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

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الحمد لله ربّ العالمين

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و الصّلاة و السّلام علي سيّدنا و نبيّنا ابي‌القاسم المصطفي محمّد

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و علي آله الاطيبين الاطهرين المنتجبين

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سيّما بقيّةالله في الارضين

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You are very welcome dear brethren and sisters. As I have frequently noted,

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this meeting is a symbolic meeting; [and] in fact, it shows the respect and veneration and adulation

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that I have for science and teachers of science and university.

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Well, this is also a very good opportunity for me to listen to remarks of esteemed speakers,

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and get an overall image of the discourse-based scientific and intellectual atmosphere in the country’s universities.

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That is, what [our] friends said [here], in addition [to the fact] that the content of [their] remarks was useful and,

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God willing, I will follow up on these [remarks] and will transfer them to officials,

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they also to some extent depict the general atmosphere in the country’s universities, [and] therefore are useful to me.

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By the way, [let me] tell you [that] they [sometimes] ask and this question is conveyed to me that

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through what ways he [the Leader] obtains [his] information? About university and about science and about

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the existing situation and the likes of these [about which] I sometimes talk, [they want to know] through what means and through what channels [I obtain my information]?

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In response, I say that most of it is related to the inside of the universities;

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that is, contacts are made with me through professors, through students,

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through directors and officials of the country’s scientific and the country’s academic organs.

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I mean, a wide spectrum of communication networks helps me

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get information about the realities of science and scientist(s) and university and the likes of these.

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[They include] both official state reports, [through] which esteemed ministers report to me

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at various junctures – either I want a report [from them], or they report to me on various occasions –

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and popular contacts, which are made by professors, by scientists, by students

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and people related to university, which know something, [and] inform me and I take advantage of it,

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and [also] through these citation centers, which this gentleman named [from] which they translate [material] and bring it to me,

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including what UNESCO has said about us and what ISI has said or the Scopus has said;

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I collect [all] this information. These are [the main] channels for my information.

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Therefore, conflict and overlap among these information sources gives one some sort of confidence that what I know is correct.

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What I want to say is that one of the duties of pundits and sages and elites of a country is to look to the future.

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What kind of Iran do we want to have 20 years from now? This is very important.

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If we talk about economy, talk about science, talk about technology,

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[and] talk about ethics and knowledge, the goal is that it must be clear

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what kind of Iran we want [to have] for the juncture [of time which comes] twenty years later.

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Well, now, we delineated [the country’s] twenty-year perspective [plan about] ten [or] eleven years ago,

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very well, now of course, there are various assessments [which aim to clarify] that during these ten years that have passed, have we progressed equal to ten years

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or progressed equal to five years, or equal to 12 years, or 15 years; there are different viewpoints [in this regard].

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What kind of Iran do we want to have twenty years later? Twenty years from now, today’s students

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will be occupying managerial posts, [and will] manage the country;

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the importance of the work that you professors and officials of universities do is [more evident] here;

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that is, these people who are your students today, twenty years later, these will be president, will be minister, will be Majlis deputies,

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[and] will be heading that given organ; I mean, the country will be in their hands;

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[so,] what do you want to have twenty years later? This is a very important point, is an important question,

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[and] is an important concern and preoccupation, which

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cannot be ignored by the country's pundits and the country’s sages, including you.

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If we have an overall [and] desirable picture in our mind for twenty years later,

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the duty [to materialize it] is on the shoulder of this science and knowledge chain, from the [Ministry of] Education to university;

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the responsibility is theirs, [and] it is these [institutions], which today want to train that generation,

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that is to take charge of [the country’s] affairs twenty years from now.

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Do we want to have an Iran with these characteristics, which I will explain, twenty years later?

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A powerful Iran; [do we want] a powerful Iran twenty years later?

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Powerful means [an Iran which] will not be in fear of threats posed by small and big enemies,

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[and] will not be intimidated [because] it will be relying on its own power; a powerful Iran. An independent Iran [is the next characteristic].

