Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Students and Professors of Kerman Universities

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

This is a very lively and attractive session. Youth meetings - especially those of knowledgeable and scholarly youth - are always like this. I truly enjoyed the statements made by friends here. It was very interesting for me to hear profound and meaningful words from the friends - both esteemed professors and students. What they said was thoughtful and certainly indicative of the high level of thought within the academic community of Kerman. I noted some points from the friends' statements; I hope to have the opportunity to benefit from them and to plan based on them.

However, what I would like to express in this session, I hope will not be a repetition of the words I have said over these long days in various cities of Kerman. Today, I believe, is the ninth day that I am in your province, and it is the longest trip I have had to provinces so far. Many words have been said and heard. I have heard various points from both elites and ordinary people, but students and academics are the chosen segment of society; this is no flattery. You are the hope of the country's future. In fact, you are a part of the nation's heart and a long-term attachment of the nation. The perspective you have on the country's issues should be a macro perspective. I will express some thoughts in this regard.

Of course, this dear student - the representative of student organizations - mentioned a very correct point, which is that the relationship between the perspective on today's activities and the perspective on future responsibilities in student activities and the student movement must be maintained; however, if we do not have a macro perspective on the country's issues, on the future of the country, and on the challenges facing the nation and the country, we will not only be unable to delineate future responsibilities, but there will also be a possibility of confusion in current activities.

The Islamic Republic - that is, a popular system, an independent system, a system based on authentic values, a system based on freedom of thought and social justice - is a divine gift to the Iranian nation. God Almighty did not give this gift to the Iranian nation for free. Generations have strived; the generation before you endured hard and difficult struggles; God Almighty has promised that He rewards those who strive. The reward is not only the reward of the Hereafter, but it is also given in this life; "Indeed, We give to these and those from the bounty of your Lord"; whoever strives will achieve the result of that striving. The Iranian nation has strived; God Almighty has given this gift to them; that is, a popular system whose foundations are based on opposition to corruption, deviation, and dependency. This gift must be preserved. It is not the case that if God grants a blessing to a people, that people can be assured that this blessing will remain for them. You read in Surah Al-Fatiha: "The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray"; that is, "those who have evoked [Your] anger" and "those who are astray" are also among "those upon whom You have bestowed favor". It should not be assumed that God grants blessings to some and misleads and angers others; no, "not of those who have evoked [Your] anger" is, according to the Arabic grammatical structure, an attribute of "those upon whom You have bestowed favor". God has granted blessings to many people. The blessed ones are of two types; some are those who, through their actions, misbehavior, laziness, deviation, and surrendering to fleeting and corrupt desires, squandered the blessing; others are those who preserved the blessing through their efforts, striving, and gratitude - those who squandered the blessing are "those who have evoked [Your] anger" and "those who are astray"; those who preserved the blessing are "not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray".

God Almighty has granted blessings to the prophets, saints, martyrs, and the righteous - "And those are with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, of the prophets, the steadfast, the martyrs, and the righteous" - and He has granted blessings to the Children of Israel; "Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you". This expression is repeated three times in Surah Al-Baqarah. God granted blessings to the Children of Israel, but they were ungrateful for the blessing. God Almighty says in Surah Saba: "That is the recompense We gave them because they disbelieved. And will We recompense anyone except the ungrateful?" God punishes and chastises those who are ungrateful for the blessing. Therefore, the blessing must be preserved. The prophets, martyrs, righteous, and the truthful are those who preserved God's blessing. You must preserve, nurture, and complete God's blessing and eliminate its deficiencies - which also arise from our actions - this is a great task that falls upon you young people, especially the student youth, who are the hopes of the future, and in the distant horizon, humanity sees you. The managers and decision-makers of the country in the future are you; you can either elevate this country to the peak of honor and progress - as is the aspiration of the Islamic Republic system - or, God forbid, you can lose the blessing that has been attained. Therefore, look towards the distant horizon and see what must be done and what challenges lie ahead.

I will express a few issues regarding the macro issues of the country, considering your time and patience. Of course, all of these are current issues and pressing matters, but through the analysis of these pressing issues, a continuous line towards the future can be found, and it can be specified what we should do and what we should not do.

The first issue is shaping a political ideal that can guide the activities and efforts of the youth; because without an ideal, one cannot live properly, nor will a person's efforts be disciplined. There must be a clear ideal and a clear horizon in front of us that gives direction to a person. What is this ideal?

