Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

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

It is very sweet and appealing for me to be present among the students of this city and at Ferdowsi University; and to revive the memories of the distant years when I gathered with a group of students from this university in warm, exciting, and at the same time dangerous sessions. Of course, today’s students of this university are thirty-five years apart from the students of the early 1970s - to which I refer - but the student movement is like a clear stream; it is like a river. Although the components of the water that flows through a river are different at every moment, the flow remains the same. When you stand in front of the Karun or Zayandeh Rud rivers, you see the same river you observed last year. When I look at you - dear young students - I remember the Karamat Mosque and the Imam Hassan Mojtaba Mosque; where you - the same ones from thirty-five years ago - used to sit and discuss and debate the interpretation of the Quran and Nahj al-Balagha and the foundations of the Islamic movement; it was written and spoken about. We also faced the consequences; you faced them, and we faced them. The tyrannical regime could not tolerate a cleric sitting with a group of students and discussing religion; especially since our student gathering at that time was a warm, populous, and dense gathering. Of course, the gatherings you see today after the revolution did not take shape anywhere or on any occasion before the revolution; but compared to the meetings and gatherings of that day, perhaps no student gathering in the country had the unity, coherence, and density of the Imam Hassan Mosque or Karamat Mosque where I taught interpretation to the students. You now remind me of those memories.

First, I would like to say a word regarding the points that these dear students expressed. I accept almost everything that these dear ones said. These suggestions, these new ideas, these sparks that ignite in the minds of our young students are very valuable to us. The words were recorded, and God willing, they will be taken into consideration. The aspects that relate to the conventional and necessary functioning of our programs will be pursued directly by us, and those that pertain to the institutions will be recommended to them. Of course, dear students - not just here, but everywhere - when they speak, they express their ideas, share their sweet and new thoughts with us, they also accompany it with a hint of complaint and lamentation; there is no harm in that; the tender hearts of the youth are still not as hardened and firm as ours in the face of disorder; their hearts are easily affected. It was said:

My heart trembles for nothing, it is the heart of the beloved that is bound by a hair, my patience is like a stringed instrument.

The discussion I am raising today is about the necessity of redefining the model of development and progress. We want to progress. What is the model of this progress? We must redefine this model. In the last meeting I had with students - a few months ago in Semnan - I raised the issue of transformation. I said transformation is a divine tradition in human life. One should not confront it; rather, it should be welcomed. Transformation must be managed so that it leads to progress and advances society. I raised this there. Of course, I also said there - and I repeat it now - that academics; whether students, professors, or seminary scholars; whether clerics or professors, all must pursue and follow this line of thought. Now I will provide more explanations so that we can reach a conclusion.

Great works begin with ideation. This ideation is not something that can be done in closed rooms and in a vacuum. Various thoughts and ideas must interact and connect so that the product of the work becomes something practical and logical. Therefore, the essence of the discussion I want to have today is that we must redefine development and progress, and see what the model of progress is for our country and our society.

There have always been two erroneous tendencies regarding progress and transformation leading to progress. One tendency consists of betrayals committed in the name of progress and transformation; blows inflicted on our nation under the banner of service and reformism. Since the Qajar era, many of the Qajar courtiers and princes - who were both illiterate and worldly, and at the same time had connections with Western circles - became the agents and means of the unknowing dependency of our country and culture on the West, claiming that this was progress and transformation!

In the matter of constitutionalism, the English line of the constitutional movement claimed to be progressive; its slogan was development and progress. Those same individuals who destroyed the leaders of the constitutional movement; hanged Sheikh Fazlollah, assassinated the late Ayatollah Behbahani, indirectly killed Sattar Khan and Baqer Khan, disarmed them, pressured the sincere leaders of the constitutional movement, and imposed a group of individuals dependent on the West and colonial policies under the name of constitutionalists on the people, their slogan was also this progressivism! They too said: progress, transformation! Under this name, a great betrayal was committed.

Reza Khan came to power under the slogan of progress and reform. He staged a coup; the coup government, and then the unprecedented black dictatorship, all occurred under the banner of progress and development. Mohammad Reza, his son - the hereditary government and then the coup in August 1953 - also claimed to have a reformist movement, and all these disasters were brought upon this country. The blow they inflicted on this country and this nation was of this nature.

