Statements in a Friendly Meeting of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution with Youth on the Occasion of Youth Week

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

What feelings do you experience when you see young people, and what is the first thing you say to them?

When I am with young people and in a youthful environment, my feeling is like that of someone breathing in the morning air; I feel freshness and vitality. What usually comes to my mind when meeting young people, which I have thought about many times, is whether they know what a star shines on their foreheads? I see this star; but do they see it too? The star of youth is a very bright and fortunate star. If young people feel this precious and unique gem within themselves, I think, God willing, they will make good use of it.

How did you spend your youth?

Back then, it was not like now; honestly, the situation was very bad. The youthful environment was not pleasant; not for me, who was a seminary student at that time - I had been a seminary student since childhood - but for all young people. Young people were not taken seriously. Many talents within the youth were dying. We witnessed this with our own eyes. I saw it in my seminary environment. Later, when I connected with external seminary environments, with universities and students - for many years, I had connections with students and was familiar with them - I saw that it was the same there. There were so many brilliant talents. There were so many individuals who might not have much talent in the field they were studying; but they might have other talents within them that no one understood or knew.

As Mr. Mirbagheri pointed out and rightly said, before the revolution, most of my youth was spent with young people. When the revolution triumphed, I was about thirty-nine years old. All the time from my seventeen or eighteen years of age until that date was spent with young people; both the young people of the religious and educational seminary and those outside this sphere. What I felt was that the regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had caused young people to head towards debauchery. Debauchery, not just moral debauchery; debauchery of identity and debauchery of personality.

Of course, I cannot claim that the regime itself had planned to lead the youth of the country to debauchery - it may have been so, or it may not have been - but what I can certainly say is that they had laid out plans and managed the country in such a way that it necessitated this; that is, being distanced from political issues, distanced from life issues.

Can you believe that I and people like me, until the age of twenty-something, did not even know who the governments in power were?! Now, do you know anyone in this country who does not know who the Minister of Education is? Who the Minister of Economy and Finance is? Or for example, who the President is? In all corners of the country, everyone is informed. At that time, all classes - including young people - were completely oblivious to political issues. The main entertainment for young people was daily matters. Some were busy with the sorrow of bread, working hard to earn a morsel of bread to eat, which, of course, some of their income did not go towards eating; it went towards peripheral matters.

If you have read the books written during our youth about Latin America and Africa - like the books of "Frantz Fanon" and others who wrote books at that time and whose works still remain credible - you will realize that our situation was the same. In regard to Iran, no one dared to write; but regarding, for example, Africa or Chile or Mexico, they wrote freely. By reading these books, I saw that our situation was exactly the same. That is, the working youth, after working hard and earning a penny, would spend half of that money on debauchery and wandering and such things. These were the same things we read in those books and saw that in the reality of our own society, it was the same. Honestly, it was very bad. The youthful environment was not a good one. Of course, within the hearts of young people and the youthful environment, it was different; because youth is essentially full of vitality, hope, and excitement.

Personally, I had a very exciting youth. Both before the revolution began, due to my literary and artistic activities and such, there was excitement in my life, and also after the struggles began in 1961, when I was twenty-three years old. Naturally, we found ourselves at the heart of the fundamental excitements of the country, and in 1962, I was imprisoned twice; detention, prison, interrogation. You know that these things excite a person. Then, when one would come out and see the vast multitude of people who were interested in these values, and a leader like Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) who was guiding the people and correcting actions, thoughts, and paths, the excitement would increase. This was the case for those of us who lived and thought in these matters; life was very exciting for us; but not everyone was like that.

Of course, when young people gather together, because their hearts are naturally warm - that is, there is a kind of liveliness and joy in their nature - they enjoy everything. A young person enjoys food, enjoys talking, enjoys looking in the mirror, enjoys recreation. You cannot believe that when a person passes the age of youth, they no longer enjoy the same pleasure from a delicious meal, nor do they know what it is! Back then, sometimes our elders - those who are now my age - would say things that we would wonder how they think like that? Now we see that they were not entirely wrong. Of course, I have not completely disconnected myself from my youth. I still feel something of my youth within me and I do not let myself fall into that state. Thanks be to God, I have not allowed it so far, and I will not allow it in the future; but those who have let themselves fall into old age, naturally do not feel the enjoyment that youth has in all aspects of their lives. That was the state then. I do not say that a sorrowful atmosphere prevailed - I do not claim that - but an atmosphere of negligence, ignorance, and lack of identity prevailed.

This was why at that time, I and people like me who were seriously and deeply thinking about the issues of struggle, focused our efforts on pulling young people out of the cultural influence of the regime. For example, I would go to the mosque, teach interpretation, give speeches after prayers, and sometimes go to cities to give speeches. My main focus was to pull young people out of the cultural snare of the regime. I used to refer to this as an "invisible net." I would say there is an invisible net that pulls everyone in a certain direction! I want to tear this invisible net as much as possible and pull young people out of the snare and trap of this net. Anyone who escaped from that intellectual snare - which had the characteristic of first being inclined towards piety and secondly towards the thoughts of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) - would gain a kind of immunity. That was how it was. That generation later became the main pillars of the revolution. Now, when I look at our society today, I can identify many individuals from that generation - both those who were connected with me and those who were not.

In any case, you have a better time now. The atmosphere is a better one. Of course, I do not say that everything is provided for the youth and that everything is as it should be; but in comparison to that time, today the situation is much better. If a young person wants to live well and find their human identity and personality, I believe they can do so today.

What is your definition of a young Muslim and their characteristics? How can a young person traverse the path of life and achieve their goals?