I will start from here: the youth in our current Islamic Iran - perhaps it is the same in other places; I cannot make a scientific statement; but what I have reached through experience and close observation is about our current Iranian youth - their aspirations are not limited to finding a home, a spouse, and a job; these are not all the aspirations of a young person. Of course, these are the needs of a young person, and they wish for them to be fulfilled; but beyond this, there are greater aspirations that naturally exist in our youth; part of it relates to the nature of youth - which has idealism in it - part relates to the aspirations that the Islamic Republic has outlined for the nation and our future; some may be due to the advancements that have been achieved through experience; some may also be due to the failures that exist. Our youth, when they see discrimination in society, the aspiration for social justice ignites in their hearts. When our youth observe corruption in some parts of the system, the desire to fight against corruption and the ideal of eradicating corruption takes shape within them and drives them to action. For these reasons, the pursuit of perfection and idealism exists in our Islamic youth.

What does the youth want? Our youth wish for a country that is free from poverty, backwardness, and misery; where security, dignity, and honor exist; where kindness, love, and insight prevail in the atmosphere of life; where the field for work, effort, and progress is open before them; where they do not feel emptiness; where the lofty spiritual and moral goals that exist in the heart of every human being can be fulfilled. This is a general depiction of the ideals that a young Iranian typically has.

What I have mentioned collectively is referred to in Quranic terminology as "a good life"; "So We will surely give them a good life". A good life means a life that responds to both material needs and spiritual needs - whether scientific, practical, or spiritual. Then, God willing, I will return to this noble verse.

When we look at reality, when we encounter the youth, when we observe reports, we see that despite the fact that idealism is rampant among our youth and undoubtedly exists, at the same time, the entire youth of our country - which is a large group - do not all feel the same way about idealism and do not think the same way: some are heedless, caught up in daily life, their minds are preoccupied with everyday issues, and they forget that there is also an ideal - you have seen such youth; I, even though I am older, have encountered and recognized such youth; not only from the television screen but also in reality - there are also those who have concerns, but they are hopeless, sad, and depressed; their outlook is pessimistic; they say nothing can be done; thus, they forgo the good life; these too, although they have concerns and are not heedless, ultimately fall into the trap of heedlessness and daily life. You have seen such youth, and I have seen them. In youth and student gatherings - which you know I have many of and they are not few - one sometimes sees signs of despair and negativity: "What benefit does it have? It is useless." Of course, in some, this feeling is superficial, while in others, it is deep, and changing it is difficult.

There are some who desire development, growth, and scientific advancement and competition, but they seek the path in absolute imitation of Western models; they think, "Follow the path that the travelers have taken." Who are the travelers? Currently, a minority in today's world, which consists of Western countries; including Europe and the United States and some other advanced countries. I will return to this section later and elaborate more.

There are also those who seek themselves within themselves. As that poet says:

Reveal your gem, this is the essence of perfection. Find yourself within yourself, this is the essence of perfection.

These individuals believe that within the body of thought, knowledge, and guidelines available to the Iranian nation and an aware and awakened Iranian youth, there is sufficient path to reach that ideal in a complete form. There are many of these as well. I have encountered and become familiar with these groups. There are various perspectives on the issue of idealism that I have mentioned.

I will pass over the first two groups. The third group - who believe that the remedy lies in absolute imitation of the West - their thoughts deserve reflection. You youth must truly think and work in this area. Let me tell you in one sentence that the experience of the West is an unsuccessful experience. The product of the Western experience in social systems includes fascism - Nazi rule - communism - the former Eastern bloc - and liberalism - the absolute rule of today’s world, whose epitome is America and its beloved child, Israel. All the crimes that have occurred over the past one hundred and fifty years - since the beginning of Western enlightenment in practice - are the product of the Western experience; one example is the two world wars that imposed millions of casualties on nations without their consent. Political groups in Europe, in France and other countries, made great efforts to prevent World War I - with fiery articles, stirring speeches, and various gatherings - but it did not happen. Another example was seen nearly ninety years after World War I, in the American invasion of Iraq. You saw how many demonstrations took place in the world; you saw that European nations held million-strong protests; this was reflected in newspapers and broadcasted on television. In these European countries, they held million-strong protests to prevent the American and British invasion of Iraq; but it did not happen. All the sincere efforts made during this time by some groups - which were indeed sincere, but misguided; because they were based on incorrect foundations, which I will explain - were in vain.