On a global level, the same is true. The colonization of nations - which is a stain on the history of humanity in the last one or two centuries - was carried out in the name of the progress of nations. Colonization means modernization. The British, Dutch, Portuguese, and French went to various parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, massacred the natives, seized lands, stole, committed thousands of atrocities; all under the name of modernization, progress, colonization.

In the subsequent period, when neo-colonialism emerged, it was still the same. All this aggression, all this warmongering, all this coup-making carried out by the security services of Western countries - whether the United States, Britain, or others - was all done under the banner of modernity, progress, transformation, and development. Right now, you see Afghanistan and Iraq before your eyes. The Americans entered Iraq to create a new world; a world of freedom, democracy, and development for the people of Iraq. You see what is happening in Iraq now! Perhaps during the entire period of the coup governments in Iraq - the last of which was Saddam - the suffering that the people of Iraq are enduring at the hands of the Americans today, they have not endured until now. Iraqi men and women are humiliated. An American soldier places his boot on the neck of a young Iraqi; why? Because he was passing by the street and was suspected; he throws him down and presses his face into the dirt before the eyes of his wife and children. Or a man is beaten in front of the house while the men are watching; the men inspect the housewife in the name of development and progress and in the name of saving the Iraqi nation. The same is true in Afghanistan.

Thus, the name of development has been misused in such ways throughout history and in our time across the world and in our own country. On the one hand, there have been and are those who oppose any kind of innovation and transformation; claiming that this has no precedent, we do not recognize this, we do not know this, we are suspicious of this. They have misinterpreted the hadith "The worst of affairs are those that are newly invented." While innovation is a tradition of history; it is a tradition of nature, and without innovation, human life loses its meaning; yet they opposed it. These two opposing tendencies have existed.

Therefore, we must correctly define progress and what we desire from transformation, and understand what we are seeking, so that neither misuse occurs nor this opposition and antagonism. Of course, this does not mean that we are just starting to seek progress; thus, we want a model for progress; no, progress in our country began with the revolution and the revolutionary movement. A stagnant, stagnant society, under pressure, dormant talents, without any permission for movement in the deep sea of our national talents, was transformed by the revolutionary movement.

Today, in addition to the fact that the establishment of the Islamic Republic itself was a great transformation, an astonishing and immense progress that a corrupt, coup-based, hereditary government could be transformed into a popular government by a nation, which is the greatest transformation and the greatest progress, I must also tell you that in no part of the world, in no country in the world can you see the scene that you observe today. That the officials of the country sit sincerely and face to face with students for hours; or that the President of the country travels to all the distant and nearby cities and meets with the people everywhere with welcoming and engagement; speaks face to face with the people. In electoral campaigns, they travel and meet with their supporters; but both they and their audiences know that these are propaganda works; electoral works; they end after the elections; whether they fail or succeed. But the meaning of being popular in our country is that not only is it a popular election, but there is also popular engagement. There is a wide and deep emotional exchange and interaction with the officials of the government, with the components of the government; there is love between the officials and the people. The sincere officials truly love the people; and the people reciprocate that love.

Since the revolution until now, we have made astonishing advancements in the scientific, social, political, international, economic, and developmental fields. Today’s youth, today’s students, who are you, do not have the past version before your eyes to compare what is today and what was back then. You look at your country today compared to a developed country that has, for example, two hundred years of scientific movement and progress and research, and you see deficiencies, you say there are deficiencies. This is correct; yes; but this comparison is not a scientific comparison. The country should be compared with what it was; the country should be compared with similar and neighboring countries. Today, in global statistics, Iran’s scientific growth ranks first or among the top in the world. Of course, with this speed, we are still very far behind; but the work that has been done has been progress in all areas. Now you can see examples of it in your student environment. The population of Iran has doubled since the revolution; the student population has increased tenfold, and the number of universities and fields of study and advancements has perhaps increased more than tenfold. Once, we had to beg for the simplest tools from others; but today our country can produce the most complex technologies itself. These advancements are astonishing; they are remarkable; others also acknowledge this, and if there is an opportunity, God willing, I will mention it.

In any case, the discussion we are having about the model of progress is not because we want to start progress; progress began with the revolution, but it means that through theoretical discussion and a clear and regulated definition of progress, we intend to create a public belief, first among the elites, and then among all the people, to understand what we are seeking and where we want to reach, and for various sectors of the system to know what they should do. We must find this. Of course, I do not want to present the model and pattern of progress here; no, I want to emphasize the necessity of this work.