Of course, it cannot be done easily. This condition you have set makes it very difficult for me to respond. No serious important path can truly be traversed easily. Ultimately, if a person wants to achieve something valuable, they must accompany it with some effort and labor - this is inevitable - but see; I fundamentally see three characteristics among the important traits that young people have, which if they are specified and if they are guided correctly, it seems that I can answer your question. Those three characteristics are: energy, hope, and initiative. These are three prominent characteristics in youth. If the media can properly guide these three major characteristics in the cultural assistance they provide to us - whether religious speakers, thinkers, cultural speakers, the media, or schools - I think it will be very easy for a young person to find the Islamic path; because Islam also asks us to actualize our talents.

Of course, there is a very fundamental point in the Quran - it is worth mentioning to you dear young people - and that is paying attention to piety (taqwa). When individuals want to form an image of piety in their minds, they think of prayer, fasting, worship, and remembrance. All of these may be part of piety, but none of them define piety. Piety means being mindful of oneself. Piety means a person knows what they are doing and chooses every action with will, thought, and decision; like a person sitting on a spirited horse, holding the reins, and knowing where they want to go. That is piety. A person who lacks piety does not have control over their actions, decisions, and future. To quote a line from Nahj al-Balagha (1): it is someone who has been thrown onto a wild horse; not that they have mounted it. Even if they have mounted it, they do not know how to ride. The reins are in their hands, but they do not know where they should go. Wherever the horse pulls them, they must go, and certainly, there is no salvation awaiting them. This horse is also wild.

If we consider piety in this sense, I believe it becomes easier to traverse the path. Of course, still not in a way that it is very easy. In any case, it is possible, and it is truly practical for a young person to find the Islamic way of life. If they are religious, see what they do. This action, this word, this friendship, this lesson, and this understanding, is it right or wrong? Just the fact that they think it is right or wrong, that is piety. If they are not religious, if they have this same state, this state will guide them to religion. The Holy Quran says: "Guidance for the God-conscious" (2); it does not say "Guidance for the believers." "Guidance for the God-conscious"; meaning if there is a person who does not have religion, but has piety - it is possible for someone to not have religion, but have the piety I mentioned - they will undoubtedly be guided by the Quran and will become a believer. However, if a believer lacks piety, they are likely not to remain steadfast in their faith. It depends on their luck: if they are in a good environment, they will remain in faith; if they are not in a good environment, they will not remain in faith.

Therefore, if we can draw from those three characteristics with piety and guide them correctly, I think it will be very good for young people to live in a way that Islam prefers, especially since, fortunately, today our country is an Islamic country. This is a very important matter. The government - that is, national authority - is in the hands of Islam. Those who hold the reins of affairs are deeply committed to Islam. The people also have faith deeply rooted in their hearts. Therefore, the ground for becoming and living as a Muslim is very abundant.

Let me give a brief example and conclude my answer to your question. During the war, which unfortunately you did not experience the elevation of that period - of course, you did not experience the war, and that is not regrettable; but you did not experience those unique characteristics, and one feels regret - the eighteen and twenty-year-old young people who were your age sometimes reached the level of a mystic who had been on the path of God for forty years! One could feel this in their existence. They were not few; they were abundant. I felt a true humility in front of such young people; not that I wanted to be humble. Have you seen a person who stands in front of a great one and realizes their own weaknesses when they see their perfections? I felt that same feeling in front of a young Basij member and a young warrior. That atmosphere was such that it could transform an ordinary young person in this way.

You know how young people are in the world; rap groups and all sorts of moral and intellectual calamities. Young people around the world are truly afflicted with a thousand types of trials. The rap groups and those things that exist now, were also present in our time. In our time, there were the famous Beatles, who I have heard have become old men now. A while ago, I saw an article in a foreign magazine detailing where each of them is and what they are doing. Those spiritual afflictions, those psychological complexes, lead them to these paths. Now, those who imitate them in underdeveloped and distant countries do not understand what kind of illness those poor people are suffering from! They think it is progress; while it is a decline and fall. While the world was afflicted with such a situation, our young people had that kind of condition. In Iran, the young person was full, self-sufficient, proud, with a deep sense of joy in their heart, a sense of duty, a clear understanding of their goal - knowing what they were doing and for whom they were doing it - and thanks be to God, they were endowed with the true and spiritual elevation that the Almighty God had granted them.

As a female student, how can we take inspiration from the life of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her)? Who were your role models during your youth?

That is a good question. First of all, let me tell you that a role model should not be introduced to us and told that this is your role model. This imposed and contractual role model does not become interesting. A role model should be found by ourselves; that is, we should look within our field of vision and see which of all the faces that come before us we like the most; naturally, this will become our role model. I believe that for a young Muslim, especially a Muslim who is familiar with the lives of the Imams and the family of the Prophet and the early Muslims, finding a role model is not difficult, and there are plenty of role models. Now, you have fortunately mentioned Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her). Let me say a few sentences about the sacred existence of Fatimah (peace be upon her); perhaps this will provide a thread for thinking about the other Imams and great figures.

You, a woman living in an era of scientific, industrial, and technological advancement and a vast world of material civilization and all these new phenomena, what do you expect from your role model from, say, fourteen hundred years ago, to have in common with your current situation, so that you can benefit from it? For example, suppose you want to see how university was attended? Or when she thought about global political issues, how did she think? These do not exist.

There are some fundamental characteristics in the personality of every human being; you should identify them and seek the role model in them. For example, suppose you consider how a person should deal with surrounding events. Now, surrounding events sometimes relate to an era with subways, trains, jets, and computers; sometimes they relate to an era without these things; but surrounding events are ultimately something that always surrounds a person.

A person can approach this issue in two ways: one is responsibly, and the other is indifferently. Responsibility has various types; with what spirit, with what kind of outlook towards the future. One must search for these main lines in the person they think could be their role model and follow them.

