[14 July 13] Gazans under pressue as security tightens at Rafah crossing...
The temporary reopening of the Rafah crossing is not enough to meet the needs of the Gaza Strip\'s one-point-seven-million-strong population....
The temporary reopening of the Rafah crossing is not enough to meet the needs of the Gaza Strip\'s one-point-seven-million-strong population. Thousands of Gazans are currently stranded in the impoverished coastal enclave.
Press TV\'s Ashraf Shannon reports from Gaza.
2m:21s
4883
[Must Watch] Aperture - American Coup - Part 1 - English
After the hugely popular PM Mosaddegh successfully nationalized Iran’s oil industry, UK and US intelligence services overthrew his democratically...
After the hugely popular PM Mosaddegh successfully nationalized Iran’s oil industry, UK and US intelligence services overthrew his democratically elected government during the 1953 coup d’état.
Aperture-American CoupAMERICAN COUP
IN AUGUST OF 1953 IRAN HAD A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT. ITS PARLIAMENT AND PRIME MINISTER, THE POPULAR MOHAMMAD MOSSADEGH, HAD NATIONALISED THE OIL INDUSTRY TO CONTROL THE COUNTRY’S CHIEF ASSET. THEN THE CIA INTERVENED.
I am honoured to be in the timeless city of Cairo. (cheering) We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world. Tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. For many years Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country and there
is, in fact, a tumultuous history between us. Since the Islamic revolution Iran has played in role in acts of hostage taking and violence against US troops and civilians. In the middle of the Cold War the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government. This history is well
known.
26m:3s
6711
[21 Oct 2013] Palestinian family forced to cancel funeral for son killed...
The family of a Palestinian man killed by israeli soldiers has been forced to cancel his funeral, after Israel refused to hand over his body....
The family of a Palestinian man killed by israeli soldiers has been forced to cancel his funeral, after Israel refused to hand over his body.
The Israeli army says its soldiers opened fire on Yusef after he drove into their base to attack them.
However, his family says that the Israeli army prevented him from entering through the checkpoint on his way home from work. Yusef had become frustrated and drove through, where he was shot and killed.
Yusef\'s father also said, when he arrived home in the evening, the Israeli army had raided his home and arrested three of his brothers who were released later.
This is the second tragic incident for the family, as their other son had been murdered in a similar way just three years ago.
Other relatives of Yusef also told us how Israel failed to meet its promise to hand over the body of the slain man.
The Israelis have refused to hand over the body of Yousef, even after their family was waiting for hours to receive it. And this forced them to cancel the funeral for him, which was due to take place in Abudiyeh village in Bethlehem.
2m:11s
7865
[22 Oct 2013] Pakistan Supreme Court intervention sought on Iran gas...
These long queues of vehicles outside the CNG station in the Pakistani capital Islamabad is a grim reminder that the country is in the midst of...
These long queues of vehicles outside the CNG station in the Pakistani capital Islamabad is a grim reminder that the country is in the midst of sever energy crises. Pakistan is exploring several options to meet its future energy needs. One of them is to import natural gas from neighboring Iran. Iran has completed work on its side of the border. However, Pakistan has yet to lay the pipeline on its side. The delay has prompted one of Pakistan\'s senior lawyers to seek the intervention of the Supreme Court to ensure the timely completion of the project.
2m:1s
6643
[25 Oct 2013] Comment - israel opposing diplomacy with Iran - English
US Secretary of State John Kerry has reassured israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is fiercely opposed to diplomacy with Iran, about...
US Secretary of State John Kerry has reassured israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is fiercely opposed to diplomacy with Iran, about ongoing nuclear negotiations.
The United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany held nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva earlier this month. The two sides are set to meet again in Geneva on November 7-8.
Kerry said that meanwhile the Obama administration will not let up its pressure on Iran. \"No deal is better than a bad deal,\" he said. \"But if this can be solved satisfactorily, diplomatically, it is clearly better for everyone.\"
The hawkish Israeli premier, who has found himself increasingly isolated as the world powers are engaged in negotiations with Iran, reiterated his accusations against Tehran.
50m:1s
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[29 Oct 2013] Syria consistent in dismantling CWs Mark Weber - English
Press TV has conducted an interview with Mark Weber, director of the Institute for Historical Review, about UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saying...
Press TV has conducted an interview with Mark Weber, director of the Institute for Historical Review, about UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saying Syria is likely to meet the deadline in dismantling its chemical arsenal.
5m:43s
4991
[18 Nov 2013] Lebanon seeks to tackle israel Intelligence gathering...
Israel\\\'s espionage activities have increasingly become a concern for Lebanon. Beirut is now calling for equipment to block Tel Aviv\\\'s...
Israel\\\'s espionage activities have increasingly become a concern for Lebanon. Beirut is now calling for equipment to block Tel Aviv\\\'s intelligence gatherings.
Reports say Lebanese lawmakers as well as foreign, defense and communication ministers will meet with ambassadors of five permanent members of the UN Security Council next week. The European Union\\\'s high representative in Lebanon will also attend the meeting. Lebanese officials are expected ask European countries to sell Beirut anti-spying equipment that it needs to counter Israel\\\'s intelligence activities. Tel Aviv has increased its espionage by installing eaves-dropping stations across Lebanon\\\'s southern border. Beirut says Tel Aviv\\\'s spying activities have negatively affected not only Lebanon but also UN peace-keeping forces.
3m:45s
5995
[20 Nov 2013] UN panel has urged Myanmar to stop Buddhist violence...
A UN panel has urged Myanmar to stop Buddhist violence against Rohingya Muslims but the resolution has seen opposition from an unlikely source: The...