Modeling and patterning is the work of you; that is, it is the work of our elites. In academic research, they must pursue it, discuss it, and ultimately outline and determine the model of progress for Islamic Iran, for this geography, with this history, with this nation, with these capabilities, and with these ideals, and based on it, the general movement of the country towards progress in various sectors should take shape.

Why should the necessity of this work be stated? It is very simple; because today, in the eyes of many of our elites, many of our officials, the model of progress is merely Western models; development and progress must be pursued and followed based on the models that the Westerners have created for us. Today, this is the view of our officials, and this is a dangerous thing; it is a wrong thing; it is both wrong and dangerous. The Westerners are very skilled in propaganda; they have become skilled; over the past two or three hundred years of continuous propaganda work, with their successful propaganda, they have been able to create this belief in many minds that development is equivalent to the West and becoming Western! Any country that wants to be considered a developed country must become Western! This is their propaganda. Any country that distances itself from existing Western models is not developed! And the more its distance, the more its distance from development! This is how they want to establish it, and unfortunately, they have established it in minds.

Of course, the Westerners have done this propaganda and set their own models as the criteria and standards for development; but in practice, they have not truly helped those countries that wanted to become Western; that is, they have not shown honesty here either. Let me tell you: the Westerners have never been willing and are not willing for non-Westerners to enter the scientific club of the West. The Asian countries that have progressed now - like Japan, like China, and to some extent India - the West did not help any of them. China, in the intense struggles of East and West - communism and the capitalist world - was generously supported by the Soviet Union of that day; even its nuclear energy was provided by the Russians. China had nothing; the Soviets, because they wanted to form a large Asian front against America and Europe, equipped China; because China was communist, they equipped it. India was similarly supported; that is, in the East-West alignments, India had a leftist inclination, and the Soviets - the leftists - helped it. The Americans, conversely, were strengthening Pakistan. Of course, Pakistan also did not create its nuclear energy; they obtained it from China; but America turned a blind eye and did not bring it up in regional political balances. Japan did not achieve its scientific progress with the help of America and the West; the Japanese managed to exert scientific influence - perhaps the term theft is not a good term - and managed to seize knowledge in a way that the other party is not satisfied; however, they were a hardworking nation and advanced themselves; the West did not help them.

Now we must think about breaking this spell; which spell? This spell that someone might think that the progress of the country must necessarily occur with Western models. This is a completely dangerous situation for the country. Western models have been shaped with their own conditions, with their own mental foundations, with their own principles; moreover, they have been unsuccessful. I firmly state this: the Western model of progress is an unsuccessful model. It is true that they have reached power, they have reached wealth; but they have plunged humanity into catastrophe. The Western advancements are advancements that today all the world and all humanity are suffering from; backward countries in one way, advanced countries in another way. This is the same progress and development that has managed to bring a few wealthy families to wealth; but other nations have been subjected to captivity and humiliation and colonization; it has caused wars and imposed governments, and within those countries, it has also spread moral corruption, distance from spirituality, vice, corruption, sex, and the destruction of families. Therefore, it is not successful. If you read the literary works of Western countries - for example, France - that date back three or two centuries, and study the current situation there, you will see that the people there have regressed significantly in terms of morality. The situation that prevails there today was not the case back then. The progress of Western civilization over centuries has caused these countries to face moral problems; it has led them to moral decline; and in terms of living conditions, it has not served them; that is, poverty has not diminished there. There is a lot of work and effort there; but the yield and product for the individual and for the family is low. Therefore, Western progress is an unsuccessful progress.

We must find progress with an Islamic-Iranian model. This is vital for us. Why do we say Islamic and why do we say Iranian? Islamic because it is based on the theoretical and philosophical foundations of Islam and the humanistic foundations of Islam. Why do we say Iranian? Because the thought and innovation of Iranians have achieved this; Islam was also available to other nations. It has been our nation that has been able to or can prepare and provide this model. So the Islamic model is Iranian. Of course, other countries will undoubtedly benefit from it; just as until today, our nation and our country have been a model for many countries in many things, this model will certainly be followed and imitated by many nations.