I have mentioned this topic in a speech before. In our speeches, there are sometimes good words here and there; however, they often go unnoticed and disappear! For example, Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) was six or seven years old - there is a difference of opinion; because there are various narratives regarding the date of her birth - when the event of the Shi'ab Abi Talib occurred. The Shi'ab Abi Talib was a very difficult period in the early history of Islam; that is, the Prophet's invitation had begun, he had made the invitation public, gradually people in Mecca - especially the youth, especially the slaves - were converting to Islam, and the great tyrants - like Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl and others - saw that they had no choice but to expel the Prophet and all those around him from Medina; and they did just that. Many of these people, who formed dozens of families and included the Prophet and the relatives of the Prophet and Abu Talib - even though Abu Talib was also one of the greats - along with children and adults, were all expelled from Mecca. They left Mecca; but where would they go? By coincidence, Abu Talib had a property in a corner near Mecca - perhaps a few kilometers from Mecca - in a mountain crevice; its name was "Shi'ab Abi Talib." Shi'ab means this crevice in the mountain; a small valley. We, the people of Mashhad, call such a place "Baze". Coincidentally, this is one of those correct, precise Persian words that local villagers call "Baze"; but its original form is "Baze." Abu Talib said let us go there. Now, imagine! In Mecca, the days were hot and the nights were extremely cold; that is, an unbearable situation. They lived in those deserts for three years. How much hunger did they endure, how much hardship did they suffer, how much suffering did they bear, God knows. One of the hardest periods for the Prophet was there. The Prophet's responsibility during this period was not just leadership in the sense of managing a population; he had to be able to defend his actions in front of those who were suffering.

You know that when the situation is good, those who gather around a leadership axis are all satisfied with the situation; they say God bless him, he brought us to this good situation. When hardship arises, everyone becomes doubtful, saying he brought us here; we did not want to be in this situation!

Of course, strong faiths stand firm; but ultimately, all hardships weigh on the Prophet. In the meantime, when the utmost spiritual intensity was upon the Prophet, Abu Talib, who was the Prophet's supporter and hope, and Khadijah, who was also the greatest spiritual support for the Prophet, both passed away within a week! It is a very strange incident; that is, the Prophet became utterly alone.

I do not know if you have ever been the head of a working group, to understand the meaning of the responsibility of a group!? In such conditions, a person truly becomes miserable. In this situation, see the role of Fatimah (peace be upon her). When one looks at history, such cases should also be found here and there; unfortunately, no chapter has been opened for such things.

Fatimah (peace be upon her) was like a mother, like an advisor, like a nurse for the Prophet. It was there that they said Fatimah was "the mother of her father." This relates to that time; that is, when a six or seven-year-old girl was like this. Of course, in Arab environments and in warm environments, girls grow physically and spiritually faster; for example, to the extent of a ten or twelve-year-old girl today. This is a sense of responsibility. Can this not be a role model for a young person, to quickly feel responsibility and enthusiasm towards the surrounding issues? To spend that immense vitality they have to wipe the dust of sorrow and grief from the face of a father who is, for example, around fifty years old and has become an old man? Can this not be a role model for a young person? This is very important.

The next example is the issue of being a wife and husband. Sometimes a person thinks that being a wife means cooking in the kitchen, cleaning the room, and laying out a mattress for the husband when he comes home from work or the shop! Being a wife is not just this. You see how Fatimah (peace be upon her) was as a wife. During the ten years that the Prophet was in Medina, about nine of those years, Fatimah and Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) were married. During these nine years, numerous small and large battles occurred - about sixty battles took place - in most of which Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was present. Now, you see, she is a woman who is sitting at home while her husband is constantly at the front, and if he is not at the front, the front is incomplete - the front is so dependent on him - and they do not have a good living situation; the same things we have heard: "And they feed the needy, the orphan, and the captive, saying: 'We feed you only for the sake of God'" (3); that is, they truly lived in utter poverty; while she is the daughter of the leader, the daughter of the Prophet, and she feels a sense of responsibility.

See how much strength a person needs to be able to equip this husband; to empty his heart from the temptations of family and the hardships of life; to encourage him; to raise the children in the good way she has raised them. Now you say that Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (peace be upon them) were Imams and had the essence of Imamate; Zainab (peace be upon her) was not an Imam. Fatimah (peace be upon her) raised her in those nine years. After the Prophet, she did not live long.

She managed the household in this way, was a wife in this way, and became a historical focal point for the family. Can these not be role models for a young girl, a housewife, or someone approaching housewifery? These are very important.

Now, after the event of the Prophet's passing, coming to the mosque and delivering that amazing sermon is very astonishing! In fact, people like us who are accustomed to speaking and improvising understand how significant those words are. A girl of eighteen, twenty, or at most twenty-four years old - although the exact age of that great lady is not certain; because the date of her birth is not certain and there is a difference of opinion - with all those calamities and hardships, comes to the mosque and speaks in front of a large crowd, with a hijab, delivering a speech whose every word remains in history.

The Arabs were known for their good memory. A person would come and recite an eighty-verse poem, and after the session was over, ten people would take it and write it down. This is how these poems remained. The speeches and these hadiths were mostly preserved this way. They would sit, write, and memorize, and these speeches have remained until today. Empty words do not remain in history; not every word remains. So many words have been spoken, so many speeches have been made, so many matters have been discussed, so many poems have been composed; but they have not remained, and no one pays attention to them. What history keeps in its heart and after fourteen hundred years, every human who looks at it feels humility, shows a greatness. In my opinion, this is a role model for a young girl.

You are right; it is the fault of us officials in these matters. Of course, I do not mean governmental matters; I mean spiritual and religious matters that we have not properly presented these aspects to the younger generation; but you can also work in these areas. The lives of the Imams have this kind of content.