A UN panel has urged Myanmar to stop Buddhist violence against Rohingya Muslims but the resolution has seen opposition from an unlikely source: The party of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Chee.
In its resolution, the UN General Assembly\'s human rights committee has called on Myanmar to give the Rohingya minority equal access to citizenship. But the demand apparently didn\'t sit well with the West\'s democracy icon Suu Chee, whose party accused the UN of interfering in Myanmar\'s internal affairs. Buddhist violence against Rohingya which is said to have the state backing has become routine in Myanmar. It\'s left hundreds dead and sent another 240-thousand fleeing their homes. But Suu Chee has had little to say about Rohingya rights. And she even declined to meet with the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation delegation visiting Myanmar this week to look into the plight of Muslims.
3m:3s
7814
[20 Nov 2013] US, Afghanistan draft security deal - English
Washington and Kabul have agreed on a final version of a security pact under which American troops would be allowed to remain in Afghanistan beyond...
Washington and Kabul have agreed on a final version of a security pact under which American troops would be allowed to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014. Afghanistan\'s assembly of the elders known as the Loya Jirga will meet Thursday to vote on the pact, known as the Bilateral Security Agreement.
1m:25s
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[21 Nov 2013] Loya Jirga discussing presence of US forces beyond 2014 -...
Afghan tribal elders have convened in the capital Kabul to debate the fate of the US forces in the war-torn country beyond 2014.
The...
Afghan tribal elders have convened in the capital Kabul to debate the fate of the US forces in the war-torn country beyond 2014.
The participants in the gathering known as Loya Jirga are discussing the draft of a long-awaited bilateral security deal between Kabul and Washington. The draft agreed on Wednesday appears to meet US demands on some thorny issues. Among them are US troops\' unilateral operations, their authority to enter Afghan homes and immunity from prosecution. In his opening speech at the meeting, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said 15000 foreign forces would remain in Afghanistan if the deal is inked. The presence of US-led forces in Afghanistan has generated deep anti-US sentiments among Afghans who accuse Washington of violating their country\'s sovereignty and killing civilians.
4m:34s
7322
[21 Nov 2013] US, Afghanistan draft security deal - English
Washington and Kabul have agreed on a final version of a security pact under which American troops would be allowed to remain in Afghanistan beyond...
Washington and Kabul have agreed on a final version of a security pact under which American troops would be allowed to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014. Afghanistan\'s assembly of the elders known as the Loya Jirga will meet Thursday to vote on the pact, known as the Bilateral Security Agreement.
1m:25s
5004
[08 Dec 2013] Pentagon chief visits Islamabad to defuse tensions over US...
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is in Pakistan with an aim to defuse tensions over Washington\'s controversial drone strikes in the country....
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is in Pakistan with an aim to defuse tensions over Washington\'s controversial drone strikes in the country.
Hagel flew from Kabul to Islamabad to meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other top officials-- including the new army chief. Ties between Washington and Islamabad have been seriously strained over Washington\'s deadly drone campaign in Pakistan\'s tribal areas. Human rights groups and Pakistani politicians say the missile attacks often claim civilian lives and must be stopped. In recent weeks, opposition activists in northwestern Pakistan have disrupted war supplies to US-led foreign forces in neighboring Afghanistan. The rising anti-US sentiment has prompted American officials to halt the shipments.
0m:45s
6677
[09 Dec 2013] US judges question necessity of genital searches of...
In the US prison at Guantanamo, despite various calls for a halt to humiliating and degrading treatment of inmates, such acts continue. In the...
In the US prison at Guantanamo, despite various calls for a halt to humiliating and degrading treatment of inmates, such acts continue. In the latest development, US appeals court judges are questioning the need for genital searches of prisoners before meeting their lawyers. At a hearing of a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Thomas Griffith said that checking the prisoners\' private parts was both provocative and offensive. Griffith then cited the detainees\' right to have easy access to their lawyers as a legal obligation of the court. Some of the prisoners have decided not to meet their lawyers because genital searches were required beforehand. Meanwhile, another US appeals court is reviewing whether it is necessary to force-feed hunger-striking prisoners, an act which some people describe as torture.
3m:37s
4898
[10 Dec 2013] The Debate - Syrian Army Advances - English
As Syrian troops cut supply lines for foreign-backed insurgents and retake all but one town in the western region bordering Lebanon, militants look...
As Syrian troops cut supply lines for foreign-backed insurgents and retake all but one town in the western region bordering Lebanon, militants look set to meet another setback ahead of a peace conference in Geneva. The rise in the number of extremist groups and the recent bloody infighting has led to differences among foreign states supporting the insurgency, among them Saudi Arabia is seen as the strongest supporter, prepared to go to the extremes to guarantee victory. With US President Barack Obama being blamed for manipulating intelligence against the Syrian government over a chemical attack in August, it looks like the equations of the Syrian war are rapidly changing
22m:29s
6958
[10 Dec 2013] Iran aims at boosting foreign investment in mining sector...
This is the second year that Iran\'s industry, mines and trade ministry invites a number of representatives of foreign countries to meet with...
This is the second year that Iran\'s industry, mines and trade ministry invites a number of representatives of foreign countries to meet with officials and experts in Iran\'s mining sector. The gathering takes place in the framework of a conference and exhibition on investment opportunities in Iran\'s mining & mining Industries. The aim is to encourage foreign investors to enter Iran\'s mining sector which up until today has remained mostly undeveloped.
2m:35s
5119
[24 Dec 2013] Palestinian hunger striker released from Israeli jail -...
Palestinian political prisoner and long term hunger striker Samer al Issawi was greeted by hundreds of supporters, friends and family as he was...
