Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Elite Youth and Students

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

The session up to this moment has been very good in my opinion, and I truly enjoyed it; mainly because I feel, thanks be to God, that our elite youth have the courage to rely on their own opinions; this is very important to me. It is of great significance that an Iranian and a Muslim youth has the self-confidence to express their views firmly and confidently regarding the general issues of the country, higher education, educational matters, and their own university or other universities. We must strengthen this spirit alongside the spirit of scientific inquiry and elite scholarship.

My dear ones! Let me tell you: those who initially slowed down the process of science and research in our country and then completely halted it, their first strategy was to eliminate this spirit in Iranians; that is, to make Iranians feel that they have nothing of their own in thought, in science, in finding a way of life, and even in seeking the necessary words to express their intentions. This alone turns a nation into a pile of ashes; a nation that does not have confidence in itself. I am happy to see this spirit among you youth this year. In other sessions I have had with youth, fortunately, I see that this spirit is growing day by day. Of course, a subtle point that exists is that this feeling of self-confidence and expressing what comes to mind is different from aggression and hostility. Hostility is inherent in youth - this is not my concern - I see you youth and other youths I have encountered over these past years using the spirit of logic, reasoning, logical objection, and scientific protest, and this is very valuable to me. The points you raised were very good and noteworthy. I have now made some brief notes, but all of your statements, God willing, will be transcribed from the tapes and will be taken into consideration.

Some of the points that friends raised are issues that are one hundred percent executable and pertain to the managers present in this session who must address them promptly; like the issue of penalties for extra units that a student takes. This issue is currently unclear to me; I do not understand why. What does this action mean? Or the connection with foreign elites is an issue that requires policy-making. Some issues are a bit broader; like the fact that government agencies should grant scholarships to elites, which is a correct point. The issue of military service that some friends raised, in my opinion, has been resolved and there is no problem. However, another issue that I think you friends did not mention in this session, but was discussed in previous sessions and I have taken action on, is the topic of easier admission for Olympiad winners and scientific achievers to universities, which I ask the two honorable ministers to review this matter and if they feel there is no problem, they should certainly take action for this good idea so that elites, for example, up to a certain rank - second or third rank - can enter universities. Some other tasks that friends raised are issues that require work, study, and follow-up from government agencies, which we, God willing, will say to separate these and connect each one either to the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council or to the relevant agencies.

The only point I want to remind you is this: some of the problems you mention are completely solvable in the short term, and some in the long term. Expressing these problems is not an issue; especially in such a session that has been formed in a completely sincere atmosphere of kindness and affection; I fully welcome it; even if all of you express such problems; however, be careful not to make the quality of expression despair-inducing; that is, be mindful that the atmosphere does not become filled with despair. My dear ones! Everything relies on hope; that is, you and the officials of the universities of the country - the government officials at various levels - who are supposed to work in every field, including in the areas you mention, must be hopeful that they can move forward and can reach the desired point. Do not make the type of expression such that its meaning is the dominance of a despairing atmosphere over activity; no, there is no place for despair and hopelessness.

What I find appropriate to convey to you in this session - while some of the points I wanted to tell you, you have already expressed - is this: your work is scientific progress and the pursuit of rationality in science; this is a desirable task in Islam and is sought after and encouraged by Islam. As Muslims and believers in this faith, we have a duty to pursue scientific work and reaching the peak of knowledge both in our individual movements and in the collective planning of the country; this is a duty; the perspective on this matter must be in this way.

Of course, the situation was different in the West and Europe. In Christian Europe, the beginning of scientific knowledge movement coincided with the end of religious knowledge; that is, the beginning of this stage was perceived as the end of that stage. Perhaps this was indeed the case; because religious knowledge in the Christian environment was superstitious, filled with prejudice, and completely anti-science. The time when a scientist was imprisoned or whipped and burned for a scientific discovery was not far from our time. For centuries, scholars were burned as sorcerers, which you can see in the literary works of the West and in the history of Western science. When the religious atmosphere of society and its religious authorities have such an attitude towards science, it is obvious and natural that in such social conditions, if science can stand tall, it will bury religion and religious knowledge in the dust, and that period will completely end; this is clear.