What makes us consider the Western model for the progress of our society insufficient is, first of all, that the view of Western society and Western philosophies towards man - of course, Western philosophies are diverse; but the outcome of all of them is this - is fundamentally and essentially different from the Islamic view of man; there is a fundamental and root difference. Therefore, progress, which is for man and by man, takes on a different meaning in the logic of Western philosophy than in the logic of Islam. From the Western perspective, progress is material progress; the focus is on material profit; the more material profit increases, the more progress increases; the increase of wealth and power. This is the meaning of progress that the West seeks; the Western logic and model pursue this and recommend it to everyone. When progress becomes material, it means that ethics and spirituality can be sacrificed for such progress. A nation can achieve progress; but ethics and spirituality may not exist in it. However, from the Islamic perspective, this is not progress. Of course, material progress is desirable, but as a means. The goal is the growth and elevation of man.

The progress of the country and the transformation that leads to progress must be planned and arranged in such a way that man can achieve growth and elevation in it; man is not humiliated in it. The goal is the benefit of humanity, not a class of humans, not even Iranian humans. The progress that we want to define based on Islam and with Islamic thought is not only beneficial for Iranian humans, let alone for a specific class. This progress is for all humanity and for humanity. The fundamental point of divergence is the view of man. Let us pause here and I would like to present an Islamic epistemological point here:

In Islam, the view of man is from two angles that complement each other. This can serve as a foundation for all major issues of the country and the plans we will write for our future. The two angles from which Islam views man are one view of the individual man; to man as an individual; to me, you, Zayd, Amr as a being endowed with reason and choice, and addresses him; it demands responsibility from him and grants him a dignity, which we will discuss now. Another view of man is as a whole and a collection of humans. These two views are coherent; they complement each other. Each one completes the other.

In the first view, which is Islam’s view of the individual human, an individual is addressed by Islam. Here, man is a traveler moving on a path, which if he moves correctly, this path will lead him to the realm of divine beauty and majesty; it will bring him to God; "O man, you are laboring towards your Lord with labor, and you will meet Him." If we want to define this path, in a short sentence, it can be said that this path is from self-worship to God-worship. Man must move from self-worship to God-worship. The correct path and the straight path is this. The responsibility of the individual man in this view is to traverse this path. Each of us is addressed by this call; whether others go or not; whether they move or not; whether the world is engulfed in the darkness of disbelief or illuminated by the light of faith, it does not matter in this regard. The duty of each individual as an individual is to move on this path; "You are responsible for yourselves; it will not harm you who has gone astray if you are guided." He must make this movement; the movement from darkness to light, from the darkness of selfishness to the light of monotheism. What is the road of this path? After all, we want to move on a path and need a road; this road is the obligations and the avoidance of prohibitions. Heartfelt faith is the engine of movement on this path; ethical qualities and moral virtues are the provisions and supplies of this path, which make the way and movement easier for man; it accelerates it. Piety is also self-restraint; one must be careful not to deviate and transgress from this path. The duty of the individual in Islam’s view of the individual is this. At all times, in the government of the Prophets, in the government of tyrants, an individual’s duty is to carry out this work and make his effort.

In this view, Islam recommends that one practice asceticism. Asceticism means not becoming enamored with the world; but while recommending asceticism, it prohibits severing ties with the world and abandoning the world. What is the world? The world is this nature, this body of ours, our life, our society, our politics, our economy, our social relations, our children, our wealth, our homes. Becoming enamored with this world, becoming attached to these examples, in this individual address, is a blameworthy act. One should not become enamored. This non-attachment, this non-enamored state, is called asceticism; but one should not abandon these. No one has the right to turn away from the goods of the world, the adornments of the world, from the divine blessings in the world. "Say: Who has forbidden the adornment of God which He has brought forth for His servants and the good things of sustenance? Say: They are for those who believe." That is, no one has the right to turn away from the world. These are among the certainties and clear teachings of religion that I do not want to elaborate on. This is the individual view. In this view of the individual human, Islam permits the enjoyment of the pleasures of life and the joys of existence for him; but alongside it, it also teaches him a higher pleasure, which is the pleasure of communion with God and the pleasure of remembering God. In such a path, man, as an insightful and free being, must choose and move along this straight path. In this view, the addressee is, of course, the individual human. The goal of this movement and effort is the salvation of man. If man acts according to this instruction and the prescription given to him, he will be saved. This is one view.