Palestinian political prisoner and long term hunger striker Samer al Issawi was greeted by hundreds of supporters, friends and family as he was released from an Israeli jail following the longest hunger strike in Palestinian history.
Samer al Azawi was originally captured by the Israeli army and handed a 26 year sentence in 2002. He was released as part of the Gilad Shalit deal alongside over a thousand other prisoners in exchange for 1 Israeli prisoner. However, Asawi was arrested again in July 2012 and held in administrative detention without charge or trial. Following his detention, Asawi went on a 260 day hunger strike in protest against the Israeli\\\'s threatening to renew his original prison sentence for breaking the terms of his parole. Israeli forces raided his family\\\'s home twice just before his release. On Sunday, Israeli authorities gave notices to Issawi\\\'s brother and father, demanding they meet requirements by the Israeli intelligence. Israeli intelligence agents, accompanied by soldiers, told the family they were not allowed to organize any celebrations for Issawi\\\'s release. Samer al Azawi will now join his family in Jerusalem al Quds following a 9 months hunger strike which prompted the Israeli authorities to release him. He stressed the importance of applying international pressure on Israel to release over 4800 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails.
1m:51s
7144
[25 Dec 2013] Iran Today - Iran Afghanistan relations - English
Iran and Afghanistan, two countries with a shared language and similar cultures are now planning to sign an agreement that will solidify their...
Iran and Afghanistan, two countries with a shared language and similar cultures are now planning to sign an agreement that will solidify their friendship.
Two weeks ago US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was in Afghanistan but while he was there hoping to negotiate a security treaty, Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew to Iran to meet up with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
According to the country\'s foreign ministry spokesman Karzai\'s brief visit to Iran on the 8th of December was aimed to strengthen economic ties, reviewing the state of Afghan refugees in Iran, and the trilateral cooperation of Iran, India and Afghanistan in expanding Iran\'s Chabahar port.
In this edition of the show we discuss the many dimensions of the relationship between Iran and Afghanistan.
24m:25s
6407
[27 Dec 2013] US, Russia, China, Syria and OPCW to Discuss Syria...
Representatives from the US, Russia, China, Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are to meet in Moscow to discuss...
Representatives from the US, Russia, China, Syria and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are to meet in Moscow to discuss ways of safely destroying Syria\\\'s chemical arms.
The meeting will be held behind closed doors. This, as a Russian official says Syria\\\'s chemical weapons will be taken out of the country through its maritime borders. The Arab country agreed to the destruction of its chemical arsenal after the August 21 deadly gas attack near Damascus. The Syrian government and Russia have repeatedly said that the attack was carried out by insurgents to provoke Western governments, particularly the U-S into a military intervention in Syria.
0m:38s
6688
[30 Dec 2013] Syrian refugee women faced with daily hardships - English
Syrian women who once lived comfortable yet modest lives in Syria are now forced to live a life of hardship in Lebanon.In refugee camps, displaced...
Syrian women who once lived comfortable yet modest lives in Syria are now forced to live a life of hardship in Lebanon.In refugee camps, displaced Syrians live in tents and benefit from various international aids. But on the streets of Beirut female Syrian refugees are encountering a different scenario. Many of these women are often found on the streets of the capital selling products and begging for money to make ends meet.
1m:53s
5478
[08 Jan 2014] Sick Palestinians remain trapped in Yarmouk refugee camp -...
Hundreds of people marched at the entrance of al-Yarmuk refugee camp in Damascus in an attempt to reach out to their sick relatives. They were...
Hundreds of people marched at the entrance of al-Yarmuk refugee camp in Damascus in an attempt to reach out to their sick relatives. They were hoping for a successful outcome of an initiative launched by several Syria-based Palestinian factions to evacuate over three hundred sick people trapped inside the camp. But anxious relatives failed to meet their loved ones.
Red Crescent teams were ordered to retreat as armed groups opened gunfire at the humanitarian groups who tried to help the sick out, causing the initiative to fail. This is not the first such initiative to fail. Previously, several armed extremist groups such as the al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front foiled peace initiatives and remained occupying the camp. In 2012, tens of civilians were killed and thousands of others displaced after foreign-backed militants targeted the same refugee camp. According to the doctors in charge of following up the initiative, dozens of sick people remain trapped inside al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus. With the lack of basic needs inside, many families here see no end to the humanitarian crisis in the near future.
2m:1s
5606
[19 Jan 14] Islamic Unity Conference - Full Speech by Leader Sayed Ali...
This video is the English audio transcription of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic...
This video is the English audio transcription of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Government Officials and Participants of Conference on Islam Print
19/01/2014
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all of you dear audience who are present in this meeting, the dear guests of Unity Week, the ambassadors of Islamic countries and all the honorable officials who have accepted heavy responsibilities in the country, on the occasion of the auspicious birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and his outstanding grandson - Imam Sadiq (a.s.). I would like to extend my congratulations to all the people of Iran, all Muslims and all liberated people throughout the world.
This auspicious birthday is the source of many blessings which have been bestowed on the lives of human beings over the course of many centuries. It has helped nations, peoples and humanity in general to achieve the best human, intellectual and mental qualities. It has helped them to create a lofty civilization and to achieve bright prospects for a better life. On this birthday anniversary, what is important for the world of Islam and the Islamic community is to pay attention to the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) expectations of the Islamic community and to try hard to meet these expectations.
The happiness of the world of Islam lies in this and nothing else. Islam emerged for the liberation of humanity- both liberation from the suppression and pressures of oppressive and dictatorial regimes which have ruled over all people and in order to form a just government for the entire humanity, and liberation from deceptive thoughts and illusions which dominate the lives of people and which make their lives deviate from the right path.