A few years ago, I read a novel by a strong French writer called "The Thibaults." Of course, that writer is not famous; but this novel is very powerful. Generally, the great and strong novels of the French and Russians and other countries that have published great novels artistically depict the realities of life. You see the books of Balzac or Victor Hugo or Russian writers; these are artistic depictions of the realities that flow within society. This book is the same. There, the leftist and socialist groups in France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland made great efforts to prevent World War I - which they sensed was about to break out - but they could not, and all these efforts were wasted. Their efforts were aimed at establishing a socialist government. Shortly after, this government was established in Tsarist Russia; this too became another unsuccessful experience for this Western movement. The Soviet experience is also a Western experience; it does not belong to the East. It is true that in the bloc division they spoke of East and West, but that too belongs to Europe; it also arose from European thoughts and from the thoughts of Marx and Engels; that is, an unsuccessful experience.

Another example of the failures of the Western experience in managing humanity and ensuring human happiness is colonialism. You see what the phenomenon of colonialism has done to the world. If you travel to Africa, you will see a clear example of the phenomenon of colonialism there. Africa is a continent that has both human potential and extraordinary natural resources. Europeans went there and, through slaughter and pillage, took advantage of the ignorance of the people and even installed their own statues as liberators of these countries; one example is Zimbabwe. When I went there, I saw a statue in the middle of a forest - which is one of the famous viewpoints of Zimbabwe - I asked who it was? They said it was the statue of the English commander who first conquered Zimbabwe and handed it over to the English! His name was "Rhodes" or "Rhodés", and for many years, Zimbabwe was called "Rhodesia"! You may not remember; before the revolution, during our youth, the name of Zimbabwe was changed to Rhodesia. They came, took over the country, seized its resources, humiliated the people, enslaved them, and brought countless calamities upon them; in the end, they even named the country after themselves; that is, this country belongs to us! India is another example of this. If you look at the book "The Freedom Movement in India" - which I translated about thirty-five years ago - it shows what happened in the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, the issue of colonialism is an example of the Western experience.

Another example is fascism. The crematoria that the Jews claim may be false; but Hitler's crimes are not false. Fascism is an example of the Western experience. Communism and forced labor camps and sending people to Siberia and other similar things are of this kind. You are witnessing liberalism today; Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo prison and other prisons. I read in a report that Americans have dozens of prisons similar to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo around the world; but no one knows about them, and they do not allow them to be disclosed. In Afghanistan, the Americans have prisons, and God knows they have them in many other places as well. We have read this in credible reports, and the Americans have not denied it. The new colonialism that has ruled over countries for decades, and the neo-colonialism that is currently in power, and the ambitious and oppressive plans they have towards countries are examples of these crimes.

Another example of the product of the Western experience is the construction of atomic and chemical bombs. The Western experience was unsuccessful; it was unsuccessful for humanity and for their own people. It should not be assumed that Europe and America brought misfortune to other countries but made their own people happy; this is not the case. Of course, they divide the world into first and second-class humans. They believe that the so-called white man - that is, the European man - is a first-class human, and other humans are second-class. If any injustice is done to a second-class human for the benefit of a first-class human, according to the logic of Western civilization and the culture dominating the Western experience, there is no objection! But these have not even been beneficial for their own people. Today, in America and Western countries, there is knowledge, wealth, military power, and everything, except happiness. There is no happiness there; families are destroyed; crime and murder rates and all kinds of corruption are astonishing; there is no sense of security; there is no sense of peace; thus, most of the nihilistic movements have arisen from Europe. In our youth, there were the hippies; now there are various types of them that you have heard their names or read about them or seen their films on television.

In the Western experience, there is no social justice and even real democracy. You see today in the so-called advanced Western countries - there is no real opposition in the true sense of the word; the disagreement is over whether to attack Iraq or not; the Labor Party in England believes in the attack, while the Conservative Party believes otherwise. In France, one person believes we should deal with Israel this way; another believes we should deal with it that way. In Austria and other places, it is the same. The dispute is not over whether the accepted principles of those countries are violated and whether violators are allowed to enter the electoral scene or be taken into account; it is not like that. In the previous presidential election in America, a person who was not part of the two famous parties came into the scene; he had a lot of wealth and spent a lot of money; but they did not allow him to even reach the preliminary stages of the election; through various methods and specific techniques, they eliminated him from the scene.

