Statements in Meeting with a Large Group of Teachers from Across the Country

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

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters! God willing, the occasion of Teacher's Day is blessed for all of you, for all teachers across the country, and for the nation of Iran. The fact that Teacher's Day coincides with the commemoration of a great teacher's martyrdom is instructive for us; this is a symbolic act; it signifies the greatness of the work of education and training to such an extent that a blend of intellectual and scientific work and presence in the fundamental arenas of life - as was evident in the life of martyr Motahari (may God's peace be upon him) - is the desired point of this noble profession and this great task.

A fundamental point is that the teaching community of the country should always keep in mind the greatness of the task they have undertaken and are performing. If a person knows what a great task they are engaged in, their motivation, their dynamism, their faith, and their effort in this work will be multiplied. Like a brave warrior who is working and striving in a sensitive point of the front lines, their struggle is so significant that it can have an effect and benefit for the entire front. If this warrior knows this, they will never become weary; they will not feel boredom; no factor of despair will affect their heart. This point should always be present in the eyes of our teachers that the role of the teacher for a society is a vital one; it cannot be compared to many other important and sensitive roles in the social composition.

This raw material that is placed in the hands of the teacher is a simple tablet; as the poet says, "I am a simple tablet, ready for every inscription"; this hand of the engraver shapes and depicts this tablet and gives it a new identity. There are various factors; the upbringing of parents, social events, and social influences; in our time, advertising media, and similar entities all play a role; however, the role of the teacher among these is a prominent and distinguished one. The teacher can even rescue this raw material from the captivity of hereditary factors; science has proven this. Just as hereditary factors of physical diseases and bodily ailments can be neutralized with various precautions and activities, the hereditary factors of moral, spiritual, and ethical issues are the same. The teacher can nurture this adolescent or child into a knowledgeable, insightful human being, possessing a spirit of inquiry, interested in research and study, or a superficial person, indifferent to depth and uninterested in knowledge; they can raise them to be a noble, kind, benevolent, cheerful, and pure-hearted individual, or conversely, turn them into a wicked, ill-hearted, and malevolent person; they can cultivate a hopeful, self-confident, and industrious individual, or on the contrary, deliver a hopeless, despairing, and isolated person to society; they can create a devout, pious, and chaste individual, or conversely, a careless person, indifferent to moral values, and neglectful of religious teachings; they can even overcome external educational factors - like these media and similar entities -; even with continuous education over many years with this raw material, with this adolescent, with this heart ready to accept, they can surpass the educational role of parents; this is the role of the teacher.

Well, a society needs believers, motivated, patient, hopeful, optimistic individuals, interested in public interests, eager to reach the peaks of personal and collective perfection, innovative, thoughtful, research-oriented, and progressive individuals. Who will create this? Here is where the role of the teacher becomes clear. The education and training system is such a sensitive and important apparatus.

Of course, many discussions have been held regarding education and training issues and the role of teachers. We are not in a situation today to settle for words; today we need action. Education and training, whether in the administrative sector or in the ranks - which consists of this collection of teachers and educators across the country - can shape the future of this country. It is true that fundamental change in education and training is a basic task that we have repeatedly reminded the esteemed officials of the country and the education system about; well, thanks be to God, you heard in the statements of the esteemed Minister that good activities have been carried out in this regard, which must lead to a fundamental change based on needs, based on lofty goals, based on the vast resources of the country, human resources, in education and training; this is correct in its place, I also emphasize in this regard; do not abandon this work, do not stop it; pursue this work with enthusiasm and doubled effort, with an unending motivation, until the desired situation in education and training is achieved. My recommendation to all of you dear teachers, to teachers across the country, is to believe in this great role within yourselves; know that you are playing a significant role for the future of the country.

Our country has suffered heavy losses over several centuries, has experienced significant backwardness, and has faced irreparable neglect; and this is the situation we observe today. With the emergence of the Islamic Revolution, with this new movement, this country must follow the path that is worthy of this nation, worthy of this heritage, worthy of the claim of being Muslim; this requires a tremendous mobilization.

Dear teachers, pay attention to what kind of individuals we need for the future of this country? What characteristics should our men and women possess to build the desired future of this country? This is in your hands. This adolescent or child sitting in front of you in the classroom is in your care. With your words, your demeanor, your behavior, you can instill confidence in them; you can give them hope; you can send them into the fields of action; you can inject the spirit of faith into them as they deserve; you can create a clever, hardworking, social individual, interested in the collective interests and community; you can revive the spirit of innovation in them. Our wise teacher can perform these tasks within the confines of their classroom; this is the collective and public duty of teachers across the country.

Of course, for the teacher to be able to perform all these tasks, they feel the need for guidance from the enlightened thinkers of society, the specialists in education and training. This need itself generates the product. When this need is felt by the teachers, it is immediately reflected to the productive apparatus of the country; what is needed is produced. Until we feel the need, until we ask questions, until we desire, the necessary product will not be produced. This is the role of education and training.