At a time when Islam was about to emerge, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) described the environment in which people were living as an environment of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"fitna\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\":
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"At that time, people had fallen into fitna, whereby the rope of religion had been broken\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 2]. Fitna means a dusty climate in which one cannot see anything. In such a climate, one cannot see the path and he does not know what to do. This was the conditions of the people who lived in that difficult area.
The same conditions dominated - in a different way - the lives of the people in great countries and civilizations which existed at that time. It is not the case that we can think the people who were living in the Arabian Peninsula at a time when Islamic was about to emerge had terrible conditions while other people living in other areas were happy. The domination of cruel and oppressive regimes, their indifference towards the position of human beings and human principles and the outbreak of disastrous wars which were waged by powers for the sake of power had destroyed the lives of people. History shows that the two well-known civilizations of those days - that is to say, the Persian Sassanid civilization and the Roman civilization - were in such terrible conditions that it makes one pity the masses of the people who were living in those societies. The living conditions of those people were terrible and they were living in captivity.
In such conditions, Islam came and freed people. This freedom first manifests itself in the hearts and souls of people. When one feels that he is free and when he feels the need to break chains, the forces inside him will be influenced by this feeling and then he can achieve social freedom if he shows determination and if he moves forward. Islam did this for people. The same message that Islam delivered at that time exists today in the world of Islam and in other parts of the world. The enemies of freedom kill the thought of freedom in people. When there is no thought of freedom, the movement towards freedom will either slow down or stop.
Today, what we Muslims should do is to try to achieve the kind of freedom that Islam wants. The independence of Muslim nations, the establishment of popular governments throughout the world of Islam, the participation of all people in making decisions and determining fates and their movement on the basis of Islamic sharia are things which liberate nations. Of course, Muslim nations feel that they need this movement today. This feeling exists throughout the world of Islam and without a doubt, it will finally achieve results.
If outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific and religious personalities - in Muslim countries carry out their responsibilities in the proper way, then the future of the world of Islam will be a bright one. Muslims are hopeful about this future. Today, the world of Islam feels that it is awake. It is exactly at this point that the enemies of Islam - those people who are opposed to Islamic Awakening, independence of nations and the domination of God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s religion in all countries - enter the arena. It is exactly at this point that all kinds of tricks are used for creating obstacles in the way of Islamic societies. And the most important trick that they use is creating discord.
It is 65 years now that the world of arrogance has been trying with all its power to impose the existence of the Zionist regime on Muslim nations and to make them accept this regime. But it has failed. We should not look at some countries and governments which are willing to act against their national interests in order to safeguard the interests of their foreign friends - who are the enemies of Islam - and to consign Islamic interests to oblivion. Peoples are opposed to the presence of the Zionists.
It is 65 years now that they have been trying to erase the memory of Palestine, but they have failed. During the 33-day war in Lebanon and during the 22-day war and - for the second time - the eight-day war in Gaza which were waged in recent years, Muslim nations and the Islamic Ummah showed that they are alive. The Islamic Ummah showed that despite the investment of America and other western powers, it has managed to preserve its identity, to slap the fake and imposed Zionist regime across the face and to frustrate the allies of oppressive Zionists who did their best during this time to preserve this imposed, oppressive and criminal regime. The Islamic Ummah showed that it has not forgotten about Palestine. This is a very important issue.
It is in such conditions that the enemy is focusing all its efforts on making the Islamic Ummah forget about Palestine. How do they want to do this? They want to do this by creating discord, waging domestic wars, promoting deviant extremism in the name of Islam, religion and Islamic sharia. They want a group of people to say takfiri things against Muslims. The existence of these takfiri orientations which have emerged in the world of Islam is good news for arrogance and the enemies of the world of Islam. It is these takfiri orientations that attract the attention of Muslims towards insignificant issues instead of letting them pay attention to the truth about the existence of the malevolent Zionist regime.
This is the exact opposite of what Islam wants. Islam has asked Muslims to be \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48, 29]. Muslims should be strong against the enemies of religion. They should stand firm and they should not be influenced by the enemies. Being \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is the clear message of this ayah. Muslims should be compassionate towards one another, they should stay together and join hands and they should hold fast to the rope which Allah stretches out for them. This is the command of Islam.
Now what happens if an orientation emerges which divides Muslims into believers and unbelievers, which targets a group of people as unbelievers and which pits Muslims against one another? Who can doubt the role of arrogance and the security services of arrogant and malevolent governments in creating, supporting and enriching these orientations and in equipping them with weapons? These arrogant powers sit and plan for this. The world of Islam should attend to this issue because it is a grave danger.
Unfortunately, a number of Muslim governments unwittingly add fuel to the fire of this discord. They do not understand that fueling this discord will kindle a fire which will burn them as well. This is what arrogance wants: they want a group of Muslims to wage a war against another group of Muslims.
Those who give rise to this war are people who benefit from the money provided by puppet rulers. These puppet rulers give them money and weapons in order to pit people in such and such a country against one another. This move has been reinforced by arrogance in the past three, four years during which a wave of Islamic Awakening has emerged in a number of Islamic and Arabic countries. They want to do this in order to overshadow Islamic Awakening. By making this move, they are pitting Muslims against one another.
Moreover, the propaganda networks of the enemies are projecting an ugly image of Islam for public opinion throughout the world. They are doing this by magnifying events. What do people think of Islam when media networks show a person who is devouring the liver of another person in the name of Islam? The enemies of Islam have planned this.