In another angle of the broader view, this same human being who is addressed by the individual address is introduced as the vicegerent of God on earth; another duty has been assigned to him, which is the duty of managing the world. He must cultivate the world; "And He made you successors therein." This human being is tasked with cultivating the world. What does cultivating the world mean? It means extracting the countless and immeasurable potentials that God has placed in this nature and using these potentials for the advancement of human life. In this earth and around the earth, there are potentials that God has placed, and man must discover them. One day, man did not know fire, but fire existed; he did not know electricity, but it was in nature; he did not know the force of gravity, he did not know the force of steam, but these existed in nature. Today, there are still countless potentials of this kind in this nature; man must strive to recognize them. This is the responsibility of man; because he is a vicegerent, and one of the requirements of being a vicegerent of man is this.

The same applies to human beings; that is, in this second view, man has the duty to extract the inner potentials of humans; human intellect, human wisdom, human knowledge, and the incredible abilities that have been placed in the human psyche, which make man a powerful being. This is also a broader view. In this broader view, who is the addressee? The addressee is all individuals. The establishment of justice and correct relations is demanded. From whom? From all individuals. Each individual of the human community, in this broader view, is an addressee; that is, they have duties and responsibilities. Establishing justice, establishing the government of truth, creating human relations, creating a cultivated world, a free world, is the responsibility of human individuals. In this view, you see that man is the master of this world; he is responsible for himself and his upbringing and elevation and purification, as well as for building the world. This is Islam’s view of man.

Western humanism is also human-centered. Humanism - which is the axis of the philosophies of the nineteenth century and later and before it - places man at the center. But what kind of human? The human in the logic of the West and Western humanism is completely different from the human in the logic of Islam. The human in the Islamic model and view is both natural and divine; it is dual-dimensional; but in the Western view, man is a purely material being, and his goal is pleasure-seeking, enjoyment, and benefiting from the pleasures of worldly life, which is the axis of progress and development in the West; man is profit-centered. However, in the Islamic worldview, wealth, power, and knowledge are means for the elevation of man. In that Western worldview, wealth, power, and knowledge are ends. Humans can be humiliated, nations can be humiliated, millions of humans can be trampled and killed in wars, so that a country can reach power or wealth, or companies can sell their weapons; there is no problem! The logical difference is this.

Therefore, what we need is to prepare the map of progress for our country based on the Islamic worldview for this human being, the human in the logic of Islam. In this map of progress and transformation, it no longer makes sense for progress to be accompanied by vice, by sinking into the quagmire of corruption. Spirituality will be the fundamental basis of this progress. Progress that centers on man and a man who has a strong spiritual dimension and who uses knowledge, the world, wealth, and life activities as a means for spiritual elevation and moving towards God Almighty, this progress is very different from that progress. (The call to prayer reaches my ears. I usually do not continue the program when the call to prayer is made. I must finish my speech, but I will summarize.)

I want to say that the academic community of our country, the community of our elites - both seminary and university - one of their greatest tasks should be to formulate a comprehensive map of the country’s progress based on the foundations of Islam; not to cling to Western models and Western modeling. It cannot save the country; it cannot organize our country’s progress. Those who are in planning centers or in scientific and research centers and think and work about the economy, about politics, about international politics, and about other vital issues of the country should not seek to adapt Western formulas; Western economic formulas, the formulas of the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund to the issues of the country; no, those theories are not useful for us. Of course, we will use their science; we are not dogmatic. Wherever there is scientific progress, scientific experience, we will use it. We will use the materials; but the map must be drawn according to our own thinking, according to our own needs.

Today, the independence of our nation has become a model for all the world. We must show this independence in everything. Independence means not taking a passive stance in the face of the movements of the powerful of the world. We must pursue what is beneficial for us, what is in our interest, what aligns with our goals and ideals; we must not fall under the pressure of enemy propaganda and political actions. And our nation has shown that it has the power to resist against pressures. There was a period when the East and West of the world joined hands and placed this nation under the pressure of a heavy and hard eight-year war, but the nation endured with great strength. After that, until today, we have been under the pressure of propaganda, under the pressure of economic sanctions. Now they are threatening us with economic sanctions! When has there been a time when we have not faced economic sanctions? We achieved these scientific advancements in the field of nuclear energy and others in the atmosphere of economic sanctions. The Westerners know this; they understand. Of course, unfortunately, there are some inside who are so captivated and enchanted by the words of the West and Western thought and Western foundations that they are unwilling to hear and accept; even what scientific progress has occurred in the country, they do not accept until others acknowledge it!

