Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Elites of Kerman Province

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

This meeting was very sweet, meaningful, and beneficial for me. Meeting with elites - which is one of the regular programs of our trips - has both a symbolic aspect; it signifies the deep respect and honor that the Islamic Republic has for elite individuals in every field, and it also has practical and operational aspects, as we hear issues from the voices of the elite elements of society; this is valuable. Those who watch this program on television hear new dimensions of the opinions of the elites of this region; this is valuable. The presence of so many elites in one province is an interesting phenomenon; everyone sees this, and it is valuable. Of course, I personally also derive a spiritual and moral pleasure from meeting the elites and from meeting you dear ones, which is also, in turn, a motivation and encouragement for these meetings.

There is no time for me to present my thoughts; besides, what is in our minds is often conveyed to the esteemed ears of brothers and sisters through various statements. I will only mention two points:

First, I have always looked at Kerman with admiration, and today this admiring view has been strengthened by seeing so many elites in various fields - scholars, artists, writers, poets, effective teachers, distinguished professors, great commanders in the Sacred Defense, respected clergy, good speakers, and outstanding athletes - who are present among you dear ones. Thanks be to God, the province possesses diversity and variety in the realm of nurturing elites; this is very admirable to me.

What friends have mentioned, I have noted in summary, and our intention is to convey these points to the officials; we emphasize them; where our intervention is needed in planning, we will intervene, and we are confident that actions will be taken in line with these suggestions and requests; a movement will arise, and we hope that this movement will be swift and worthy. To the extent of the country's capabilities, God willing, work will be done.

Second, the elites are the spiritual assets of the country. In the world, the materialistic view of assets and spiritual wealth has led to the assessment of spiritual wealth based on the possibility of exchange for money; how much can this knowledge be converted into money; how much can this art be converted into money; however, in Islam, this criterion does not exist. It is not that there is any aversion to converting knowledge and art and other spiritual assets into money; no, knowledge is a means of improving life; art is a means of flourishing and enhancing life; there is no problem with that; but aside from this perspective, the very existence of this spiritual wealth also holds a high value from the Islamic viewpoint. That is, this artist, even if no one recognizes his art and no one benefits from his art, the mere possession of this art, from an Islamic and spiritual perspective, is itself a value. This scholar, even if he is denied and no one recognizes his knowledge, the mere possession of this knowledge is a value. It is true that knowledge is a prerequisite for action; it is true that knowledge is a means of capability; but this capability, this action, is not necessarily always something that can be converted into material wealth; we must strengthen this perspective. It may be that in a society, due to a lack of resources or a shortage of experience, it is not possible to present a material equivalent for knowledge or research or art or these kinds of spiritual assets. This is certainly the case in our society and in many parts of the world. This should not lead to the cessation of the springs of knowledge and art.

When I look at the history of science and literature, I see that, in fact, some of the most important scientific advancements of humanity and also artistic advancements have been those that had no material equivalents at all; sometimes they were even subjected to ridicule and denial; their motivation was enthusiasm, love, and spiritual motivation; this should not be denied; this should not be obstructed. Knowledge, research, and art are not always exchanged for money; they are not measured by money.

Elites can spread this culture more than others in society. That a person is familiar with philosophical or mystical knowledge or possesses artistic taste should be regarded as a value; even if no one knows it; even if it does not convert into money; even if there is no proper customer for it in the narrow market of narrow-mindedness. This culture is a very good culture; this is something that can develop the flow of knowledge, research, and art in the country; and we need this. It should not be the case that we think that if we engage in art or knowledge, it is because there is a material equivalent, and if we do not obtain it here, we will go elsewhere. Of course, human nature sometimes has a tendency in this direction; however, the religious and Islamic culture is not like this.

As officials of the system, we have heavy responsibilities; we acknowledge this. Just as we acknowledge that many of the tasks that need to be done in these areas have not been fully accomplished or have not been done well and correctly. The perspective on the issues of knowledge, research, spirituality, and progress in creative thinking and scientific thought is one of the issues that, in our country - at least in recent decades - does not have a long history. These are the products of the new perspective that the revolution gave us.

Our historical past was cut off by a season of intellectual colonialism and foreign domination; they severed this continuity. Today, we are recognizing and reclaiming our historical identity; we take pride in it; we consider ourselves a continuation of that movement. Today, we are proud of ourselves and feel that we can move in the fields of knowledge, understanding, technology, and various human sciences and innovate. Yesterday, this belief did not exist in our country, just as today it still does not exist for some.

When we say that we must break the boundaries of knowledge and must step one step ahead of the current discourse of science, this is unbelievable for some. When I say we must reach a point where if a researcher or a scientist in the far corners of the world wants to access a certain scientific or philosophical theory, he must learn Persian, some look at this perspective with a dismissive attitude. I believe and see before me that such a thing is achievable. If we strive, we can, in twenty years or thirty years, do something so that when the renowned figures in the field of science and technology are mentioned in the world, Iranians and our country will be at the forefront; we can do this; our potential is very good; everything attests to this. What we lacked - which the revolution gave us - was self-confidence; today we have gained self-confidence. The scientific flow of the country, fortunately, is a good flow; our youth today have self-confidence.

We were those who, at the beginning of the revolution, were dependent on many of our needs, relying on the thoughts and efforts of others; but today, there are many others in the world who are utilizing the thoughts and efforts of Iranians; this is a reality; we have progressed. This is due to self-confidence; we must strengthen this national self-confidence in the field of science, and Islam teaches us this; and we will, God willing, move forward.

There is no more time; it is time for prayer. I am not permitted to continue further.

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