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Sometimes a country does not feel intimidated by foreign enemies, but due to its dependence on a [foreign] power;

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like a child, who feels secure and powerful due to dependence on his father. Do we want to be like this? Or no,

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we want [our country] to be an Iran, whose power is reliant on itself, [and] would be [also] independent, [and would] have independence?

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[We want] a religious, and rich Iran endowed with justice, economic justice, social justice, [and] judicial justice;

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an Iran with a popular government; an Iran with a clean, hard-working, sympathizing, and pious government.

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[We] want such an Iran, which is, of course, a desirable goal.

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Or no, we do not care about these elements, which were said [above]; [and] we do not attach much importance to these points, which were said,

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or [we] are even opposed to some of them; [that is,] we want an Iran where

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there would be economic prosperity and economic welfare, even in the form of dependence on others.

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Of course, such a thing is not possible and now, [this issue] needs discussion,

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as a country that is dependent on others in economic terms,

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it is not possible for it to have [real] economic welfare; yes, summits of wealth are created in those places,

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but that it would be a country endowed with welfare and intellectual and economic tranquility, [no,] this is not possible.

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Now suppose that we want to be dependent and see no problem in being dependent from a political viewpoint,

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just as some people are explicitly saying this right now. [Suppose that we want] a monocultural county – almost like now –

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[which would be] dependent on oil and selling raw [materials]; a country which has been left adrift from a cultural viewpoint;

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a country afflicted with social divides,

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ethnic divides, religious denominational divides, [and] political divides;

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a country under an aristocratic rule, with summits of wealth such as what [exists] in America

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– an Iranian Wall Street – versus poverty and deprivation of a large number of people; [suppose that] we want a country with these characteristics and something similar to this.

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In America, according to these open news, a group of people die when temperature rises;

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well, nobody dies of heat in their homes; this means homelessness;

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or when it is cold, many people die of cold

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– whose figures sometimes get out of their hands and are announced and most of the times are not announced –

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this [also] means homelessness. In a country with that [huge] wealth – America is a rich country –

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this means that there are summits [of wealth] and beside these summits, there are valleys of misery

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and disorder and poverty and deprivation.

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Well, what do we want? Of course, there are intermediate states and modes between these two [extreme] modes.

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If we want our Iran twenty years from now, according to the first mode that I explained, to be an Iran which

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would be rich from material and spiritual viewpoints, be progressive, be powerful, be dignified,

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be endowed with [great] blessings and good deeds in terms of its domestic situation

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– both material blessings and good deeds, and spiritual blessings and good deeds,

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[and] the religiosity which I said means spiritual blessings and good deeds – this needs some steps [to be taken]

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and most of these steps are taken in universities. This is why I put [so much] emphasis on and am sensitive about university and about [university] professor(s)

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and about esteemed academic ministers.

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Now, one of these gentlemen talked about efficiency; well, [boosting] efficiency is whose responsibility?

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All the trouble, which we are taking is for this [purpose] that this efficiency would be realized.

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Who [realizes] efficiency?

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[It is realized by] that erudite, patient, devout person, who works for God,

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does not work for his personal benefit, and knows the work and enters the arena and does [the work] valiantly; [realizing] efficiency is a task for him.

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We are after this [person]. Where this [person] is trained? Mostly in universities.

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Then the issue goes back to university; [therefore,] universities must be helped to develop those characteristics,

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which would be needed by the country of tomorrow, the country twenty years later, and Iran twenty years later. The issue of university is so important.

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Well, there are requirements for [the realization of] these things, which I said, [and] I have summarized these requirements under a number of general topics:

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scientific progress is necessary, moral discipline is necessary, religious self-restraint in the university environment is necessary,

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These are imperative and necessary requirements, which must be there, so that, what we want would be realized.

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In the absence of every one [of these requirements], one pillar [for the realization of these goals] is missing.

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political insight is necessary, [and finally,] the feeling of [having] identity and taking pride in that identity is necessary.