In Islam, the situation is completely different. In Islam, the opposition of religion to science and the opposition of religion to reason has no meaning at all. In Islam, one of the sources of evidence for finding religious principles and branches is reason; the principles of beliefs must be obtained through reason; in subsidiary rulings, reason is also one of the evidences. If you look at our hadith books - like the book "Kafi" which was written a thousand years ago - the first chapter is "The Book of Reason and Ignorance," which is a chapter on reason and its value and importance, and the importance of knowledge and wisdom. Islam has also had the most significant movement and the most important encouragement regarding science. The Islamic civilization came into existence thanks to the scientific movement that began from the very first day in Islam. Not even two centuries had passed since the dawn of Islam when the Islamic scientific movement emerged explosively; that too in that environment. If you want to compare that scientific movement with today, you must consider the scientific poles of the world today, then imagine that a country is located in a remote part of the world, far from any civilization; this country enters the field of civilization and within a span of, say, one hundred or one hundred and fifty years, surpasses all those civilizations scientifically; this is a miraculous movement; it is simply unimaginable. This was only because Islam encouraged knowledge, its acquisition, and the teaching of knowledge and scholarly living. Just see in the hadiths that are in circulation and sometimes not deeply contemplated, how many important points there are: "People are three: the scholar, the learner on the path of salvation, and the common rabble"; fundamentally, we have three categories of people: those who are knowledgeable; those who are in the process of learning; the rest are common rabble. You see that Islam places value on knowledge first and foremost; whether possessing knowledge and teaching it to others or acquiring knowledge. The Islamic environment is such an environment.

From here, dear youth, pay attention that entering the field of scientific knowledge - now any science; whether human sciences, Quranic sciences, natural sciences, or various types of sciences that you are working on today - and entering the field of scientific research should not prevent you from delving into and advancing in the field of religious knowledge, practicing ethics, and acquiring virtue; you must have both. This verse that our dear brother recited at the beginning: "And He purifies them and teaches them the Book and wisdom," God Almighty sent the Prophet to teach and purify. Therefore, teaching and purification go hand in hand; do not separate these two. The belief that anyone who enters the field of science must naturally distance themselves from virtue, spirituality, and ethics is a completely erroneous and imported idea based on a background that arose in Christian Europe and is entirely incompatible with the Islamic environment and with Islamic understanding and teachings; because if a scholar is virtuous and ethical; in any field, one can hope for the elevation of humanity and the elevation of their own country; this scholar makes their goals valuable goals and their movement is in favor of humanity, in favor of justice, and in favor of virtue and against the strange disorders of today's world. You should strive to be such scholars in the future and set these issues as your goals; be individuals who can turn the wheel of the world in the right direction; set this as your goal; and this is possible; of course, many preliminary works must be done to reach that goal.

The issues you mentioned regarding elites are points that I also believe in: creating a foundation for nurturing elites, identifying elite talents, assisting them in reaching the peaks of scientific and research achievements; these are all very important tasks that, of course, these works have begun in our country; after it was completely absent in the past - before the revolution - and even moved in the opposite direction; that is, it was essentially elite killing; an effort to kill the spirit of hope in the youth; an effort to promote those who could read and execute the Western version completely and absolutely and believed in it. There was no self-sprouting, no self-growing, and no flourishing. This means that the country and nation would always be a supplement to others; following them. It is clear that such a country cannot progress. In the past, our situation was like this; but the revolution changed spirits; it changed the situation. Now, for several years, thanks be to God, attention to elites has been included in the program; however, what has been done so far is not enough. In any case, many of the points that friends have raised now are things that have been given attention and efforts have been made for them, and progress has been made, and God willing, it must progress even more.

Of course, I think we need a foundation for elites. Many years ago - before Mr. Khatami's government - I told the then President to create an office that deals with the relationship between universities and industry. In a broader perspective, this could actually be an office for addressing various issues of elites: listening to their words, solving their special problems, looking at their proposals for advancing work, and generally looking at elite nurturing in society. Then, during the current government - Mr. Khatami's government - I told him once or twice, and some work has been done; however, it is not enough. We need to create a foundation that is under the presidency; because the best place is there. I have now heard that some agencies want to do some work, but there is no place more suitable for this work than the presidency; even a ministerial agency is not enough for this work; because this work goes beyond the work of a ministry.

As you mentioned, some of your issues relate to the Ministry of Science, some to the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, some to the Ministry of Education, and occasionally some to the Ministry of Culture and some to other ministries like Industry and Oil. One of the friends mentioned petrochemicals; that is completely correct. Yes, I know that some elites have gone to the Ministry of Oil; however, the work that should have been asked of them has not been requested, and the necessary use has not been made. In any case, a center is needed to gather these matters, so that this center can pursue the issue of elites as an independent matter in the country with a correct, proper, continuous, and especially non-political perspective, which is not contaminated by political views and goals. Then, naturally, all the issues you mentioned will fit there; that is, first identifying talents, then nurturing them, and then guiding talents towards necessary and appropriate work.