There, the media is free; but to whom do the media belong? The media belong to the big capitalists. In America, the meaning of media freedom is the freedom of speech of the big capitalists. The main newspapers belong to them. The most important printing houses and book publishers belong to capitalists. One of the current officials wrote a book in English about the seizure of the American embassy. This respected official himself told me: Whenever we approached any publisher in America, they refused to publish this book; because the major publishers are affiliated with capitalist institutions; therefore, we had to go to Canada. There, with difficulty, we managed to find a publisher who would publish this book. He said that publisher later contacted me and said that since I committed to publish this book and they understood this, I received threatening phone calls and my life was threatened! The real freedom of expression and the freedom of choice, in the sense they claim, does not exist there.

Two years ago, all the newspapers wrote that a high-ranking security officer in America was found to have been a spy for the former Soviet Union; and later he was spying for present-day Russia. He was arrested and interviewed. I saw this interview in one of the American magazines; it was either Time or Newsweek. They asked him, you who were a high-ranking security officer, why did you spy for foreigners? He said, I was dreaming of building a small villa and a comfortable life; and this dream was not being fulfilled through this way! This is the life of a high-ranking officer who, in order to build a small villa for himself, has to spy; even in a sensitive and critical job position!

There, day and night they must work, and families are deprived of warm and affectionate family visits. In American newspapers, it was written that most American families, because they cannot see each other at home, have to meet at a certain time outside the house and, for example, drink a cup of tea! Then, either the man or the woman constantly looks at their watch so that they do not miss their second job! This is how families have become; is this happiness?!

On the day that the West, during the Renaissance, separated science and politics and the way of life from religion, they wanted to build a paradise for them in this world instead of the paradise that religions promise to humans. This paradise has turned into hell today; they themselves say this. One day they opposed religion. Of course, the religion that European enlightenment opposed was not worthy of human life; it was a religion full of superstitions; the same religion that condemned Galileo to death and killed another under torture for making a scientific discovery! The distorted Christianity, not the true Christianity. There is no objection to separating from that religion; the objection is to separating spirituality and ethics from science, politics, and the system of life and individual and social relations. They absolutized science and reason and said religion should be set aside and science and reason should come in. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries passed like this. For about forty or fifty years, they have been undermining reason as well; they have loudly denied rational certainties and have been dragged into relativism and skepticism in all principles - moral principles, rational principles, and even scientific principles. This experience is not one that anyone should imitate. It is a mistake for us to follow the path of the West that has not reached its destination.

One day, at the beginning of the opening of the gates of Western life to Iran - which was progress, science, machines, and Iranians had nothing - politicians, thinkers, and elites of our day, instead of thinking about an internal surge when they saw those advancements - the work that Amir Kabir did during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah and wanted to do - sixty or seventy years after Amir Kabir's time, someone emerged during the Constitutional Revolution who said the way to save Iran is to become physically, spiritually, outwardly, and inwardly Westernized! Instead of referring to the internal to compensate for backwardness, instead of seeking to find their own gem, they sought to find themselves in the path taken by Europe! They made this mistake. Then the Pahlavi regime came to power through the British themselves, and after that, the Americans took the place of the British. The best choice for America and England was Reza Khan and Mohammad Reza; because the same plans, the same culture, the same dependency, and the same cover-up of internal talents that the West wanted were executed in the country by those who appeared to be Iranian. Today, it is a mistake for our youth to want to follow that path. That path is a mistaken path.

We take knowledge from everyone; we have no objection. Islam has told us: "Seek knowledge even if it is in China." China of that day was the heir to an ancient and advanced civilization, with that distance; and they had not even caught a whiff of Islam; yet the Prophet said to seek knowledge and experience and - in our modern language - technology wherever it is; that is, become a student of the scholar, kneel before the scholar, and learn from him.

I once told another student gathering that it does not shame us to learn from Westerners and Europeans; but it does shame us to remain students forever. We study to cultivate our talents and to surge from within. We do not want to be like a reservoir that water is poured into us and whenever they want, they can drain the water or prevent it from coming in, or pour any polluted water into this reservoir. We want to be like a gushing spring; we want to surge from ourselves; we want to utilize our talents. Wherever I look, I see the possibility of utilizing these talents. Progress is not only in nuclear energy, which people are aware of and know what has happened in this area; another example is the discussion of stem cells that has astonished foreign observers. There are many other examples as well.