Let us also mention this sentence about our great martyr, the late Ayatollah Motahari (may God's peace be upon him): Truly, the behavior and demeanor of that great man was indicative of a complete and responsible teacher. In no arena where the presence of an Islamic thinker was needed did he refrain from entering; considerations and interests could not prevent him from entering that arena; whether in political fields or intellectual ones. In responding to various questions that occupied the minds of our youth at that time, martyr Motahari was not like some claimants of religious enlightenment who presented foreign concepts from the logic of religion and the content of religion with a religious gloss and form; rather, on the contrary, he presented the true concepts of religion in appropriate packaging for the day and in accordance with the questions and needs of the audience. He was not seeking to be praised by a specific group, a particular faction, or a specific intellectual assembly. He dealt with backwardness, intellectual regression, and erroneous thinking in the field of religion - which stemmed from stagnation and regression - with the same intensity as he dealt with innovations and deviant and eclectic thoughts. This was the characteristic of that great man. He did not tire; he worked tirelessly. He did not remain concerned with conventional academic titles and labels. As a warrior in the field of thought and contemplation, he entered the arena. He worked with sincerity, and God Almighty blessed his work. Today, thirty years after the martyrdom of that great man, his words are fresh, alive; it seems they were written for today. Even then, there were those at various intellectual levels who benefited from his words and thoughts, receiving their answers; today, as thoughts have advanced, many issues for inquisitive minds have been resolved, and he still responds to new questions. This is the characteristic of a profound thought accompanied by sincerity.

Sincerity is miraculous. When a person steps onto a path for God, God blesses their work; this is how the decades-long efforts of that great man, that dear martyr, remain for society like an inexhaustible treasure. This task is upon us; all of us in all various fields.

Today, our country and our nation, after enduring three decades of the greatest event that occurred after the arrival of Islam in the country - namely, the Islamic system uprising, which is the greatest event - and drew the attention of the Islamic world and not only in the region but also influenced the political equations of the world, and thanks be to God, the nation has made significant progress in various sectors over these thirty years, today it is appropriate for the thinkers of the nation to look towards the future and see what they want, what they want to do.

The Islamic world is a world of fragmentation and division. Muslims, despite having the Quran, despite possessing the strongest teachings, are suffering from backwardness due to various factors. What are these factors? They must be recognized. The aspiration of the Iranian nation should be to reach a point where all their behaviors, movements, and intellectual products are referred to as a definitive and reliable reference by the nations of the Islamic world; thinkers of the nations, intellectuals of the nations should find the way; this is the historical responsibility of the Iranian nation. And this is a path that is naturally before us; we must traverse this path correctly; move with self-confidence; bring forth all the human, intellectual, and talent capacities that God Almighty has bestowed upon this nation; then the destiny of the Islamic world will change, and consequently, the destiny of the world will change.

The world today is moving down a bad path; it is in a bad state; ethics in the world have been trampled. Nations are suffering the consequences of this moral decline, and the thinkers of the nations are aware of this great loss; they suffer, they express it; it is present in their words. One can move along a path that can be a source of salvation for humanity. This horrifying destiny that lies before humanity can be changed; the first step is that we must create that great movement, that tremendous transformation within ourselves. It begins with education and training. The infrastructures over these thirty years have been well established in various sectors, thanks be to God. Based on these infrastructures, one can move forward. The duty is heavy, the path is long, the work is difficult; but the end of the path is illuminated by the light granted by the Lord; a person sees this. The end of the path is clear; the horizon is bright; this path can be traversed well.

There are hostilities. In every success that the Iranian nation achieves, some in the world feel a sense of failure. The powerful naturally align against these movements that are not in harmony with their interests; these are not unexpected; these are things that are anticipated for any nation that enters the great battlefield of life; it is expected. Our nation has continued this movement from the beginning of the revolution until today in the face of these obstacles; these are nothing. These threats they make, the words they utter, the oppositions they present, the experience of the Iranian nation has shown that these oppositions have no effect in slowing down the movement of the nation, and the nation will continue on its path. What is important is that everyone knows their role; everyone, wherever they are, should be able to correctly identify and fulfill the duty that is upon them; God Almighty will, God willing, assist.

We hope that the esteemed officials of the Ministry of Education and Training, considering these important realities, and bearing in mind this heavy responsibility, will pursue this great task with high ambition and diligent effort, God willing, and you dear teachers, wherever you are in the country, with hope and reliance on God Almighty and expectation of divine mercy, guidance, and reward, God willing, will advance this work. We hope that God will reward all of you and grant peace to the pure souls of our dear martyrs who made it possible for our nation to address these fundamental issues. God willing, may God Almighty unite the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), who opened this path for us, with the pure souls of His saints.

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