It is possible that some of the talents that exist today are spent on tasks that are not very necessary for the country; for example, the issue of elites leaving the country; because the departure of elites from the country - I have said this several times - is not absolutely a negative issue; because an elite may leave the country to acquire knowledge and then return and be beneficial for the country. Of course, it is better that we provide facilities for this elite so that what is necessary for the growth and blossoming of talents is prepared within the country: they should have workshops, a scientific and research maneuvering environment; this is the best; but if it does not happen, elites can go - the world is a vast space - but this departure must be calculated; that is, the elite must know why they are going; what they want to do and after acquiring what they need, how they want to use that knowledge. Will they use that knowledge for the elevation of their country and for the advancement of their nation and for the awakening of other elites in their country, or will they use it in the service of a factory or company belonging to a Canadian, American, or European capitalist? This is the greatest humiliation for a distinguished scientific individual to strive, to work, and for all the resources of their country to ultimately lead to the emergence of this elite, but they serve some ignorant and inhumane capitalist in some part of the world, and that person uses this elite as a pawn and tool in their collection. A distinguished elite is only proud when they can play a role in improving the conditions of their country, home, and nation and in improving the lives and future of those who have rights over them. You will have a brilliant face when you can play a role in your own country. Now, you see a youth who, for example, has studied and done work during a period, among thousands of youths who have done nothing, has done something in the field of physics or medicine or Iranian literature that has made them a lasting figure in the country; these are the lasting figures. We have prominent personalities in the fields of medicine, physics, literature, and some branches of human sciences and philosophy that the country is proud of. The country never takes pride in that engineer or doctor or educated elite who has gone and become a part of a capitalist collection belonging to some group or person; they have gone to produce money for the children and for the daughters and sons and for the dogs and servants of a human; this is not a source of pride. The pride is that someone can bring about progress, elevation, advancement, dignity, and compensation for backwardness in their own country. Therefore, if someone with this intention, whether they study here or abroad - whatever they study and in whatever field they work - becomes a valuable being. In any case, goal-setting, policy-making, and implementing such matters can be realized in the foundation I mentioned.

I was pleased that some friends referred to the Sacred Defense Week - which we are currently in - my dear children! Be careful not to forget the issue of the Sacred Defense that took place in this country; a great work was done. Those youths were like you; most of those youths who played effective roles in the war were among these students and many of them were also elites. The reason for their elite status was that a twenty-two or twenty-three-year-old youth became the commander of a division; they were able to lead that division and design operations that they had never done before, in such a way that not only did they astonish the enemies who were facing us - that is, the attacking soldiers of Ba'athist Iraq - but they also astonished the satellites of the enemies. We had Operation Valfajr 8, which was an unbelievable and unimaginable movement; while American satellites were working for Iraq - you must have heard about this and are aware - providing information to that country; that is, the military headquarters of the Ba'ath regime were constantly connected with American news agencies and their satellites, and those satellites recorded the movements and gatherings of our forces and immediately informed them where the Iranians were gathering and where they had placed their equipment. You surely know that information plays a very important and extraordinary role in war; but under the gaze of these satellites, tens of thousands of forces went to the banks of the Arvand River and the enemy did not realize! With strange and unusual methods that I know you do not know about - of course, at that time we were aware of the details of the work and the anxieties and so on - the Islamic warriors were able to go there and conquer an area and perform a remarkable task. This work was done by these students and these youths and these elites who were in the Basij and the Revolutionary Guard. They were a group of faithful youths who performed that task at a very sensitive juncture; if they had not done that work, today part of your country would have been lost and the government that was in Iran would have been a weak, humiliated, and defeated government that had to endure whatever others said - not the big shots and the powerful of the world, but even the small fry around and about - today, there is a dear, powerful country and a proud nation in your country, and a powerful government that the decision-makers of the world are compelled to acknowledge and consider the views of the Islamic Republic in important and sensitive global issues. This is thanks to the sacrifices made by those youths; remember those youths.

I have noted some points here, and you also had many unspoken words that remained; we also have unspoken words that we can leave; it is not a problem.

In any case, let me also say this: my dear ones! You are elites; you are dear and the light of our eyes; but remember that the more knowledgeable and elite you become, the more humble you should be; do not forget this. May it not be that being elite, God forbid, creates arrogance in you; being elite does not imply arrogance; of course, I do not see this in you; your radiant faces do not show this; but in any case, be careful. The elite atmosphere in the country must be completely separated from the atmosphere of arrogance. The more your scientific successes increase, wherever you achieve a new research and gain more success, become more humble, more people-oriented, and in short, more down-to-earth; this is what can sustain your progress and increase the benefit of your existence.

We hope that God preserves you; may He forgive you to your parents, to your families, and to your country, and may you all be a source of brightness for the eyes of your nation and your country in the future.

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