I remember, perhaps about two years, two and a half years ago, when our centrifuges were operating and our young scientists had managed to start them, and the officials at that time; the President and others announced the news, some university physicists who are good and very honest and sincere people, some of whom know me, wrote to me, saying: Do not believe these! Such a thing has not happened and is impossible! They were not willing to believe; to accept. This is the same indoctrination. Until the Westerners; the Agency and others came and looked, they acknowledged, they confessed that such a thing could not happen in Iran, then others; the slow believers, in the country believed. The same thing happened regarding stem cells. I had mentioned the advancements in stem cells in several speeches. Some scientists from the country and from some universities wrote to me: Do not say this so much; this is not a reality; it is not like that! What you say about the advancements in stem cells and that they are practicing and working on cloning, do not believe it; such a thing has not happened and will not happen! After the cloned sheep was presented before everyone’s eyes, after the seminar was held where renowned scientists from around the world, top biologists came and interviewed and confirmed that the advancements are astonishing advancements, then a number of slow believers believed! This is also a plague that we do not believe in our own talents, our own progress, our own abilities; when it happens, we do not believe.

What the revolution has given us and our expectation from ourselves is that we must strengthen this day by day; that is, national self-confidence. The nation must have self-confidence; it must know that it can advance its objectives with high determination and through the cooperation of all the country together; we must know this. Our academic community in its work, in its scientific research must firmly believe in this, and our students, our professors, our researchers, our university managers must know that whatever they want to do, they can do it; in the shadow of effort, in the shadow of struggle, and in the shadow of endeavor. This is what we need. Of course, my discussion was longer than this; I cut it short.

In conclusion, I would like to make a few recommendations to dear students: In the university environment, a fair critique and, conversely, a humble receptiveness to critique are both necessary. A young person, especially a student, in a scientific environment must have an open mind and tongue; they must critique; of course, it must be fair. Critique should not be confused with fault-finding and anger and nitpicking; but critique must be done. At the same time, one must also be receptive to critique. If others critique us as students, as student organizations, we must accept; that is, we must endure; to accept means to endure.

Another recommendation: In the university environment, political tolerance and moderation are necessary. Student organizations should have political moderation towards each other; they should have political tolerance. Engaging student organizations against each other is a dangerous plot that has been drawn; this plot has been drawn. You must be careful. They want to pit student organizations against each other. We have recently witnessed that they were doing this in several universities. Of course, wise and politically mature students did not allow this to happen. But the plot is this. The way to confront it is that student organizations, student individuals, and student organizations should have a spirit of moderation and tolerance.

Another recommendation is the preservation of principles and the spirit of idealism. Do not become conservative. The passage of age may make some people conservative; but the engine of movement is youth. Our youth should not become conservative. The youth should be idealistic. Do not give up on ideals; seek the peaks, so that we can be sure that at least we will reach halfway. Of course, if you seek the peak, I am certain you will reach the peak itself. Do not lose the spirit of idealism, which is among the manifestations of the spirit of idealism, holding on to principles and intellectual foundations.

The next recommendation is the matter of self-cultivation in belief and knowledge; and in belief and practice, which some dear students also mentioned here. "You are responsible for yourselves"; always keep in mind that Islamic view of man in the individual address. Take care of yourselves; "You are responsible for yourselves." The path that leads man to God and enlightenment is the path of avoiding prohibitions and fulfilling obligations. Pay attention to obligations, avoid sins; this is what purification means. Because your hearts are young, they are luminous, thank God there is no pollution in your hearts and souls, God Almighty will help; He will bestow.

The next recommendation is the matter of studying and engaging academically. Truly study. It is essential to seek knowledge in student environments. One sees that in some student environments, a student is not a true seeker of knowledge; that is, they are not in search of knowledge; it is a matter of memorization and piecing together; do not let it be like this. Truly be seekers of knowledge and do not consider knowledge to be merely reading texts and acquiring texts. Now, in the presence of professors, I was mentioning this before here; a student must be a questioner, a deep thinker, a challenger to the professor, a seeker from the angles and corners of the scientific discussion.

And finally, this dear girl mentioned sports. I believe in sports. Of course, some of this relates to management to provide facilities for students, and some also relates to the students themselves; we should not blame all on management. After all, these heights around Mashhad - which I always have this complaint in Tehran too - the heights are so beautiful, right before the eyes of the people; they have no entrance fee, nor do they have any problems; they do not go; they prefer sleep in the morning; they become lazy. Sports is important and very important for the vitality and health and freshness of you young people. We hope, God willing, that God grants you success and that the future, with your efforts, dear youth, will bring a sweet and bright future for our people and the nations of the region.

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