Yesterday, I went to visit the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex. One day, the English and then the Americans wanted to manage this Sarcheshmeh; they worked and designed for several years, but it did not get started. Then, when the revolution succeeded, our engineers came and got it started; they produced products and did good work; then, the development plan was initiated by our engineers in the third decade - approximately from around 2001 until now - and they are still developing it. This work is among the best and cleanest works being done by the government. If foreigners benefited from it, they would use it, and national interests would be trampled; all of this aside; they would humiliate the Iranian nation; this humiliation is heavier than anything else. A nation sits, and some come from outside and tell it, you cannot; step aside so we can fix it for you; they push it aside and do not even allow it to benefit from their experience; they come and extract this internal resource; give it something and take the essence and summary of the profit for themselves. This has happened in oil, in copper, in iron, in various constructions, in dam building, in silo construction, in academic and scientific sectors.

Mr. Khatami went to visit the Atomic Energy Center in Kashan. When they returned, they were astonished; they said, "There are so many young specialists and scholars working there."

Yesterday, in the Sarcheshmeh area, a small exhibition was set up to show me the products of their high research work. I asked, "With the help of which organization did you prepare these?" They said, "With the help of the university." This dear young lady referred to the connection between industry and university; this is one of the slogans I have been pursuing for several years, and thanks be to God, it has largely been realized. I asked, "Which university?" On the table, they had laid out the theses of master's and, I believe, doctoral studies that had been prepared on these topics and had utilized students from Tehran University, Sharif University of Technology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, and other universities in the country.

Our youth are surging. Our industry, our mining, and our agriculture can rely on these internal talents. We have natural talents, too; Jiroft is one example of that. All of Kerman is an extraordinary and exceptional center in our country regarding underground resources and, in some respects, in the Middle East.

Why should we follow the paths of others? Why should we be oblivious to ourselves? We can; we have progressed; one example is our academic community. Before the revolution, a benefactor named the late Afzali Pour - whom I honor; I have heard that his wife is alive, and from here I greet his wife who helped the late Afzali Pour - with his own money and to the extent of his ability, established a small center for university education. One day in this province, less than three thousand students were studying; but today Kerman has nearly seventy thousand students. The population of the country has doubled; very well, three thousand or six thousand students should be there; but today we have seventy thousand students in this province. This is development and progress.

Our roads were built by others; our dams were built by others. All eight or nine dams that were built during the time of the tyrant were built by foreigners. For the construction of the Dez Dam, four European countries and Canada collaborated. The Dez Dam is similar in general shape to the Karun 3 Dam; it is concrete and their water capacity is the same; with the difference that the electricity production capacity of the Karun 3 Dam, which our children built, is four times that of the Dez Dam, and the volumes used for constructing this dam are sometimes ten, twenty, and thirty times the volumes used in the Dez Dam - in terms of the concrete used, the iron used, the stone excavated - the reason is that they chose easy places for dam construction.

The operation of this power plant was in the hands of a Canadian company. An Iranian capitalist tries, works hard, probably makes arrangements and pays bribes; ultimately, he manages to obtain the operation permit for the Dez Dam power plant. After two or three years, the Iranians want to double the electricity production capacity of the Dez Dam; foreigners had to come; they did not trust anyone inside, and no one could do this work. Therefore, they invited Americans to come and double the capacity of the Dez Dam power plant. When the Americans came and saw that Iranians were working there, they said, "We will not come. Our condition for coming is that the Iranians must be completely removed, and the Canadian company must come back to work." The Iranian government did this; they removed the Iranian operator and all his staff, and again the Canadian company came and took over the operation of the dam; then the Americans graciously came, acted, and kindly doubled the capacity of the power plant!

The Karun 3 Dam was built by Iranian youth and engineers. Its water capacity is the same, but its electricity capacity is four times that; they designed it themselves, built it themselves, and they also operate it. Which is better, that or this? What America and Europe and Canada want for our nation and country is that situation. They do not want us to surge from within, to sprout, and to grow. They only bring up the name of freedom and democracy.