The life of Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) is also a role model. Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) - an Imam with all those ranks, with all that greatness - passed away at the age of twenty-five. This is not something we say; history says it; history that has been written by non-Shiites. That great man, in his youth, childhood, and adolescence, gained a greatness in the eyes of Ma'mun and everyone else. These are very important things; they can be role models for us.

Of course, we also have role models in our own time. The Imam is a role model. These young Basij members are role models; both those who became martyrs and those who are alive today. Of course, human nature is such that it is easier to talk about those who have gone and become martyrs. See what role models can be found! We saw in the war those who had come out from their city or village; while they seemed like completely ordinary people. I mentioned that the regime could not nurture talents or bring them to light. These were ordinary people in that regime; but in this system, they came to the battlefield - which was a field of work - and suddenly their talents emerged, and they became great commanders, and then they were martyred. We have many of these.

A few years ago, their biographies were written in booklets called "My Commander"; the memories of young people about their commanders at the front. I do not know if these continued or not? A short story or a small memory has been narrated, and that memory shows the greatness of this personality. These can be role models. Of course, in our scientific personalities, in our sports personalities, in our literary personalities, in our artistic personalities, we can find role models; personalities that truly have distinctions.

Of course, a person also chooses a role model based on their own criteria. I kindly request that whatever role model you choose, always keep the criterion of "piety" that I explained in mind. Piety is something that cannot be overlooked. Piety is necessary for worldly life; it is also necessary for the afterlife.

As for which personalities have influenced me, I must say there were many personalities. The one who influenced me the most during my youth was the late "Navab Safavi." At that time when he came to Mashhad, I was about fifteen years old. I was greatly influenced by his personality, and shortly after he left Mashhad, he was martyred in a very bad way. This also deepened his influence on us. Then Imam influenced me. Before I came to Qom and before the struggles began, I had heard the name of the Imam and, without having seen him, I had affection and devotion towards him. The reason was that in Qom, all the young people were eager for his lessons; he had youth-friendly lessons. When I went to Qom, I did not hesitate to attend his lessons. From the beginning, I would attend his lessons and until the end of my time in Qom, I continuously attended one of his classes. He also had a great influence on me. Of course, my father influenced me, my mother influenced me a lot. Among the personalities who deeply influenced me, my mother is one; she was a very effective woman.

Considering your interest in art and literature, which contemporary poets have you studied more and which do you like the most?

I categorize contemporary poets into those who write ghazals, those who write qasidas, and those who write modern poetry. Each group has a few poets that I liked. In ghazal, the late "Amiri Firuzkuhi" is one; I was also friends with him, and he was very fond of me, and for years until after the revolution, we had interactions. During my presidency, he passed away.

Of course, besides "Amiri," there were one or two other ghazal poets whose poems I liked; one was the late "Rahi Ma'iyari" whom I had not seen up close, and one was the late "Shahriyar" whose poetry I really liked. I was acquainted with him. Of course, I got to know him after the revolution; before the revolution, we had no connection with each other.

In the first place, the qasida poet "Malek al-Sho'ara Bahar" was one whose qasidas attracted me a lot. The late "Amiri Firuzkuhi" also wrote a type of qasida in the style of Khaghani, which was also a very magnificent and prominent qasida; I liked that too.

In modern poetry, there were two or three people whose poetry I really liked. One of them was "Ekvan". We were acquainted with "Ekvan" and his poetry was very prominent. There were one or two others whom I do not want to name. They were people who at that time during our youth were among the masters and prominent figures of modern poetry, and in my opinion, they wrote better poetry than "Nima Yushij." Although he was the initiator of this path; but in my opinion, they wrote better, more mature, and more prominent poetry than him. Of course, none of them had the purity of "Nima Yushij"; neither Ekvan nor the other one or two I did not name.

Nima Yushij - contrary to what was said - was a religious man. The late "Amiri" was a close friend of "Nima Yushij." He told me and said that "Nima Yushij" is a religious man. He was also interested in traditional poetry; however, he liked this style too. Of course, you know that he took this style from Europeans. In fact, our modern poetry style is not truly innovative; it is a European poetry style, with many characteristics that those poems have. Even the style of English sentence structure in our modern Persian poetry has been borrowed.

Among the poets who are currently present, we have several good poets. We have good ghazal poetry and those who recite it, and they are truly good; we also have modern poetry. Among the poets of the revolution, some are truly good and prominent. Please allow me not to name contemporary and living poets.

Today, literature is directly mixed with political aspects. For this reason, contemporary literature is treated with indifference, and consequently, the young writers of the new generation have become confused. What is your opinion on this matter?

Regarding what you say about contemporary literature being mixed with politics, I do not know what you mean. Does it mean that it has political content? For example, let us suppose that there is a poet who is politically opposed to our current logic; but he is a prominent poet. If this poet's work comes to the university and is considered, it may be utilized. Therefore, it cannot be used. Of course, I do not know how poetry is treated in universities. If we truly have a poet whose poetic rank is high enough that a student can genuinely benefit from their poetry; but if they are anti-revolutionary, I have no objection to their poetry coming to the classroom and being considered. However, honestly and truly, I do not know of such a poet who is unparalleled.

You should also know that some people have big names; while they do not have much significance and their poetry is not very important. If criticism comes into play and without the aspects of slogans, the good and bad are discussed in detail, then it will become clear that some only have claims! I often do not remain uninformed about these contemporary poems. Some of the poet gentlemen recite poetry and claim that "we are like this, we are like that; we are the roots of poetry in this country!" While we know that this is not the case. At the time when they were at the peak of their work, they were second-rate; some of them were third-rate; there were many better than them in this country.

