Statements in Meeting with Scholars and Clergy of Kerman

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

I am very grateful to the Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to be present among the esteemed scholars, students, and dear clerics of the city and province of Kerman, and to reminisce about the long-standing relationship I have had with the Kerman seminary and its clerical friends over the past forty years.

Our meeting today is also cordial. Although Mr. Jafari has made the session somewhat formal with his eloquent speech, the gathering remains friendly and informal. The session has been diverse; there was a recitation of the Quran, a song, a speech by Mr. Jafari, and some good poetry was recited; however, the only flaw was that it was about me; had it not been for this flaw, it would certainly have been commendable, especially some of its verses.

The Quran was recited very well. It is quite rare among religious students to find someone who recites the Quran correctly with a pleasant voice. He had both a good voice and recited the Quran correctly, with proper Tajweed and etiquette. The song was also good. Of course, in that repetitive part, be sure to replace the word "Najee" with "Monji"; because here "Najee" is incorrect.

I advise the dear youth that if you are singing songs - which is very good to do; because songs are a very good means of propaganda and appeal to the youth and adolescents - try to enrich the concepts of the song, drawing from the verses, narrations, and the lofty concepts that exist regarding the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him). Of course, some parts of this song were indeed like that and had good themes, but be sure to strive for it to be more than just an ordinary song sung by a group of youths. The themes should be strong and Islamic, referring to the justice of that great figure; indicating the need of the world of humanity - indeed the entire existence - for his presence; pointing to the situation that today the world and humanity are entangled in; that there is hope and expectation that the situation will return to the natural course of human life - which is the path of justice and movement towards monotheism. In any case, it is a very good session.

My acquaintance with the Kerman seminary is very old. The first time I came to the Masoumiyeh School - which Mr. Jafari mentioned - was in 1963, and I visited this school and was a guest of Mr. Hajati for three days, who was then stationed here. During Ramadan, I used to go to Zahedan for sermons, and because of Mr. Hajati and the late Agha Seyyed Kamal Shirazi, I stayed for three days at the Masoumiyeh School in Kerman, where I saw the conditions of the seminary and its students up close and became acquainted with faces that, thanks be to God, some of them are still here; such as our own Mr. Da'ei who is present, and Mr. Fahim who is in Qom; at that time, they were new students of that seminary. The seminary was the main center of struggle. Between Mr. Hajati's room in the Masoumiyeh School and the school door, young people were coming and going; they were receiving announcements, giving papers, receiving orders, and walking around. These comings and goings never ceased; I constantly saw individuals in a state of permanent activity. The seminary was also organized. The late Ayatollah Sheikh Ali Asghar Salehi (may God be pleased with him) was the head of the seminary and was respected by all. The gentlemen who are now present and are among the elders were young students at that time. Mr. Neshabouri was in charge of the seminary and had a lot of activity. In fact, he and some other friends whose faces we see now were all under the command of Mr. Salehi. It was a good and warm seminary and had good exports. This seminary produced valuable figures who were first sent to Qom and then to the entire country.

Today, the responsibilities of the seminary are much heavier than they were back then. Of course, after those years, I no longer had news from the Kerman seminary; however, I have been familiar with the clergy of Kerman; I have come to Kerman many times and have given sermons in this very Grand Mosque. Kerman had good scholars and clerics who guided the people; the youth were satisfied with them; they were engaged in the field of struggle and were considered clean and noble personalities. Of course, fewer of those past figures remain. I visited some friends today; I heard that some are ill and at home; may God grant them a swift recovery, God willing.

Today, the responsibilities of the seminaries have changed significantly from the past. The seminary is not just for leading congregational prayers. Even traditional sermons, if they do not have high and rich content, are not sufficient. Today, you see how diverse the means of propaganda have become in the world; on one side of the world, a young person sits in front of a small device and receives thoughts, imaginations, proposals, and practical suggestions from anyone - even from the most insignificant individuals - from the other side of the world. Today, there are very diverse means of communication, including the internet and satellites, and words easily reach everywhere in the world. The arena of people's thoughts and believers is a battlefield of various thoughts. Today, we are in a real battlefield of ideas. This intellectual battlefield is by no means to our detriment; it is to our benefit. If we enter this field and extract what we need - from the essentials of Islamic thought and the warehouses of divine and Islamic knowledge - we will certainly win; however, the issue is that we must do this.

Today, seminaries have the duty to guide various strata at different levels. Of course, I believe that our traditional propaganda - which includes mosques, sermons, and face-to-face speeches - has no substitute; this must be preserved. The fact that you sit and talk face-to-face with someone; your gaze falls upon them, their gaze falls upon you, and your warm breath reaches them, is a very good thing; this must be preserved; however, this is not enough. Today, the means of written and spoken propaganda are so diverse and abundant that if the clergy fall behind in this caravan, it will undoubtedly result in a significant historical loss for them.