Let me share a memory with you. You really do not remember, because you were not there; but those who were know what oppression was; it is not even imaginable. In 1963, I was taken to Qezel Qal'eh prison. At that time, several Tehran youth were also brought in. I heard from behind the cell door that they were talking; I realized they had just been arrested. I felt a bit happy; I thought that after a few days, when the interrogations were over, there would be an opening in solitary confinement; we would contact them, say something, and finally find a conversation partner. Night fell; we saw one by one they were called and taken away. An hour later, I was in the same cell praying Maghrib and Isha. After the prayer, I saw someone open the hatch on the door of the cell and say: "Haj Agha! We have returned." I saw one of those Tehran youth. I said, "Open the door, come in." He opened the door and came inside the cell. I asked, "Why did you return so soon?" It turned out they had been taken to the sermon of the late martyr Bahonar. Martyr Bahonar had delivered a sermon in the courtyard of the Tehran Grand Mosque during Ramadan in 1963; the SAVAK agents stormed in and arrested a number of people just like that; these five or six were among them. They also arrested martyr Bahonar at that time and took him to Qezel Qal'eh prison. They interrogated these individuals, and when they saw that they were not significant and did not have any important activities, they released them. When they searched their pockets, they found a calendar from this person who had been returned, in which he had written a poorly written popular verse:

"Say a word about the young and the old, May God curse Reza Shah the Great."

He had neither shouted slogans, nor printed this poem, nor quoted it anywhere; he had only written this popular verse in his pocket calendar. For this crime, he was sentenced to six months in prison!

The issue was not that someone shouted slogans somewhere, made a statement, or expressed an opinion at a podium. In 1971, I was teaching Tafsir to students in Mashhad and was interpreting the early verses of Surah Al-Baqarah - the stories of the Children of Israel. I was summoned by SAVAK and they said, "Why are you talking about the Children of Israel?" I said, "It is a verse of the Quran; I am interpreting the verse of the Quran." They said, "No, this is an insult to Israel!" My Tafsir class was canceled because of interpreting the verses about the Children of Israel - because the name Israel was mentioned in it! The oppression at that time was extraordinary; but neither the American government, nor the French government, nor any other governments ever accused the tyrannical regime of opposing freedom and democracy. Elections were held at that time; but the people did not understand who came, who went, and who was elected. There was no real voting; they would create a voting box and pull out the name of a representative that they wanted and who had been approved by the court. They would display a mockery of a voting process. Today, in some countries in our region, there are still such things, but they are not attacked at all; but the Islamic Iran, which has held nearly twenty-five elections over the past twenty-six years, is still accused of lacking popular sovereignty and that there are appointments here and no elections! So the first point is that the Western experience is of no use.

The idealism of our Iranian youth is to outline a future with these characteristics. We want a system and country that is advanced, where its people are knowledgeable, awake, and alive; not heedless and asleep; a country that enjoys justice; free from corruption; where the ruling class of aristocrats does not exist - whether traditional aristocrats or a new class that may not be called aristocrats, but in reality are aristocrats and, as the gentlemen say, benefit from various economic rents - enjoying political power and stability; and all of these are inspired by the teachings of the dear religion of Islam. Islam has the capacity to teach us these.

We have started this experience. We have made significant progress in various fields, of which I have mentioned a small corner. Of course, we have had shortcomings. It is obvious that building such a world requires continuous effort. We are facing global challenges and have a global enemy. They do not want to allow a society with these characteristics to emerge under the banner of religion, spirituality, and Islam. This society targets and strikes at the imperialist goals; hence, there is opposition. We are facing various issues in the country; whether external issues or internal issues. I always tell some friends who come and ask questions and say something, I say it is a battlefield. One day we fought against the tyrannical regime, and our opponent was the Shah's police; today we are fighting against the bloodthirsty power-seeking system of the world. The struggle has its difficulties; we must endure these difficulties and bear them. I myself am ready to endure difficulties; in any responsibility I have. Our nation has also shown that they are ready; just as one of our dear brothers said. Our nation has passed a good test. The struggle has hardships; it has retreats and progress; but everything must be calculated. In war, retreat is sometimes a tactic. Tactical retreat is different from fleeing; one should not flee; one should not be defeated. Tactical retreat is one of the techniques of war; just like tactical advance. Fleeing means unplanned retreat; just as unplanned advance will lead to defeat. Everything must be measured and calculated; but in the direction of moving forward.

I raised the movement for justice; a space was created in the country, and our youth became interested in this issue. This means that we did not have a movement for justice from the beginning of the revolution - yes, the revolution is based on justice - but this was a renewal and brought a new spirit to the youth and stirred their determination. Likewise, free thinking and producing knowledge and such things are the ideals of youth, and to reach these ideals, they need organized and correct political activity and to gain experience and knowledge. The youth must create knowledge within themselves. Knowledge is not just about learning science; knowledge also relates to being thoughtful.