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Our student must feel [the influence of] Iranian and Islamic identity and take pride in it.

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Now, if time allows, I will give a brief explanation about every one [of these requirements].

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Well, [the fact] that I sometimes keep giving notices about these

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co-ed [student] excursions and unlawful measures and these things,

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do not consider this [as a sign of] religious bigotry; these measures cause flaw(s) [in university],

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[and] these [measures] cause problem and take the academic environment out of the [suitable] form it must and is needed to have.

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That we remain indifference in the face of these things is quite the opposite of what

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we expect from university today and need [to have] in our universities.

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As for the issue of scientific progress,

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gentlemen made very good remarks here; that is, these remarks, [these] gentlemen and ladies made in different sectors,

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were very good remarks; this is indicative of [the existence of] a scientific movement [in the country].

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Approximately, from the early [years of] the [13]80s (early 2000s) up to the present time, which the issue of science and scientific progress was brought up

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– as I remember, I think I raised this issue for the first time at Amir Kabir University [of Technology]

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and followed up [on it] –

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a movement came into being in the true sense of the word, and since the ground and potential and capacity for it existed in the country,

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the scientific growth [of the country] turned into a very good growth.

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The issue on which I put emphasis, is the issue of the speed of this [scientific] growth.

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In one of the meetings, in which again university chancellors and professors were present, I

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talked about the speed of [the country’s scientific] growth and warned that this speed has somehow slowed down.

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The esteemed Minister [of Science, Research and Technology] wrote a letter to me [in which he said:]

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“No, our growth continues” and he had mentioned some figures as well. I know that the [scientific] growth continues;

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my argument is not over this [problem] that we do not have scientific growth; well, yes, I see that we have [this growth];

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my argument is about the speed of this growth; [and I believe that] our speed has decreased.

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Today, we need to speech up this growth.

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Look, for example, in a car race

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in which everybody is moving at a speed of 250 or 300 [kilometers per hour], if you

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are in the front row [and your speed is] the same 250 or 300 [kilometers per hour], there is no problem;

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however, if you are at the end of the line, [and if] you are in the rear,

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then the speed of 250 [kilometers per hour] would not benefit you;

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if you move at the [same speed] of 250 and 300 [kilometers per hour] that the car ahead of you is moving , you would always lag behind;

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[therefore,] you must increase your speed until you are in front; once you are there, very well, [you can] move at the same speed as them.

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Now, some of these gentlemen – which well of course, this has been also mentioned in citation centers – now said

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that the speed of scientific growth has decreased in some European countries; I know this.

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The reason is that they have taken advantage of their capacities;

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when capacities are taken advantage of in full, well, there is no more place for progress, this is obvious;

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though the science never stops. We are not like this; we have been kept behind [advanced countries].

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At least for sixty [or] seventy years due to [presence] of corrupt governments, treacherous governments, [and] negligent governments

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– negligence is the least [of their faults] – we have been kept behind, [and] we [still] lag behind.

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If we want to go ahead in this global competition, we cannot

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move at the same growth speed at which [they] are moving in front of us;

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we must increase the speech of [our scientific] growth.

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This is what I demand; otherwise, I know there is growth [in the country].

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[But] this growth must be sped up. Of course, as for the [scientific] growth, we rank the fourth in the world;

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this has been reported to me by Mr. Minister [of science, research and technology],

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[and] I had also seen this in a report, which had been released by one of the citation centers.

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Yes, we stand on the fourth rank [in terms of scientific growth], but this is not enough, [and] we must increase the speed of our movement.

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The feeling of identity [is another important issue]. I said that [our students] should have a feeling of identity.

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We must know the realities of the country; what was said [here] today was [just] part of realities.

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[These realities show] that we have taken these steps in the space sector, have taken these steps in the nano sector, have taken these steps in the nuclear sector,

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have taken these steps in biotechnology sectors, [and] have progressed as such in the medical sector;

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these are things, which must be told. [A university] professor can affect the heart of [his] student with regard to the feeling of identity,

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so that, [the student] would feel that he has a valuable identity and take pride in it.

