much in need of unity of word. I am opposed to any speech, action, or writing that - even if it is with good intentions and sincere motives - causes division and rift; I do not agree. If someone wants to know my opinion, my opinion is what I have expressed. We must create cohesion. We must create harmony within this vast capacity. Now, can this gathering that you are sitting here be easily divided into ten different groups for various reasons? It can easily be done; those whose clothing color is this, those who are of this age, those who are from this point in the country; it can be separated; walls can be built. The art of the revolution was that it came and removed the walls. We lived in small houses with high walls and did not know about each other; the revolution came and removed those walls and turned those small houses into a vast arena; the arena of the Iranian nation; the revolutionary nation. Our student was at odds with the cleric; our cleric was at odds with the student; our professor was at odds with the merchant; our merchant was at odds with the farmer; we had built walls between ourselves. The revolution came and removed those walls. Now, should we come back and build walls? And those walls are unjust and incorrect. No, the foundations are clear; the principles are clear; the direction is clear. Anyone who moves in this direction with these foundations is part of the collection. Keep this in mind.

I have said many times: Let us not be unjust. This is one of the most fundamental tasks. Injustice is a bad and dangerous thing. Injustice is not just that a person hits someone in the street. Sometimes a misplaced word against someone who does not deserve it, a misplaced writing, a misplaced action, is considered injustice. This purity of heart and purity of action must be very much taken into account.

I think I mentioned this somewhere. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was standing when someone was being punished with the penalty of stoning for adultery; some were standing there; two people were talking to each other; one said to the other that he finished like a dog and died - a phrase like this - then the Prophet (peace be upon him) set off towards his house or mosque, and these two were with the Prophet. On the way, they reached a carcass - a dead animal, whether it was a dog, a donkey, whatever - that had died and was lying there. The Prophet turned to these two and said: "Take a bite and eat a little of this." They said: "O Messenger of God! Are you inviting us to eat carrion?!" He said: "What you did to your brother was worse than eating this carrion." Now, who was that brother? The brother who had committed adultery and was stoned, and these two had said those two sentences about him, and the Prophet reproaches them like this!

Do not say more than what is necessary, more than what should be. Be fair; be just. These are our duties. It is not that just because we are fighters, because we are revolutionaries, therefore we have the right to say whatever we can about anyone who we think is a little less than us - in our opinion and judgment; no, it is not like that. Yes, faiths are not equal, levels are not equal, and some are higher than others. God knows this, and perhaps the righteous servants of God also know this; but in the realm of interaction and in the realm of collective life, this unity and this cohesion must be preserved, and these distinctions must be minimized.

What is important should not be forgotten, the main goals and indicators. We have said this many times, and today one of the respected professors mentioned it here; anti-arrogance; decisive resistance against the movement of disbelief and hypocrisy - not only in the country but also at the global level - clear demarcation with the enemies of the revolution and the enemies of religion; these are the indicators. If someone does not make a clear demarcation, they diminish their own value; if they lean towards them, they step outside the circle. These are the foundations and the main lines. The movement of the revolution is a clear movement, a forward-moving movement, and this movement, God willing, will continue.

Well, we also wanted to, like these gentlemen who acted Basij-like and conveyed all this in five minutes, in this long time we have, to express all our points, but we see that we have not been able to cover everything; however, what was necessary, I believe, has been conveyed. I will not take up more of your time.

I hope that God Almighty preserves all of you and grants you success and increases your insight day by day. And God willing, may He make you more successful in scientific jihad, practical jihad, and in spreading insight - in the scientific environment and the university environment, as well as in society - day by day.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.