These are not things that happen all of a sudden and out of the blue. These are things for which many plans have been devised over a long period of time. There are different policies and spy rings behind these moves. There is big money behind these moves. Muslims should confront any phenomenon which is against their unity. This is a great responsibility for all of us. Both Shia and Sunni Muslims, and different groups which exist among Shia and Sunni Muslims should shoulder this responsibility.
Unity means reliance on common points. We have many common points. Muslims\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' common points are more than their disagreements and therefore, they should rely on them. The main responsibility in this regard falls on the shoulders of outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific or religious personalities. Religious scholars in the world of Islam should prevent Muslims from creating sectarian and religious discord. Academic scholars should help students understand that today, unity is the most important issue in the world of Islam. The most important issue is unity for the sake of reaching goals. These goals are achieving political independence, establishing religious democracy and observing divine rules in Islamic societies.
Islam invites people to freedom, dignity and honor. This is an obligation and responsibility today. Political personalities too should know that their dignity and honor lies in their reliance on Muslim peoples, not on foreigners and those who are arch enemies of Islamic societies.
One day, arrogant powers dominated people everywhere in Islamic regions. One day, policies carried out by America and before that England and other countries, dominated the lives of people in Islamic regions. Nations gradually managed to liberate themselves from this direct domination. In the present time, the enemies want to replace this direct domination, which they imposed during the era of imperialism, with indirect domination - that is to say, political, economic and cultural domination. Of course, in some areas they are imposing this direct domination again. As you see, a number of European countries want to create the same situation which existed in the past in Africa.
The path is Islamic Awakening. The path is awareness about the position of Muslim nations. Muslim nations have many resources, they have sensitive geographical locations, they have a very valuable historical legacy and they have unique economic resources. If Muslims collect themselves, find their true identity, rely on themselves and extend the hand of friendship, then this region will be an outstanding and enlightened region and the world of Islam will witness dignity, greatness and honor.
By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this is what will happen in the future. One can see the signs of this future such as the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment and stability of the Islamic Republic in this sensitive region.
It is 35 years now that arrogant regimes - including America and other powers - have been doing their best to work against the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. Despite this, the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic are becoming stronger, more rooted, more powerful and more influential on a daily basis. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this strength, this stability and this power will increase in the future.
In the world of Islam too, one sees that the awareness of people and youth about Islam and the future of Islam has increased compared to the past. In some countries, people are much more aware than they were in the past. Of course, the enemy is making some efforts, but if we look carefully and vigilantly, we will see that - by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor - this wave of Islamic movement is going forward.
God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy be upon our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) who opened up this path for us. He taught us that we should rely on God, ask Him alone for help and be hopeful about the future. Then, we moved forward on this path and by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, we will continue to do this. I hope that Islam and Muslims achieve victory and I ask God to bestow His mercy and forgiveness on the martyrs of this bright path.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1859
13m:37s
40799
Islamic Unity Conference -Birthday of Prophet & Imam Sadiq A.S -...
[English Sub] Islamic Unity Conference - Birthday of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w / Imam Sadiq a.s Ayatullah Ali Khamenei\\\\\\\'s Full speech Farsi sub...
[English Sub] Islamic Unity Conference - Birthday of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w / Imam Sadiq a.s Ayatullah Ali Khamenei\\\\\\\'s Full speech Farsi sub English 19 january 2014.
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Officials and Participants of Conference on Islamic Unity Print
19/01/2014
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 19, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 27th Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held in Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah on the occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all of you dear audience who are present in this meeting, the dear guests of Unity Week, the ambassadors of Islamic countries and all the honorable officials who have accepted heavy responsibilities in the country, on the occasion of the auspicious birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and his outstanding grandson - Imam Sadiq (a.s.). I would like to extend my congratulations to all the people of Iran, all Muslims and all liberated people throughout the world.
This auspicious birthday is the source of many blessings which have been bestowed on the lives of human beings over the course of many centuries. It has helped nations, peoples and humanity in general to achieve the best human, intellectual and mental qualities. It has helped them to create a lofty civilization and to achieve bright prospects for a better life. On this birthday anniversary, what is important for the world of Islam and the Islamic community is to pay attention to the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) expectations of the Islamic community and to try hard to meet these expectations.
The happiness of the world of Islam lies in this and nothing else. Islam emerged for the liberation of humanity- both liberation from the suppression and pressures of oppressive and dictatorial regimes which have ruled over all people and in order to form a just government for the entire humanity, and liberation from deceptive thoughts and illusions which dominate the lives of people and which make their lives deviate from the right path.
At a time when Islam was about to emerge, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) described the environment in which people were living as an environment of \\\\\\\"fitna\\\\\\\":
\\\\\\\"At that time, people had fallen into fitna, whereby the rope of religion had been broken\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 2]. Fitna means a dusty climate in which one cannot see anything. In such a climate, one cannot see the path and he does not know what to do. This was the conditions of the people who lived in that difficult area.
The same conditions dominated - in a different way - the lives of the people in great countries and civilizations which existed at that time. It is not the case that we can think the people who were living in the Arabian Peninsula at a time when Islamic was about to emerge had terrible conditions while other people living in other areas were happy. The domination of cruel and oppressive regimes, their indifference towards the position of human beings and human principles and the outbreak of disastrous wars which were waged by powers for the sake of power had destroyed the lives of people. History shows that the two well-known civilizations of those days - that is to say, the Persian Sassanid civilization and the Roman civilization - were in such terrible conditions that it makes one pity the masses of the people who were living in those societies. The living conditions of those people were terrible and they were living in captivity.