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If our [university] professors sow despair in the heart of the student at the classroom

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and continue saying, “You are little, you are insignificant, [and] you are backward,” this is treason; frankly speaking, this is treason.

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[It is also treason] if our professors encourage the talented student [to leave the country by saying] that: “Sir, you have remained here to do what?

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Get up and go [abroad and] take advantage [of your talent]!” Well, here, the best universities of the country

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have prepared this student at a high cost, [and] trained him;

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then when it is time to take advantage and make use of this valuable sapling, should he [be encouraged to] take its fruit somewhere else? This is treason.

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This is the meaning of [having a] sense of identity: the students should feel that being Iranian and being Muslim

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and being revolutionary is an honor and [must] take pride in this.

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Yes, we lag behind, but we have [necessary] force, we have effort, we have energy, we have [the power of the] youth,

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[and] we [are able to] move, go ahead and reach [our destination]. [The fact] that I said Persian language

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– which the esteemed presenter of the program pointed out – I don’t mean the issue of Persian language [per se];

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of course, Persian language is a very valuable thing and I have put a lot of emphasis on it in the right place,

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[but] what I say is that we [must] reach such a [lofty] place in terms of scientific [position]

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that if another person wanted to learn that knowledge and get to that high grade [of science] he would have to learn Persian.

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Just in the same way that today, with regard to part of science, if you want to access scientific updates, you have to learn, for example, English language or French;

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this is what I’m saying; we must take the country to such [a lofty] position. Yes, we have energy, have power, [and] have capacity;

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we lag behind, but we can get ourselves to the front; just in the same way

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that we were much more behind [advanced countries, but] we have taken ourselves thus far where we are today. This is what I say.

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Well, now, of course, I mentioned figures here, and there is no more need [to say them again because] some of them were said by [these] gentlemen.

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Global centers that judge [scientific progress of countries] – including these very citation centers; including

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scientific magazines, [like] the Science magazine, [and] the Nature magazine – what they say about Iran

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is indicative of their amazement. Now, for example,

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there is a scientometrics institute in Canada, which says “Iran's scientific advances are staggering.”

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Then the interesting [part] is the next sentence, which says, “and a source of concern for the West!”

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Well, if you are [really] humans, why you become concerned. Do you have to be concerned if a nation advances in scientific terms?

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Another famous scientific magazine of the world – [which is] the Science magazine –

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[writes:] “Iran is an emerging scientific power.” They wrote, recorded, [and] published this: [Iran is] the emerging scientific power.

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As they have reported to me and have written for me, UNESCO released a report in 2015 – that is, just last year –

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on the [future] outlook of science up to 2030.

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In that report, it says Iran is trying to convert the resource-based economy to knowledge-based economy.

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This is the same point on which I have frequently put emphasis and today, some of [these] gentlemen pointed out here.

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Yes, this is why I put so much emphasis on knowledge-based economy.

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It says: “Sanctions have been effective [in this regard]; [because] sanctions indirectly helped Iran

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think that it must make the economy knowledge-based.”

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UNESCO’s report [also] says that among Iran's priorities with regard to scientific issues

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is stem cells, is nuclear [technology], is aerospace, is exchange of energy, [and] is information technology.

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They are studying and looking at all this [as if] under a magnifying glass.

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These steps, which we are taking, are important steps. Well, our students

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must know these [facts]; when they know [them], they will have a sense of identity,

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will feel exalted and will take pride in themselves, in being Iranian, [and] in belonging to the revolution.

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Of course, the sense of identity is not only limited to the field of science;

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with regard to saying something new – just what this gentleman said [here that:] “say something new” – [we] have said something new.

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The idea of democracy along with spirituality and religion was a new idea in the world of today.

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Do not think that the idea of tendency toward spirituality is an outdated and reactionary and,

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as some may say, demoded issue and the likes of these. No, today, the world

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is turbulent due to a spiritual void and accepts this [idea]. They are saying this, [and] are repeating this,

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but where they can get spirituality from? Spirituality cannot be injected to the nation like an ampoule;

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[they] don’t have [this], [and] are having problem and, of course, their problem will grow deeper too.