We must think about issues. My dear ones! Think about issues until you reach a conclusion. The movement for free thinking that I proposed to be initiated in universities and seminaries is for this reason. They should establish free platforms and discuss with each other; but not in a fanatical, stubborn, and politically motivated way, driven by political currents and parties that are only thinking about their short-term future and their own purposes and use the youth for elections and such things; but for maturing, training, and preparing for continuing this long and difficult path, but one that has a very good outcome.

In the youthful student environment, engaging with religious teachings, engaging with religious models, seeking help from God, seeking help from the Imams (peace be upon them), reading the supplication of Arafa, holding the ceremonies of I'tikaf, and performing congregational prayers is very good. Of course, I should also say this; pay attention to the spirit of the religious ceremonies; it should not just be a facade; a person should read a poem, shed a tear, or cry. The spirit of prayer and supplication is about connecting with God, becoming familiar with God, benefiting from spirituality, purifying and cleansing the soul, and cleansing the mind from temptations. Pray with attention and on time. Stagnation is bad; not thinking about the underlying layers of appearances is a major flaw; be careful not to fall into this flaw. There are many more things to discuss in this regard, but since the time for prayer is approaching, I will pass over them. He said: "A chest full of words surges in our mouths." We have a lot to say to you; but unfortunately, there is not much opportunity.

Let me mention two more brief topics; one of them is the political situation of the country; this is also a macro issue, and although it is a pressing issue today, it has a future perspective. In the country, there are political disagreements, factional divisions, and disputes - both in universities and outside universities - and the enemy fuels these disagreements. All these disagreements are not natural; a part of it is also fueled by foreigners. Of course, the interests of individuals are not without influence; but the enemy's goal is higher than this; this is an important point. The enemy's goal is not just to fuel political disagreements among political factions; creating division and duality at the top of the system's leadership and creating a rift is also an important goal. That is, at the top of the system and in the decision-making of the system, there should be two conflicting thoughts that cannot come to an agreement on any issue. They have worked on this project; some have pressured within to make this happen. A lot of pressure was put on Mr. Khatami, but he exercised piety and wisdom and did not yield. They wanted to create a situation where there would be disputes and disagreements at the top of the system, where the leadership, the president, and other officials would constantly be in conflict; this decision would be made, and that would be negated. They explicitly said dual governance, and in many places, they implemented this.

A few years ago, I raised the issue of fighting corruption and wrote that eight-point letter; but from within the Islamic Consultative Assembly - which should be the center for fighting corruption - cries of protest arose against this slogan; under the pretext that fighting corruption drives away investments from the country! While the opposite is true. I said at that time that, in fact, fighting corruption encourages honest investors who do not intend to engage in corruption and exploitation. Recently, I read a report from a reputable international organization that works on these issues. This organization announced that one of the main obstacles to investment in some countries is economic corruption. They said that fighting corruption is among the obstacles to investment; see how far apart the views are! When the issue of fighting corruption is raised, instead of the involved elements welcoming it and playing their roles within their duties, they act contrary. This is one small aspect of the dual governance that they were pursuing.

Now they accuse the system of wanting to unify the apparatus; no, unifying is absolutely not acceptable to the apparatus. If what is meant by unifying is that all the country's affairs are entrusted to one faction, this is wrong, and I do not believe in it at all. Two opposing factions can exist and operate within the system; but the condition is that they must be loyal to the Constitution. They supervise each other's work, compete in a healthy manner. This competition brings progress and prevents the closure of various governmental structures; this is a valuable and good thing.

A few years ago, I said in a Friday prayer in Tehran that two factions are like two wings for this country, with which the country can fly. But if the unification they accuse them of means a unified governance and preventing a rift in governance and in principles, this is necessary. In no place in the world are those who do not believe in the Constitution and the principles of that country allowed to enter the governance of that system. In which part of the world is such permission given? Are people who oppose the principles and values of America allowed to come to the top of the government in America? You see in their electoral struggles that the disagreement between the two parties and two factions is over much smaller issues than these; the biggest disagreement is whether to attack Iraq or not - one faction says let’s attack, the other says no; otherwise, the disagreement is over issues like whether to increase taxes on certain goods or not; whether to do this regarding environmental issues or not. Do they allow those who oppose the principles and foundations of a system to enter the governance of that system anywhere in the world? No place in the world allows such permission. Of course, it is clear that we do not allow it either. Those who do not accept the Constitution, those who do not accept the principle of the Islamic Republic, should they come to the top of the Islamic Republic? Is this called reformism?