Contemporary poetry should be worked on. In ghazal, you cannot find anyone better than "Rahi Ma'iyari" in his time. "Rahi" is the same generation connected to today. The late "Amiri Firuzkuhi" is the same. These are the prominent poets. Or the late "Gholamreza Qodsi," or this Mr. "Ghahreman" who is now in Mashhad and is a very good ghazal poet. Or for example, Mr. "Sahibkar" in Mashhad, who is an unknown poet, but his ghazals are good and excellent. Or for example, in Kermanshah, Mr. "Behzad." These are the luminaries of poetry in this period. The young poet of today cannot truly find a better poet than these.

We have prominent poets that unfortunately the younger generation does not know. All of these are also good people; they are people who are in line with the revolution, the system, and Islam; the same line that today the Iranian nation is following. There is no opposition or conflict; they can fully benefit from them; however, our young people tend to be a bit lazy in research and diligence. If the youth are not offended, we should say it this way. In some of their works, if they follow up a little and go seriously, they can find good sources. Now in our university in Tehran, we also have prominent and excellent poets who receive little attention.

In social and political matters, we sometimes observe extreme and moderate positions that also have consequences. What is your guidance for young people in this regard?

One should not be afraid of differences of opinion. Differences of opinion are not bad, and it is not a problem that now, for example, there are two political opinions, one young person believes in this opinion, another in that opinion. What is harmful is thoughtless action and hasty decision-making and acting impulsively without study. I warn dear young people against this state. Youth does not necessarily mean speed in decision-making. Of course, youth means being bold in action; it means that a person should not get too caught up in the twists and turns of the work they want to do; but it does not mean acting impulsively, making unconsidered decisions, and acting recklessly. A young person can act unconsidered, but they can also act thoughtfully; that is, they can work completely with thought and contemplation. If this characteristic, that is, the characteristic of contemplation, thoughtfulness, and seeking truth exists - which are all characteristics that can certainly be present in youth; some of them, like seeking truth, are even part of the characteristics of youth - differences of opinion will not be an obstacle and will not lead to misguidance; at least, it will not cause major harms.

The state of negation - that is, a person takes a position in social matters and says this is one hundred percent it and nothing else - is not correct; this is not a good state. Of course, in some fundamental beliefs, it should be like this; that is, one should follow it thoughtfully and stand firmly at a solid point and decisively say: this is it and nothing else. Here, "this is it and nothing else" is not bad; it is good. But in social matters, in political matters, in various social interactions, "this is it and nothing else" is not correct. In my opinion, a person should tolerate the opinions of the opposing side and consider thoughtful action as the criterion and standard for their own thoughts and opinions. If this is the case, I believe there will be no problem.

Throughout the activities you have had so far, how much responsibility have you given to young people and what experience do you have from this work? In your opinion, what is the responsibility of young people towards the scientific advancement of the country? Also, is the gap between us and advanced countries bridgeable?

Since the early days of the revolution, in the tasks that have been entrusted to me, I have given responsibilities to young people; both in the armed forces, in governmental tasks, and during my presidency. My experience is that if we trust young people - those young people whom we deemed worthy to give responsibilities and had their qualifications; not just any young person and any responsibility - they perform better and more responsibly than older individuals; they also advance the work faster and deliver it to us fresher and with more initiative; that is, the progress in the work is maintained. Unlike older individuals who may perform the work well, but the progress in it will stop. This is often the case.

At the time when we were in the Revolutionary Council, we were criticized regarding this very issue. Elderly individuals - mostly sixty, seventy, seventy-five years old - were also in that council, who had little faith in young people and said why are you turning to young people and unnecessarily involving them in major tasks?! They did not like young people to be given much space. Of course, they wanted young people to obey them and follow them! They said they are young, we are old; they should follow us. They were very reluctant to trust young people; but we trusted them, and we also proved to them with the practical experience that good work was being done and progress was being made.

In another part of your question, you referred to the scientific advancement of the country. See; the youth period is a period of capability. In what areas should this capability be utilized? In my opinion, it should primarily be utilized in acquiring knowledge, in creating purity of soul and a spirit of piety within oneself, and in developing physical strength - which is sports. These three are major. That is, if someone asks me in a short sentence what I want from youth, I will say: education, self-discipline, and sports. I think young people should pursue these three characteristics.

Education includes research and scientific work as well. Because this power exists in young people, they should strive hard in the pursuit of knowledge. Nowadays, as I have heard, in universities, young people do not bear the burden of hard scientific work very well; this is not a good thing. How can we recommend to a young person who does not pursue education, who has stopped their high school education and does not go to university, to go study; but we do not recommend to that student who does not engage in hard scientific work at university to do scientific work? What should they come to university for? They should come to university to advance knowledge. I believe that young people should truly invest their youthful energy in the pursuit of knowledge.

The question you raised: "Is the gap between us and advanced countries bridgeable or not?" My belief is that yes; it is completely bridgeable. Of course, we may not be able to bridge it in the same way they have gone, but there are countless shortcuts in the world. This nature of creation that God has brought into existence, we have not understood correctly. There are thousands of ways. One way is the one that this current industrial civilization has followed, which has brought the next step after every step. Why should we be hopeless that a new window will open and a new discovery will be made in the world? One day electricity was not discovered; that is, it existed in the world, but it was not recognized; suddenly it was recognized and came into being. Yes, they recognized steam power. Before that, they did not know fire; but later they recognized it. Why should we be hopeless that we can discover something unknown in this world again; just as every day new unknowns are being discovered? We must work in this area and reach a path that will fully equip us for rapid scientific advancements. The remedy is that young people, especially those young people who are inclined towards knowledge, education, and research, should engage in hard work.