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[The fact] that we came and created a democracy along with religion, [and] along with spirituality, [it is] democracy in the real sense of the word.

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In other places, democracy is, in fact, rule of [political] parties.

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In the West, [political] party does not mean a far-reaching collection and network among people;

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neither in America, nor in Britain, nor in other places. Pay attention to this. In Western countries, party is [just] a club; it is a political club,

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[and] a club where a group of elites come together

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with slogans, [and along] with capitalists, with the likes of these people who can attract [other] people through propaganda in elections;

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[this] is not democracy in the real sense [of the word]. Here – in our country – there is democracy in the real sense of the world,

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[and] at the same time, it is accompanied with religion and with Islam. Well, these [issues] impart a sense of identity [to people].

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If this sense of identity is created in a young person, there would be no divergence.

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We have several thousand students outside [the country], [and] if this is [considered] an honor, that student will come back to Iran. [Of course,] he must finish his studies [first].

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I do not feel scared by student(s) going out of the country, [and] I have frequently noted

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that they may go and finish their studies, learn, [and] then come back and be useful for their country. When will this happen?

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When he will feel proud about being Iranian, [and] about being revolutionary. This is the meaning of this sense of identity.

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One issue is about [the role of] politics in universities. Several years before this – a long time ago, [and] many years ago –

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[when talking] about [the role of] politics in universities, I used a phrase,

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over which state officials of that time became very upset [objecting that] ‘why you say this’.

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I said, “God damn those people who put an end to political thinking and political work and political effort in universities.”

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They complained to me that ‘you make students [engage in] political work’.

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Well, now, of course the same people sometimes hypocritically say [different] things about university and student and such things,

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though their real opinion is [still] the same; [but] my opinion is this.

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The university environment, naturally, is an environment for conflict of viewpoints and ideas, [because] this is the nature of the university.

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The reason is that, on the one hand, the young person has not yet reached that theoretical and fundamental maturity, which would calm him down

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– you know that when a human being achieves intellectual maturity, this creates some sense of tranquility in him,

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which saves him from that challenging state [he had before];

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it is not so about a young person, [and] he is not like this – [and] on the other hand, he is full of energy and [willingness for] discussion and the likes of these.

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When I go back over my own memories and [go back] to my own period of youth – [about] fifty [or] sixty years ago –

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when I had discussions with some people over political issues, [and] over [revolutionary] struggles, [I see that it was full of] clamoring and shouting!

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The challenging environment is a peculiarity of the youth,

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especially a young student, who well, is given to these challenges. Therefore, there is no problem with this. The problem is

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when we exploit this challenging environment against the revolution and the values of revolution, this is bad.

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Different ways of thinking, different choices, [and] different political tendencies can exist in university, [and] there is no problem with that;

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[because] they engage in discussion with one another, and create challenge.

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What is the duty of the official in charge of managing university? Is his duty to support that tendency

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which is at odds with the fundaments of the revolution and cooperate with it?

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No, this is absolutely [not right]; [and] this is quite the opposite of [his] responsibility.

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University officials, including managers, senior managers, [and] ministerial managers [all the way down] to the professors

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who are in the classroom and faces the student, their duty is that

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in this challenging university complex they [must] try to guide these challenges toward those things, which lead to the [materialization of the] fundaments

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of the revolution, [and] lead to the [realization of the] goals of the revolution; that is, to raise the youth in a revolutionary manner.

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In short, universities must be revolutionary, students must be revolutionary,

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[and] students must be a Muslim struggling on the path of Allah; [therefore, university officials and professors] must guide [students] in this direction.

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Of course, I sometimes receive reports, which show the opposite of this.