I do not accept the dispute between reformists and principlists; I consider this classification to be wrong. The opposite of principlists is not reformists; the opposite of reformists is not principlists. The opposite of principlists is an unprincipled and careless person; a person who believes in no principle; a person who is indifferent. One day, his interests or the public atmosphere require him to move strongly against investment and capitalism; another day, his interests or the atmosphere require him to become a staunch supporter of capitalism; even in its dependent and corrupt form! The opposite of reformism is corruption. I believe in principled reformism; solid and sound principles that arise from the epistemological foundations of Islam, with the reform of methods in a day-to-day and new manner.

We must reform our methods. There are mistakes and deficiencies in methods. Sometimes we reach a stage where today it no longer works; we must start another stage. Preserving principles and reforming methods is the meaning of reformism.

Of course, from the perspective of Americans, reform means opposing the Islamic Republic. Reza Khan initiated reforms; Mohammad Reza also initiated reforms; this is what I called American reformism. This reformism is useful for them. The Iranian nation conducts reform based on its own principles.

Let me also say a word about the elections. Of course, these discussions are extensive and often remain unfinished. I believe that in these elections, the nation must participate as a duty and a right. Of course, I have spoken in detail about the elections in my speeches in Kerman and other speeches during this trip; but what I am saying now is from the perspective of the challenges posed by the enemies regarding the elections. Our enemies want elections not to be held at all. Why? So that they can bring a witness that there is no popular sovereignty and democracy in Iran. When we hold elections, their weapon becomes blunt. Therefore, their first demand is that elections should not be held; just as they tried to cancel the elections during the time of the seventh parliament; but God did not allow it. They tried very hard; they went through various means and even employed some oblivious internal elements; but "Indeed, they are planning, and I am planning"; God Almighty responded to their plots and prevented it, and thanks be to God, the elections were held well. In these elections, their first goal is that elections should not be held.

The second step is that if they cannot, they will accuse the elections. They will say that there was fraud in the elections; they will say that the elections were discriminatory; they will say why someone was disqualified; why someone did not come; why someone came. In any case, they will say these things. If we have elections every week instead of once a year, they will still say these things. Even in places where there is no disqualification, they will still say the same things. In the second round of the council elections, there was absolutely no disqualification. Those who truly did not believe in the system participated in the elections and did not receive votes due to the people's indifference; but they still spoke! In any case, they undermine the elections. The enemy opposes a successful, nationwide, and enthusiastic election.

Disqualification falls into two categories; either it is the disqualification of someone who is qualified according to the law - which is wrong - or it is the disqualification of someone who is truly unqualified according to the law, which is correct. It cannot be said categorically that disqualification is good or bad. In one case, disqualification is good; in another case, it is bad. We must advise the authorities responsible for qualifications to look with a completely legal perspective and without any consideration from any side. This is something I always recommend.

If someone comes to power who is obedient and submissive to them - which of course we do not have anyone who would come to power and be obedient to them - they will be happy and have no objections; but if someone comes who they feel is committed to the revolution, Islam, and national interests and believes in fighting against international enemies and not submitting to their bullying, they will say there is no popular sovereignty; if the person is religious, they will say it even more. They believe that popular sovereignty must be secularized; it must be completely separated from religion to be called popular sovereignty.

I believe our nation has the ability to choose and to make a good choice. We hope that, with God's grace, this election will be among our best elections and that the one who is pleasing to God and beneficial for the people will come to power with the effort and insight of the people.

The claim that we are halfway to democracy, I do not accept. We should not speak for the desires of the Westerners; especially the officials. They say we are a country afflicted by despotism; we are halfway to democracy; we are an immature nation; no, these words are wrong. Why do they accuse? A nation that has, in less than a hundred years, launched three extensive anti-despotism and anti-colonial movements, why should it be insulted? To please the Westerners and Europeans? Let them not be pleased.

I was very pleased with today's meeting and I thank God. I pray for all of you.

O Lord! Bestow Your mercy and grace upon our dear youth. O Lord! Day by day, illuminate the pure and radiant hearts of these with Your love and knowledge. O Lord! Grant our dear youth success in building a prosperous, free, advanced, developed world that brings honor to Islam. O Lord! Make the heart of the holy Imam of the Age pleased with us and make what we have said and heard for You and in Your way.

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