Mr. Jafari mentioned that the late martyr Motahhari (may God be pleased with him) was active in the struggle against eclectic thoughts; he truly was a champion in this field; but why was martyr Motahhari successful? Why did he have such a profound and widespread impact in our intellectual community? Because he had made tremendous scholarly efforts to prepare himself; and then, to utilize this scholarly reserve, he never showed any laziness or negligence. The late Motahhari was never idle; he was constantly busy taking notes, organizing notes, arranging the speeches he had delivered, acquiring various branches and innovations in the fields of religious thought and responding to deviations. There was no laziness in this man; thus, with that scholarly reserve and practical effectiveness, he was able to make an impact. Today, we are truly the beneficiaries of the bounty of martyr Motahhari's thought - there is no doubt about this - and the intellectual atmosphere of society is still indebted to his thoughts in various fields, whether in philosophical, social, or political-religious areas. We need him today; but that is still not enough. Many of the issues are newer and fresher; many doubts and questions have arisen after martyr Motahhari's words; we must be prepared to respond to these; thus, seminaries have a heavy responsibility.

Therefore, the first thing that is necessary in seminaries is to deepen religious education; we must study, we must work. Seminaries must have intellectual exports; they must train knowledgeable and wise clerics; they must nurture pure and chaste clerics; they must cultivate clerics who are familiar with political issues and understand the world. One of the shortcomings of our work is the lack of understanding of the state of the times. Some have knowledge and piety, but at the same time, they cannot recognize the position and trench they must stand in and work from; like someone who loses their position and trench between the friendly and enemy fronts and misjudges the enemy's direction; they may fire, but sometimes they pour fire on their friends. Not understanding the political and intellectual geography of the world and also the focal point and line of sight and the trajectory of the enemy's arrow - which is launched from the bow of their malice and hatred - causes us many problems. We must work in the scientific field; we must also create political awareness for ourselves; we must purify ourselves and be personally committed to self-purification. A cleric is a symbol of purity and cleanliness.

Today, one of the targets of the enemies' attacks is undoubtedly the clergy. They want to eliminate the clergy as a whole; do not doubt this. It is true that among the clergy, they target certain individuals and prioritize them; but ultimately, from the enemy's perspective, the entirety of the clergy is seen as disruptive and harmful; because the clergy are committed to religious teachings, unless that cleric has completely fallen into the trap of Satan; which, of course, is very rare. Today, religious enlightenment is the most important armor that our Islamic community can wear to stand against the enemies' attacks; hence, they oppose the clergy and the active presence of clerics. If a cleric is faithful, active, effective, and intelligent, they oppose him even more and make him a greater target of their attacks. Therefore, today, preserving seminaries and training knowledgeable and great scholars is a fundamental duty; this duty exists in Kerman, in the counties of this province, and in all parts of the country. Knowledgeable, scholarly, juristic, philosophical, theological, interpretative, and narrational scholars who are also familiar with global issues, history, and the actions of the enemy must be trained in seminaries. We must think for this goal.

Today, fortunately, some of our major seminaries have made significant progress in this regard. Today, the Qom seminary has become a very blessed and magnificent institution. Today, the Qom seminary, in terms of diversity, innovation, familiarity with current issues, and in some cases even in terms of depth, is ahead of its past. The Qom seminary has become a very blessed institution; however, this is not enough. Seminaries in all parts of the country must thrive, and great scholars must be established in the seminaries, just as they were. In your province of Kerman, I had visited some of the great scholars and jurists; in Kerman, the late Mr. Salehi; in Rafsanjan, the late Mr. Gharavi and the late Mr. Najafi; these were established jurists; educated and learned. In other counties, there were also great and respected scholars whom I had not seen up close and did not know. The educated and distinguished scholars of the Qom seminary, after completing their studies and acquiring the necessary provisions, must return and establish themselves in these seminaries and build them up.

You noticed that Mr. Jafari in his report said that out of two thousand five hundred mosques in the province, five hundred mosques are active because they have an imam; meaning that two thousand mosques do not have an imam. If I heard this statistic correctly, it is not a good statistic. Many places do not have mosques. Certainly, there are villages and remote areas where faithful people and talented youths live, but they do not have mosques, clerics, or refuge; we must work and strive for them.

Today, clerics are present in various sectors, where their presence was not possible in the past - such as offices, factories, military barracks, and universities - therefore, we must prepare valuable offerings and provide them to these sectors. Fortunately, in our Islamic teachings, there are many valuable offerings that are intellectually fertile. If the books of Mr. Motahhari are studied and examined, they pour a wealth of knowledge into the mind and heart of every reader; these are important and necessary.

Regarding the general issues of the country, I would like to mention a few points. Our constitution is very good and advanced. The constitution is one of those things that our enemies have targeted; because this constitution, with its characteristics and division of power, can bring order to the country and advance society. This constitution can guarantee the preservation of the Islamic system; a system that meets the material and spiritual needs of human beings. This constitution can saturate and satisfy minds and bring material prosperity to bodies; it can develop both the world and the hereafter of the people. Based on this constitution, today the country is moving and progressing. Not that there are no deficiencies and weaknesses - undoubtedly, there are weaknesses - but if you consider the state of the country and the exceptional position of the Islamic Republic, you will see that since the beginning of the revolution, our progress in all areas has been good, in some areas excellent, and in some sections acceptable.