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And I am saying this to these gentlemen who are present here – higher education officials and managers

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– [that] you are highly responsible, [and] must be very careful. [You must] be careful that the environment in university

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would not turn into a place for divergence from the revolution and concepts of the revolution and values of the revolution,

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from religiosity, from revolutionarism, [and] from the memory and name of the honorable Imam [Khomeini]; this is among inevitable requirements [of universities].

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There may be a person or a group in universities with a tendency, which may lead to disintegration of the country

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– this [tendency] exists, [and] this is true; of course, you, who are in university, [must know that] such a thing exists in some universities;

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[and] I am informed of it – these tendencies cannot be endorsed; [and] cannot be supported.

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There are tendencies [in universities], which push the country toward dependence. These [tendencies] should not be supported;

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I do not want to say that [they must be countered] with force and security work and things like these; no, such issues must be handled by taking wise steps,

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managerial steps, [and] tactful steps.

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Therefore, the issue of revolutionarism and discipline [is important].

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I have a number of recommendations, as now it is late, [so,] I explain them in brief:

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first of all, higher education officials – both at the [Ministry of] Health and Treatment [and Medical Education], and at the [Ministry of] Science [Research and Technology] –

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should not let [any person who is] a researcher and an innovator to lose hope and become tired, [because] this is a risk.

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You saw these gentlemen came [here] and talked with vibrancy and with interest.

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This vibrancy must flow across all our research institutes as well as

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[all] places of research and [scientific] study and academic environments,

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[and] everybody must feel there is hope; don’t let them lose hope, [and] don’t let them become tired.

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Among those things to which I have already paid attention and today specialists confirm,

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is to attach importance to basic sciences.

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Once I drew an analogy here in a gathering of scientists and researchers and the likes of these,

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[and] I said basic sciences are similar to your deposit at a bank, which is a [source of] support for your life;

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applied sciences are like that money, which you put in your pocket and spend; [therefore, they] are necessary. [Therefore,] applied sciences cannot be ignored,

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[and] must be considered important. However, the fundament of [the scientific] work is basic sciences.

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Specialists and experienced scientists have been quoted as saying – which we must also learn from them, I mean, I must learn from them

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– that if there were not for basic sciences, applied sciences would not get anywhere.

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The next recommendation [is that] the issue of scientific diplomacy is important. Basically speaking, diplomacy is an important matter;

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economic diplomacy is also important, cultural diplomacy is also important, [and] diplomacy of science is also important;

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[in general] diplomacy is important [in its entirety]. However, you must pay attention that in the diplomacy of science – [through] scientific communications to which I agree – we must not be deceived.

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Look, a person comes [apparently] as a businessperson and sits down with our economist,

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[or] with our businessperson, for example, at a given restaurant or at a given hotel of the country

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and starts talking and making arrangements for transaction, [but] when we investigate later, it becomes clear that he is a security agent of the Zionist regime,

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who is pursuing certain goals under the guise of a businessperson. The same issue holds water with regard to [diplomacy of] science.

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Yes, take advantage of foreign scientists. I have frequently said in gatherings of students

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that we are not ashamed of learning [from anybody] as pupil, [and] we will learn as pupil,

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but [at the same time,] through scientific communication and in [the course of] scientific learning.

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we must be vigilant that no hole and orifice and aperture is opened for security infiltration [by enemies]

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These [enemies of Iran] take advantage of anything for [achieving their goal of] security infiltration; even of science. This has happened,

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[and] has taken place before, [and] unfortunately, is currently taking place in some places as well.

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The next point is the issue of scientific papers. Well, they presented statistics related to scientific papers and I am also aware [of that].

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The number of papers has increased, [but] scientific papers must be directed toward the country’s needs.

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Today, we need in the oil sector, we need in the agriculture sector,

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we need with regard to various industries, [and] we need in the field of communications

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[to do] research, [and] to write papers. [Be careful that] papers, which are written [here], should not be in line with the need of [another] given country.

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This is also one point: directing [scientific] papers toward what the country needs.

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The issue of [the country’s] comprehensive scientific roadmap is the next issue.