In such conditions, Islam came and freed people. This freedom first manifests itself in the hearts and souls of people. When one feels that he is free and when he feels the need to break chains, the forces inside him will be influenced by this feeling and then he can achieve social freedom if he shows determination and if he moves forward. Islam did this for people. The same message that Islam delivered at that time exists today in the world of Islam and in other parts of the world. The enemies of freedom kill the thought of freedom in people. When there is no thought of freedom, the movement towards freedom will either slow down or stop.
Today, what we Muslims should do is to try to achieve the kind of freedom that Islam wants. The independence of Muslim nations, the establishment of popular governments throughout the world of Islam, the participation of all people in making decisions and determining fates and their movement on the basis of Islamic sharia are things which liberate nations. Of course, Muslim nations feel that they need this movement today. This feeling exists throughout the world of Islam and without a doubt, it will finally achieve results.
If outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific and religious personalities - in Muslim countries carry out their responsibilities in the proper way, then the future of the world of Islam will be a bright one. Muslims are hopeful about this future. Today, the world of Islam feels that it is awake. It is exactly at this point that the enemies of Islam - those people who are opposed to Islamic Awakening, independence of nations and the domination of God\\\\\\\'s religion in all countries - enter the arena. It is exactly at this point that all kinds of tricks are used for creating obstacles in the way of Islamic societies. And the most important trick that they use is creating discord.
It is 65 years now that the world of arrogance has been trying with all its power to impose the existence of the Zionist regime on Muslim nations and to make them accept this regime. But it has failed. We should not look at some countries and governments which are willing to act against their national interests in order to safeguard the interests of their foreign friends - who are the enemies of Islam - and to consign Islamic interests to oblivion. Peoples are opposed to the presence of the Zionists.
It is 65 years now that they have been trying to erase the memory of Palestine, but they have failed. During the 33-day war in Lebanon and during the 22-day war and - for the second time - the eight-day war in Gaza which were waged in recent years, Muslim nations and the Islamic Ummah showed that they are alive. The Islamic Ummah showed that despite the investment of America and other western powers, it has managed to preserve its identity, to slap the fake and imposed Zionist regime across the face and to frustrate the allies of oppressive Zionists who did their best during this time to preserve this imposed, oppressive and criminal regime. The Islamic Ummah showed that it has not forgotten about Palestine. This is a very important issue.
It is in such conditions that the enemy is focusing all its efforts on making the Islamic Ummah forget about Palestine. How do they want to do this? They want to do this by creating discord, waging domestic wars, promoting deviant extremism in the name of Islam, religion and Islamic sharia. They want a group of people to say takfiri things against Muslims. The existence of these takfiri orientations which have emerged in the world of Islam is good news for arrogance and the enemies of the world of Islam. It is these takfiri orientations that attract the attention of Muslims towards insignificant issues instead of letting them pay attention to the truth about the existence of the malevolent Zionist regime.
This is the exact opposite of what Islam wants. Islam has asked Muslims to be \\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48, 29]. Muslims should be strong against the enemies of religion. They should stand firm and they should not be influenced by the enemies. Being \\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers\\\\\\\" is the clear message of this ayah. Muslims should be compassionate towards one another, they should stay together and join hands and they should hold fast to the rope which Allah stretches out for them. This is the command of Islam.
Now what happens if an orientation emerges which divides Muslims into believers and unbelievers, which targets a group of people as unbelievers and which pits Muslims against one another? Who can doubt the role of arrogance and the security services of arrogant and malevolent governments in creating, supporting and enriching these orientations and in equipping them with weapons? These arrogant powers sit and plan for this. The world of Islam should attend to this issue because it is a grave danger.
Unfortunately, a number of Muslim governments unwittingly add fuel to the fire of this discord. They do not understand that fueling this discord will kindle a fire which will burn them as well. This is what arrogance wants: they want a group of Muslims to wage a war against another group of Muslims.
Those who give rise to this war are people who benefit from the money provided by puppet rulers. These puppet rulers give them money and weapons in order to pit people in such and such a country against one another. This move has been reinforced by arrogance in the past three, four years during which a wave of Islamic Awakening has emerged in a number of Islamic and Arabic countries. They want to do this in order to overshadow Islamic Awakening. By making this move, they are pitting Muslims against one another.
Moreover, the propaganda networks of the enemies are projecting an ugly image of Islam for public opinion throughout the world. They are doing this by magnifying events. What do people think of Islam when media networks show a person who is devouring the liver of another person in the name of Islam? The enemies of Islam have planned this.
These are not things that happen all of a sudden and out of the blue. These are things for which many plans have been devised over a long period of time. There are different policies and spy rings behind these moves. There is big money behind these moves. Muslims should confront any phenomenon which is against their unity. This is a great responsibility for all of us. Both Shia and Sunni Muslims, and different groups which exist among Shia and Sunni Muslims should shoulder this responsibility.
Unity means reliance on common points. We have many common points. Muslims\\\\\\\' common points are more than their disagreements and therefore, they should rely on them. The main responsibility in this regard falls on the shoulders of outstanding personalities - whether political, scientific or religious personalities. Religious scholars in the world of Islam should prevent Muslims from creating sectarian and religious discord. Academic scholars should help students understand that today, unity is the most important issue in the world of Islam. The most important issue is unity for the sake of reaching goals. These goals are achieving political independence, establishing religious democracy and observing divine rules in Islamic societies.
Islam invites people to freedom, dignity and honor. This is an obligation and responsibility today. Political personalities too should know that their dignity and honor lies in their reliance on Muslim peoples, not on foreigners and those who are arch enemies of Islamic societies.
One day, arrogant powers dominated people everywhere in Islamic regions. One day, policies carried out by America and before that England and other countries, dominated the lives of people in Islamic regions. Nations gradually managed to liberate themselves from this direct domination. In the present time, the enemies want to replace this direct domination, which they imposed during the era of imperialism, with indirect domination - that is to say, political, economic and cultural domination. Of course, in some areas they are imposing this direct domination again. As you see, a number of European countries want to create the same situation which existed in the past in Africa.
The path is Islamic Awakening. The path is awareness about the position of Muslim nations. Muslim nations have many resources, they have sensitive geographical locations, they have a very valuable historical legacy and they have unique economic resources. If Muslims collect themselves, find their true identity, rely on themselves and extend the hand of friendship, then this region will be an outstanding and enlightened region and the world of Islam will witness dignity, greatness and honor.
By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, this is what will happen in the future. One can see the signs of this future such as the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment and stability of the Islamic Republic in this sensitive region.
It is 35 years now that arrogant regimes - including America and other powers - have been doing their best to work against the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. Despite this, the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic are becoming stronger, more rooted, more powerful and more influential on a daily basis. By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, this strength, this stability and this power will increase in the future.
In the world of Islam too, one sees that the awareness of people and youth about Islam and the future of Islam has increased compared to the past. In some countries, people are much more aware than they were in the past. Of course, the enemy is making some efforts, but if we look carefully and vigilantly, we will see that - by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor - this wave of Islamic movement is going forward.
God\\\\\\\'s mercy be upon our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) who opened up this path for us. He taught us that we should rely on God, ask Him alone for help and be hopeful about the future. Then, we moved forward on this path and by Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, we will continue to do this. I hope that Islam and Muslims achieve victory and I ask God to bestow His mercy and forgiveness on the martyrs of this bright path.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1859
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[26 Jan 14] South Korea parliament to use its parliamentary diplomacy...
South Korean National Assembly Speaker, Kang Chang-Hee has traveled to Iran for a three-day visit to the country. During his visit to Iran, he...
South Korean National Assembly Speaker, Kang Chang-Hee has traveled to Iran for a three-day visit to the country. During his visit to Iran, he heads a high-ranking parliamentary delegation. This is the 5th South Korean parliamentary delegation visiting Iran since March last year. The South Korean delegation is scheduled to meet Iranian high-ranking officials. The first such meeting was held on Sunday evening and Kang met with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Larijani.
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[20 Feb 2014] Zarif Iran defense capabilities non-negotiable - English
Three days of nuclear talks in Vienna between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN security council plus Germany have ended.
Both sides...
Three days of nuclear talks in Vienna between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN security council plus Germany have ended.
Both sides say the discussions have been very productive and have identified all of the issues needed to be addressed in reaching a comprehensive and final agreement.Iran\'s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and believes a comprehensive deal could be agreed on in the next five months. Iran\'s foreign minister says the P-five-plus-one negotiators have agreed that issues related to Iran\'s defense industry and scientific capabilities will not be part of the ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna. The P-five-plus-one representative Catherine Ashton said even though there is a lot to do, they have had a good start.The talks in Vienna marked the first round of high-level negotiations held between Tehran and the P5+1 group after they reached a landmark interim deal in Geneva in November. Iran and the five permanent members of the UN security council plus Germany will meet again in Vienna on the 17th of March. Technical meetings will also take place on the sidelines of the next IAEA meeting in early March. The talks are expected to be monthly for the next four months and both sides are aiming to complete a final deal in July.
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[24 Feb 2014] UK FM: Bilateral relations with Iran improving - English
Britain\'s foreign secretary says bilateral relations with Iran are improving and that the UK plans to continue the expansion of ties provided that...
Britain\'s foreign secretary says bilateral relations with Iran are improving and that the UK plans to continue the expansion of ties provided that it remains reciprocal.
William Hague added that Tehran and London are working together to make it easier for Iranian and British citizens to obtain consular and visa services. However, the foreign secretary said sanctions against Tehran would remain intact and will be enforced robustly. On nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, Hague said last week\'s talks were constructive. He said the two sides plan to meet monthly with the next round of talks due in Vienna mid-March.
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[26 Feb 2014] Gazans turn to solar power over continuing Israeli...
The fuel crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip has forced the residents of the coastal enclave to turn to the Sun to meet their energy demands....
The fuel crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip has forced the residents of the coastal enclave to turn to the Sun to meet their energy demands.
Authorities of this crisis-hit hospital in Gaza have decided to install solar panels to get the most out of the sunlight. They say loss of power for even a minute could spell disaster for the patients there. Gazan officials hope the solar power could play a bigger role in providing energy for the Palestinians. But the solar panels are a bit costly and not everybody in the impoverished enclave can afford using them. Gaza has been under a crippling Israeli blockade for several years now. This has been exacerbated by the closure of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.
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[09 Oct 13] Speech in Meeting with Participants of 7th Elite Youth...
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on October 9, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a...
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on October 9, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with participants of the 7th Elite Youth Conference. The meeting was held at Imam Khomeini (r.a.) Hussainiyah.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Well, as usual, meeting with you dear youth is very sweet and inspiring for me and it prepares the ground for taking action and implementing policies and plans. Most of the things that the friends mentioned in this meeting was informative and notable. Today, I did not write down what you said because I decided to take the prepared notes of each one of you.
By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, officials in our office - they have heard what I said in this regard now - will collect and categorize the suggestions that you put forward in this meeting. It is necessary for us to pay attention to these suggestions and, by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, they will receive attention. A number of these suggestions should be submitted to different organizations. A number of the points that the friends made in this meeting requires further explanation. That is to say, it was not clear to me what you meant. For example, one of the friends pointed out that a road map of knowledge should be prepared. I did not understand whether he meant that we should prepare something different from the comprehensive scientific plan on which extensive research has been carried out for a very long time and which has been prepared and implemented.