The exceptional position of the Islamic Republic is due to the fact that it has stood up against a world whose fundamental material power is in the hands of those inclined towards materialism - who have no belief in any moral, spiritual, or religious truth. These powerful individuals mention the name of Christianity and superficially express belief in Christianity among themselves; however, there is no news of the concept of Christianity as a divine religion and divine ethics in the political system ruling over the arrogant world - the world of oppression, the world of true arrogance, the world of transgression and aggression, and a world that makes maximum use of science for all these crimes. Today, knowledge is in the hands of those who have not caught a whiff of humanity. Science and technology serve goals that are entirely to the detriment of human society and to the benefit of capitalists, wealth accumulators, and powerful individuals.

They have also achieved great successes. Even in the bipolar world, with all the differences between them, since the basis of work for both was materialism, in many issues, their orientation was ultimately one. They were both thinking of arrogance, but they had divided the world. If a nation thought of freedom, independence, and establishing an independent system, the so-called Marxist - and in their opinion, socialist - world would put their hands on them and crush them in their iron grip; we had seen some countries whose people had shed blood, sacrificed, worked, and had revolted against a tyrant; but later fell into the trap of Marxists. The pressure they faced was, if not more, no less than the pressure they had previously faced.

In the face of such a material world, against such an arrogant front, against the vast political apparatus of the world - which has not caught a whiff of spirituality - a system based on spirituality has emerged; it has raised the banner of spirituality; it invites people to God and spirituality; it promises worldly prosperity through adherence to divine teachings and principles and guarantees the freedom of the people and the independence of society through adherence to religion. The existence of this system is intolerable for them.

The issue does not end with just one country and one nation. Today, the population of the Islamic world is one-fifth of the total population of the world. Muslims around the world number approximately one billion five hundred million. There are dozens of Muslim countries and millions of people living in non-Muslim countries; they have felt that Islam, religion, belief, and ideological attachment can today answer the most important questions posed in the world; they have felt a sense of identity. Without us having made any effort in the world, the name of the revolution and the name of the Imam have spread throughout the Islamic world. Wherever a Muslim lived in the Islamic world, if someone went there, they would see the name of the Imam, the name of the revolution, the teachings of the revolution, and the slogans of the revolution being discussed; this frightened the arrogance. The enmity towards us is because of this.

Some say do not create enemies. The very existence and identity of the Islamic Republic creates enmity; the very fact that a flag is raised in the name of Islam and a nation declares its existence with the slogan of spirituality in the world attracts enmity. We have not created enemies beyond this. The struggle, sabotage, and malice against the Islamic system have always been initiated by them against us; we have defended ourselves; however, we have defended ourselves vigorously. We have defended ourselves in a way that the opposing side has understood that we have the power to defend ourselves and, thanks be to God, we have been successful. The world of arrogance opposes such a system. These oppositions and malice will continue; but the only remedy is to become strong in faith, strong in knowledge, strong in technology, strong in social communications, and to strengthen the national ties and true solidarity of all segments of the nation with one another. When they feel strength in you, the attacks will also decrease; malice will naturally diminish; just as it has.

In the material world, to deter the enemy from attacking themselves, they strengthen their military force. On the day when multiple superpowers existed, they produced nuclear weapons to protect themselves from the threat of the opposing nuclear weapons; while they knew that this weapon would never be used; but to keep themselves safe, they maintained nuclear weapons as a threat. They secured their power internally to protect themselves against the enemy. The power that we can create internally is not through nuclear bombs and military weapons. Of course, strengthening military power to a reasonable extent is necessary; but what can protect us against the comprehensive attacks of enemies at various levels is the very list I mentioned: strengthening faith, strengthening knowledge, strengthening technology, mastering modern techniques, leading in the production of knowledge, flourishing the talents of all segments of the nation and youth in various fields - whether in the humanities, natural sciences, or various types of experimental sciences - national solidarity and strengthening empathy among the people; these are what can empower a nation; they can develop both their own world and protect them from the enemies' harm. These are the means for preservation and protection; we must pursue these and commit ourselves to their implementation.

The clergy can play a role; both in inner self-building - scientific and practical self-building - and encouraging the youth and all people to participate in these fields, and above all, strengthening the faith of the people; which is the most important task that we, the clergy, can perform. Strengthening faith requires more than just words; it requires action; of course, language and methods of propaganda and new methods and high content are also necessary.

We hope that the Almighty God grants us all success and assistance in our duties in this regard. God willing, may God preserve the seminary of Kerman and the scholars of Kerman and the propagators of Kerman and the active spiritual elements of Kerman, and grant them success and increase the depth and breadth of this seminary day by day.

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