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Of course, formulation of this comprehensive roadmap was a good step, but it must be both explained to all universities, and also turn into a [national] plan.

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One point about the Economy of Resistance – and well, Dr. Derakhshan, fairly speaking, talked very good in this regard

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– [is that] the Economy of Resistance is both [guarantor of our] national dignity, and can solve [our] current problems.

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[I said this] because they asked me ‘you, who emphasize national dignity and keep talking in [your] speeches about national dignity and the likes of these,

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what do you want to do about existing needs of the society?’ This is my answer:

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if the Economy of Resistance is implemented in the real sense of the word – [that is,] in the same way that has been said and demanded –

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and [if it] is accompanied with practical step and action, [it will] both realize [our] national dignity, and meet the country’s needs,

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because it relies on domestic capacities, on domestic potentialities, [and] on domestic production.

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The next issue is that cultural work is the main [work to be done] in universities.

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It is neither an extracurricular not a marginal work; [and] importance should be attached to cultural works.

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Of course, the meaning of cultural work is not holding a concert in university, or for example, [to organize] dancing [ceremony] in universities

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these [steps] are not cultural work, [but on the opposite] are anti-cultural work. Cultural work means that work,

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which would familiarize people’s minds with the culture of the revolution and the culture of Islam; this is the cultural work.

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Officials [must] open the arena to devout students and to devout professors,

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[and] let a devout professor and a devout student breath in university environment in the real sense of the word.

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Of course, my recommendation to revolutionary [and] devout students and professors is that they must play their role.

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I told the youth that [you] are officers of soft war, [and] you [professors] are also commanders of soft war;

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very well, command [your forces], [and] play [your] role. Soft war is in progress.

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Since that day when I said [we are engaged in] “soft war” [with enemies] up to the present day, which is about two [or] three years, intensity of this war has increased several times.

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The enemy is fighting against us. This issue of language, which Ms. Qahremani explained here, was a very important matter and interesting point,

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[of course,] if [due] care and attention is paid to it. From a cultural viewpoint, they are fighting against us on all sides;

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its reason is obvious and I have frequently explained. Well, we must prepare ourselves.

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I said unreliable people should not be present in universities;

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they ask, “Sir, who is unreliable?” Unreliable is the one who challenges the [Islamic] establishment under any excuse. q

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Which country allows its ruling establishment be challenged?

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Does America, which they claim to be the center of freedom, allow this?

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John Steinbeck – who had written a number of novels, including “The Grapes of Wrath” and the likes of these which are famous

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– was put under the most difficult pressures. Anybody who made the least remark in America,

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which smacked of socialism – [I mean,] not being [overtly] socialism, but [even] weakly smelling of socialism –

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[they] restricted him in various ways; from physical assassination to character assassination and the likes of these. [They] are like this,

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[and] they do not [let] the establishment be challenged. Now, [is it right for us] to challenge the establishment under the pretext of elections, [and] under this and that pretext?

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This person who challenges the system under different pretexts, is unreliable.

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I have also written down something about humanities, but the time has passed, [and] I think we are [even] past the schedule [set for this session].

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Human studies in Western humanities stem from Western views on human beings;

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this is the gist of this issue. [I do] not [mean] that we [must] negate all achievements of humanities; no,

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anything that can be used, we must take advantage of, but the general outline and general structure of

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humanities, which have come from the West, are dependent on Western worldview about humans and Western human studies, which considers humans as something,

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[while] we consider humans as something else [and] different from what the Western materialistic school thinks about humans.

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Therefore, we must [attach importance] to the Islamic humanities.

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O Almighty! Make for yourself and in your path what we said, what we endeavored [for],

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what we thought and what we heard;

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accept them from us;

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[and] let the purity of the month of Ramadan shed light on our hearts.

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O Almighty! [We swear You] by [Prophet] Mohammad (PBUH) and Mohammad’s Household [to] guide the country, the society, the universities, the [university] professors, the students,

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[and] the science in the direction of Your lofty goals on a daily basis.

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Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings