Leader Hails Students' Role in Revolution, Sacred Defense

September 21, 1999 - 0:0
TEHRAN -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei told a group of Tabriz University students and professors Sunday that there was a "vicious motive" behind last July's disturbances at some universities with an aim to "prevent scientific and research progress in the country." Underlining the "important and effective role" played by students in the revolution and during the Sacred Defense (Iraqi war, 1980-1988), the Leader said the martyred students are the expressive language of a young generation who rose to defend Islam and the revolution against the war-mongering aggressors." Pointing to the qualitative and quantitative improvement in higher education in post-revolution years, the Leader said the number of university students now is ten times more than before the (1979) Islamic Revolution. "The scientific level of the universities has improved and there is a good variety of university fields.

Furthermore, brilliant talents have found an opportunity to emerge in school and university environments. The interests of the youth in science and research and the enthusiasm shown by teachers and professors is also a source of inspiration," said the Leader. Ayatollah Khamenei said the enemies do not want our universities to be safe for studies and research because they want to see the next generation unable to run their own country with knowledge.

Therefore all the academics and student groups are responsible for keeping the universities safe for studies and blossoming of talents. "The Islamic Iran possessing huge natural resources and unknown assets is waiting for a generation to take over administration of the country with strong faith, insight and knowledge," the Leader pointed out. The Leader emphasized the need to avoid magnifying the weak points and forgetting foreign enemies and said, "When the enemy has stood in front of us in various forms, we cannot overlook it and ignore the reality.

Their hostility is clear in their propaganda campaign and decision making, how can we deceive ourselves and ignore their hostile measures?" "Admitting the existence of enemy does not mean rejecting the weaknesses on our own part. Because, if we don't have any weakness, the enemy cannot do anything against us," the Leader said. The Leader underlined the need to identify the weak points and work to remove them and said, "We should not ignore our weaknesses, but, when identifying the weaknesses, we should not forget that the enemies will unmanly take advantage of them to deal a blow to the Islamic Revolution. The Leader said the enemy appears in the forms of mass media empires or the semi-zionist media dependent on oil cartels and big capitalists one branch of which is the U.S. administration.

The Leader referred to the role of a zionist capitalist in putting the Malaysian economy in disarray and said the large financial and economic centers have taken control of the entirety of the world, and any state or government rejecting their interests are exposed to their hostile acts. The world witnessed that a Zionist capitalist ruined the Malaysian economy all at once, therefore they are following hostile measures against the Islamic Republic which has driven Iran out of their control, the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized the need for decisiveness in dealing with the enemy and said the Islamic Iran by the grace of God and by relying on the Iranian nation will eventually force the enemy to come to terms with the Islamic Republic in the long run like what happened to the former enemies who have now come to terms with the Islamic Republic of Iran after being met with the resolve of the Iranian nation.

Elsewhere in his speech, the Supreme Leader referred to the honorable record of Tabriz University in the course of the Islamic Revolution and said the people of Tabriz and the faithful people of Azarbaijan have always been a good example of knowledge and faith. Ayatollah Khamenei called on the academics of Tabriz University to observe solidarity and augment students' political understanding.

The Leader said that students' political knowledge prevents them from falling into trap of those seeking power or being misused by different political groups. Meanwhile, the Leader donated some Rls.50m for the Charity Festival which is held annualy for the start of the new academic session. The amount has been deposited in the Bank Melli of Iran, and wil be used for support of poor children.