Whatever you want to do, it can be done in youth; that is, in all three areas - both in the scientific field, in the field of self-discipline, and in the field of sports - you must work in youth. Of course, everyone knows that in old age, the impact of sports is not as significant as it is in youth; but often they do not know about self-discipline. They think a person should remain and when they get old, they should worship and discipline themselves; while at that time, self-discipline is difficult and sometimes impossible. In old age, self-discipline is hard; but in your time - in youth - self-discipline is very easy. In any case, young people should take these three tasks seriously.

Regarding the fact that modernity is considered one of the characteristics of humans and is often manifested in matters such as grooming and clothing, what is your opinion on how to deal with these? What actions have governmental bodies taken so far? Have they been successful or not?

In response to you, what I can say now is that the very inclination towards beauty and beautification and the love of beauty is a natural matter. Of course, this may differ somewhat from modernity. Modernity is a broader issue. This matter of grooming and clothing and the things you mentioned is a specific issue that a person - especially a young person - likes beauty and beautification and wants to be beautiful themselves. This is not a flaw; it is a natural and inevitable matter; it is not prohibited in Islam. What has been prohibited is sedition and corruption.

This beauty and beautification should not lead to moral degradation and corruption in society; that is, moral debauchery should not arise. How? The ways are clear. If there is unrestricted and unbounded interaction between men and women, this will lead to corruption. If it becomes excessively fashionable, this will lead to corruption. If this matter of beautification and achieving a good appearance and clothing becomes the main preoccupation of life, it is deviation and degradation; just like in the time of the tyrant, those noblewomen would sit behind the makeup table. Do you think they sat for how long? Six hours! This is a reality, and we had precise reports that they sat for six hours! A person spends this much time on makeup just to go to a wedding and fix their hair or face like this! If it comes to this, it is deviation and degradation; but in itself, achieving a good appearance, clothing well, and the inclination towards beauty, without it being ostentatious and showy, is not a flaw.

In Islam, ostentation is prohibited. Ostentation means the same self-display of women in front of men, for attraction and seduction. This is a type of sedition and has many problems. Its problem is not just that this young girl or this young boy falls into sin - that is the first problem; I might say the smallest one - it leads to families. Essentially, that kind of unrestricted and unbounded relationship is poison for building a family; because a family is alive with love. Essentially, the foundation of a family is love. If this love - love for beauty, love for the opposite sex - is fulfilled in a hundred other places, then the strong backing that a family should have will be lost, and families will become unstable, leading to the same situation that unfortunately exists today in Western countries; especially in Northern European countries and America.

Recently, Americans have been severely afflicted with this problem. Families are disintegrating, and this has become a great tragedy. This tragedy primarily affects women. Of course, men also endure many hardships; but it primarily falls on women; and then on the generation that is born. You see this delinquent and criminal generation in the world and America? All of this starts from there; that is, it is the precursor and key to the evil that follows.

In Islam, importance is given to the issue of beauty. We have often heard that: "Indeed, God is beautiful and loves beauty" (4); God is beautiful and loves beauty. There are many narrations in our hadith books regarding achieving a good appearance. In the book "Nikah," it is discussed in detail that men and women should take care of themselves. Some think that, for example, men should shave their heads; no. In Sharia, it is recommended for young men to grow their hair. There is a narration that says: "Beautiful hair is among the divine honors; so honor it" (5); beautiful hair is among the divine honors; honor it. Or for example, there is a narration that says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would look into a water container when he wanted to go to his friends and would tidy himself up (6). At that time, there was no mirror in the form that exists now and is abundant; the Medina community was also poor. The Prophet had a water container, which when he wanted to go to his friends, he would use instead of a mirror. This indicates that a tidy appearance, good clothing, and the inclination towards beauty are desirable in Islamic law; but what is bad and harmful is that it becomes a means for sedition, corruption, and ostentation. As I said, its harms extend to families and the next generation.

Recently, I saw in one of the American magazines - our newspapers also reflected it - that two ten or twelve-year-old children had ambushed at school and opened fire on a bunch of children and a teacher with a machine gun! First, they sounded the alarm for the children to gather; then they opened fire on everyone! See how bad and painful such a situation is for a society! A cold-blooded crime, done carelessly, due to bad upbringing. All of this stems from the same lack of boundaries.

How can a young person satisfy their need for excitement and utilize it?

That is a good question; of course, it is also difficult; that is, it is not an easy question. See; excitement is in a specific area. There are things where excitement is apparent. For example, sports - especially some sports like football - is an exciting event. The nature of football is such, and it differs from the way volleyball and tennis are played; in that the very fabric of the game is one where struggle and excitement are abundant. Sports, in general, is an exciting matter. Artistic activities are also exciting; but these are the things where excitement is apparent.

Excitement is not limited to these areas. If a young person can find their area of interest - whatever it is - they can easily satisfy that excitement within themselves. For example, when I was young and wore the clerical robe, there were limitations in clothing and environmental restrictions; but at the same time, I also had excitement, and that excitement was satisfied. How? I was interested in poetry. It may be hard for you to believe this. There was a poetry session where four or five friends who were interested in poetry would sit for two or three hours and talk about poetry and read poetry. For someone who is interested in this subject, this satisfies their spirit of excitement just as much as a football player does in the football field, or a football enthusiast does while watching football. Therefore, the fields are not limited.

Another example relates to the engineering student you mentioned. You say he studies and has no excitement. When a person mentions the name of study, they think study has no excitement. It is true that the classroom does not have excitement; but if we assume there is a well-equipped workshop next to the classroom, in the university or outside the university - like it has become common that young people during their engineering studies connect with factories - this young person feels that in this workshop there is an opportunity for him to implement the ideas and innovations that come to his mind. Do you think he will have less excitement? He has a lot of excitement.

What I want to say is that we should not bring this up as a question and concern in our minds about how to satisfy the excitement of young people; no. If in various sectors, the field of life is open, the young person will go to the place where they want to satisfy their excitement.

What we should do as the officials of the country and also all those who can and care about the country - whether governmental or non-governmental and specific youth sectors - is to open the field for healthy and correct activities of young people. Now, for example, a young person is interested in literature, or a young person is interested in economics. Naturally, economics does not have a laboratory; but suddenly it is announced that a certain economist from the country or abroad is having a lecture or seminar somewhere and wants to give a speech. This is very meaningful for a young person who is interested in this subject. They buy a ticket, immediately go and reach out to the professor and ask questions. All of this is excitement. That is, if, by divine grace, the process that has been ongoing since the beginning of the revolution continues, the field of work and activity will be opened to young people, and they will be able to satisfy that youthful excitement that is one of the blessings of youth. Of course, I accept that due to the difficulties that have existed so far, it has not progressed as much as it should have. Of these nineteen years, eight years were truly war; the first two or three years were due to the ignorance of the officials and lack of entry and experience; then gradually it started to move forward.

You are an artist, and thanks be to God, your face is familiar, and we have seen you on television. My dear ones! You artists can serve the people a lot. People can learn from you. If an artist truly has the piety I mentioned; that is, when you perform this act, when you execute this part, remember that a number of young people, a number of children, a number of women and men are watching you and will learn something from this, and strive to make your work good and elevated, I think you can serve a lot.

Art has a powerful language that no other language can match. Neither the language of science, nor the ordinary language, nor the language of preaching can match the eloquence of the language of art. One of the secrets of the success of the Quran is its artistic nature. The Quran is very high in art; it is extraordinary; it truly mesmerized people at that time; otherwise, if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had sat down to speak with people without an artistic language, certainly some would have developed interest; but that thunder, that lightning, and that storm would not have occurred. This is what art does.

Even now, when one reads the poetry of Hafez, one sees it is something magnificent; it is impactful. At that time, these performing arts have a more immediate impact than poetry and literature. Of course, I do not know if it is more enduring or not. One might say that in some places it is more enduring or not; but in any case, its effect is quicker, more decisive, and more striking.

You can have a good impact. I kindly request that those who write these screenplays and scenarios, those who act, those who direct, those who create the atmosphere, those who design clothing - which is one of the very important aspects in artistic works that is less attended to, because the clothing you wear becomes a model for a number of people and has attraction - know what you are doing; think about the consequences. In any case, the ground is very good. God willing, you will be successful.

Why do we not see major policies in sports, and why is sports not used as a powerful tool against cultural invasion?

The points you make about the shortcomings in sports are completely correct. Sports has not been worked on. There are two major shortcomings in addressing sports:

First, there is a lack of macro planning and fundamental decision-making regarding which sports should be invested in. After all, Iranian society has its own requirements and talents. Which sports should be focused on? And with what spirit and persistence? In this regard, a year or two ago, I had a detailed discussion with athletes and sports officials in the country. My opinion is that if we invest in this area and think and plan correctly, undoubtedly the same events that occurred in the sports fields due to our Basijis and military organizations - who were almost cut off from all modern equipment - will occur. You saw what they did in the war and what honors they created! Right now, in the sports of volleyball for the disabled and handicapped, the same events have occurred, and these brothers continuously create honors. Or for example, in wrestling, you and your brother and some other brothers have truly given great honors to the country. We can be like this in all sports fields. There is no reason for our current disorganized situation; it is because there has been no planning for training, advancement, and utilization of techniques. This is one flaw.

The second flaw - which is completely related to this flaw - is the lack of a spiritual and cultural atmosphere in sports. That is, in the sports environment, efforts have not been made to establish a healthy Islamic cultural atmosphere. It is not that our athletes are not good people; no, there are very good, faithful, pious, and virtuous people among them; but it must be more than this. Our sports environment must be a chaste environment. Chastity has a very strange and broad meaning. The health of a person's soul shows itself everywhere. The sports environment must be a chaste environment. In it, there should be no indecency, disorderliness, or anything unchaste. We must create this atmosphere in our sports environment, and if this is the case, it will shine in the world, and our sports will become a star.

You see, right now, the same films of ours that go to international festivals, the point that attracts judges and audiences the most is the chastity that currently exists in Persian films. Now, some directors and filmmakers naturally pursue this, some are imposed chastity, they have to present the relationships between men and women and family in a way that is currently favored by the Islamic Republic; this is what makes it flourish in the world.

Contrary to the belief of many, the world does not like this lack of boundaries and disorder and debauchery; it is tired of it. This state of chastity, modesty, health, and the things that are natural to Iranians, Islam has also recommended this. We must establish this in the sports environment and in other environments. This will create a spiritual-cultural atmosphere in sports; the very thing that you say we must cling to our own culture to confront cultural invasion, and that is completely correct.

Therefore, if in the world of sports, sports officials address these two tasks - that is, on one hand, achieving scientific advancement, precise planning for sports from all aspects; selection, technique, work, training, and on the other hand, achieving a cultural atmosphere in sports - I believe that our sports environment will progress and will be very good.

Of course, I kindly request that our young people do not wait for that day and do not say that when sports becomes that way, then we will go and do sports; no. Young people must exercise without exception. Now, when we say young people, it does not mean that older people should not exercise; no, older people should also exercise. Of course, exercise has many benefits for young people, which I have repeated many times, so I do not want to repeat them. Exercise is obligatory for the elderly; for those who have passed the age of youth - from forty and fifty years old - exercise is obligatory and they must exercise.

Why is there no specific center for policymaking in youth affairs? Why are different sectors not coordinated in youth issues - such as marriage?

Of course, this has been done to some extent; that is, the very "Supreme Council of Youth" that was formed was the first step in this direction, and I hope that this first step will lead us to subsequent steps as well. Of course, undoubtedly some agencies like education, higher education, or medical education are related to youth issues; but the central body that can look at youth issues comprehensively and holistically, its main foundation is this "Supreme Council of Youth," which in my opinion, the brothers have worked well so far within their responsibilities. They must do the foundational work; the executive work must be done by the agencies. This "Youth Charter" that the gentlemen prepared last year and brought to me was a very good, comprehensive, and useful thing, and it can serve as a good logical practical foundation for the agencies of the Islamic Republic to work based on it.

Of course, regarding the marriage issue you mentioned, the government or this "Supreme Council of Youth" can think about it; but the marriage issue is a completely individual and personal matter. Families must think; governmental and general agencies must make general recommendations. My own recommendation is that they should take marriage lightly; dowries should not be high; the dowries should not be heavy; in the ceremonies, there should not be excessive extravagance and wastefulness. This should be worked on. How good it would be if it were promoted culturally and artistically, so that people would adopt these. If they adopt this, I think marriage will become easier.

The age of marriage should not be so early that some think it must be at a very young age - no, I do not deny that; it is not a problem. If someone wants to marry at a very young age, there is no objection; but now it is not necessary for us to insist on that - nor should it be so bland that Westerners do, marrying at the age of thirty or forty. Of course, in my opinion, due to the selfishness that prevails, if a man is thirty, forty, or fifty years old, he sees no objection to marrying a young girl; that is, those older ages belong to men. Again, he seeks a younger woman with significant age differences; these are present in those places, and these also lead to marriages being baseless; hence, the number of lonely people in Western countries is very high; people who live their entire lives alone; something that in Iran and other Islamic countries is fortunately very rare.

In any case, marriage should be taken lightly, and they should not pursue formalities, so that they can easily bring young people closer to the stage of marriage. There must be a will in families and in the youth themselves and in the young men and women. There should be no refusal to marry. Of course, if the government can also provide facilities, that would be very good. I have always pursued this and have always advised the officials regarding housing, loans, and other needs of young people's lives. We assume these; but I want to say that the responsibility for this work is primarily a familial and personal responsibility.

In your opinion, what ways exist to preserve values and transfer the spiritual atmosphere of the time of war to today's youth?

All the points you raised are correct. I also believe in the same matters you mentioned, and I am proud of the existence of people like you. The discussion is not about individuals; it is about those spirits, those intentions, that renewed life that this revolution and these difficult tests have given to our country. In the matter of the liberation of Bostan in 1981, Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) sent a message, in which he used the expression "the greatest victory." Some thought that "the greatest victory" referred to the battle of Bostan; but Imam did not mean that; Imam meant - in this sense - that "the greatest victory" is the liberation or construction of these aware and awakened souls. Truly, the greatest victory of the Islamic Republic was that it was able to bring these young people to this level of greatness and spiritual elevation that they could feel self-confidence and stand up and defend their country, their existence, and their Islam against the massive invasion of the unified world; which was manifested in the imposed war and continues until now. We are still facing the world's invasion.

I see some of these newspapers and the newly emerged individuals - I assume they are unaware; otherwise, they are malicious - I see them. They think it is an art to bring the country back to the state of debauchery before the revolution. They strive in this direction. How much negligence there is! How regrettable it is! Our young people during their youth were able to free themselves from the sedation that had become the atmosphere of the country; they made a movement and saved Iran. Iran was gone; we were lost; we were trampled underfoot. The flood of the cultural filth of the West - which was the precursor to economic and political domination and colonialism in the true sense of the word - had destroyed us. In the midst of the air and earth, the powerful hand of the revolution and Islam, through these young people, saved the country. Some want this glorious period to be forgotten and for people to return to the same state of sedation as before. Who wants this state? The enemies of this country and this nation want this.

In my opinion, our young people today are still divine, faithful, and pure-hearted. You see how our universities are; see how our workshops are; see how the atmosphere of the country is! You see on the day of the twenty-second of Bahman or the day of Quds, the majority of the crowds that flood into the streets are these young people. That same divine spirit, that same motivation and divine lightning, still exists in the country and is still effective. That same spirit will again lead the country to the shore of salvation.

Right now, undoubtedly we have difficulties and problems in economic matters and others. These will one day come to an end; but the factor that will end these difficulties will be nothing other than this spiritual spirit and adherence to Islam and the revolution. Again, it is these young men and women who will save the country. I have often said that the young generation is the key to unlocking difficult periods and great hardships, and when they enter the field - which, thanks be to God, they are still in the field today - the small and hard knots will be untied. Our young people are faithful and religious and care about their country and are opposed to the domination of America and foreign powers. This will be effective. These conspiracies they make and the tricks they play will, God willing, not have any effect. God willing, God will also help. The Holy Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him) will also, God willing, support this path and these young people.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you of one point: the work that young people do is not small. The very studying I mention, the very research work, the very artistic work, the very sports work, these are not small tasks. I kindly request that anyone who does these works should not think that their work is small; no. This work, in the grand scheme of the country, becomes a determining element. Suppose an artist decides alone to present a prominent artistic work. They cannot say that I am doing a small individual work; I am alone; this is a small task; no. If you do your work well, if a hundred others think like you, that same great elevation and that same great work will occur. The same issue applies to sports; the same issue applies to studying and research; the same issue applies to the specific works of young people. This is just like the day of the march. If everyone says that now what impact do I have as an individual, this massive flood of millions on the twenty-second of Bahman or in Friday prayers will not occur; but everyone feels that they are fulfilling their duty. I want to emphasize and repeat that the work of each of these young people - wherever and in whatever field they work; in the field of the Quran, in the field of knowledge, in the field of teachings, in the seminary, in the university, and in writing books - is important work; it is the same work that, God willing, will elevate the country.

God willing, may you be successful.