You dear outstanding personalities who have participated in this meeting and all other outstanding personalities who have not participated in this meeting for any reason should know that whatever your field of study of is and whatever area you work on - including the humanities, technological sciences, fundamental sciences, medical sciences, sciences related to health and all other fields of study on which you work - you are the engineers of the future progress of the country. It is you who are building the future of your dear country, Iran. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, if you pursue this goal with firm determinations, great efforts and constant follow-up, you will achieve results and you will build the future Iran.
The point that I would like to address to you is that you should know the strategy of scientific progress with rapid acceleration is a fundamental strategy for the Islamic Republic. The intellectuals of our country have reached the conclusion that if overcoming difficulties and taking difficult paths in Islamic Iran requires two, three prerequisites, one of them is scientific progress. This is a fundamental policy. This policy has been pursued for about 10-12 years now.
Different administrations and officials in charge of such things and outstanding youth have worked and made many efforts in these areas and thankfully today, when we see the results, we become hopeful. I have said many times to the youth, to officials and to you and I would like to say it now: the young individuals and outstanding personalities of our country and our manpower are able to help their country and their people to conquer peaks of progress in different arenas. This capability exists in you. We used to say this based on the experience of other people and the information that we had received from them. But later on, we ourselves experienced this.
I have said many times that Iranian youth and Iranian outstanding personalities can carry out all kinds of scientific and technological tasks provided that the necessary infrastructures exist in our country. There is nothing which Iranian talent and outstanding Iranian personalities cannot produce and build, unless the necessary infrastructure does not exist in the country and these infrastructures should be built. Our country enjoys such a high level of capability and talent. Real progress of the country is not possible except with scientific progress. This is the reason why we said our main discourse and policy is this. Real progress cannot be achieved except with scientific progress.
A number of countries may offer their natural resources and oil barrels to leading countries in terms of wealth and knowledge and they may buy their products in return. In such countries, a kind of superficial progress may be achieved, but this is not real progress. The real progress is inborn and it is made when a nation depends on its own domestic capabilities. The value of countries, governments and nations depends on this inborn power. If a country makes a leap on its own and if it achieves growth from the inside, this will make this country and this nation valuable, important and respected. But if such growth is not achieved from the inside and if it is achieved with the help of others, then this country will not earn respect.
Well, during the time of taghut, it was foreigners and westerners who were prepared to do part of the work related to the nuclear technology in our country and they used to sign certain contracts with Iran. The Bushehr nuclear power plant, which we built with great difficulty after the passage of many years, was supposed to be built by the Germans. Of course, the Germans took the money and did nothing in return and after the Revolution, they did not give us any answer. Now, imagine that such and such a western country builds and manages a nuclear power plant for us and then we benefit from the electricity that such a power plant can generate. This has no dignity and value for a nation. Respect and dignity are achieved when a nation shows its own capabilities. When you develop such a capability, then you can benefit - on an equal footing - from the capabilities of other people, as they benefit from your capabilities.
The point that one of the friends in this meeting made was correct. It is evident that a country cannot only rely on its own capabilities in scientific and technological areas. It should borrow from others as well, but this borrowing should not take place in the form of begging. It should take place on an equal footing. You should offer your scientific achievements to others and you should benefit from their scientific achievements. You should offer your technological achievements to other people and you should benefit from their technological achievements. In such circumstances, you will remain respectable in the world. This is what is necessary.
I will tell you dear youth - who are the children of the Revolution and the Islamic Republic - that the enmity of the camp which confronts Islamic Iran and shows hostility towards it, is focused on the power of Iran. They do not want Iran to become powerful. You should always pay attention to this fundamental point during all events including political, economic, international, regional and domestic events. You should not forget this point. Today, there is a political and powerful camp in the world which does not want Islamic Iran to turn into a powerful country and nation. Since the beginning of the Revolution, the situation has been like this.
I will tell you that in the year 1357, when the Islamic Revolution emerged in Iran and caused that great commotion in the world, a number of outstanding western personalities such as Kissinger, Huntington and Joseph Nye - who are outstanding political personalities in America and Europe - published a series of articles during the early years of the Revolution. These articles and writings warned the western political system and western governments that the Revolution which has been conducted in Iran does not only mean a transfer of power and a change of governments. It means the emergence of a new power in - as they say - the \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Middle East\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" region. I do not at all like this term. They said that a new power is emerging in - as we say - \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"West Asia\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
This new power may not be on a par with western powers in terms of technology and science, but in terms of political influence in areas surrounding this country, it is either better than or as good as western powers and it will challenge them. These outstanding personalities warned western powers about this. This means that, in their opinion, the emergence of this power would put an end to or at least weaken western influence in this sensitive, wealthy and very strategic region which connects three continents to one another and which is the center of oil, wealth and important and necessary minerals. The West has made many efforts to achieve political, economic and - naturally - cultural domination over this region.
At that time, these outstanding western personalities guessed that this would happen and of course, they guessed correctly. Today, after the passage of more than three decades, the nightmare which they have been suffering from is gradually coming true. That is to say, a great national and regional power has emerged which has not been defeated by different economic, security, political and psychological pressures. On the contrary, this power has managed to influence regional nations, to establish and promote communal Islamic culture and to help regional nations have a sense of identity.
The events which occurred two years ago in our region were very important events. You can see how westerners reacted to such events. The events in Egypt, North African and West Asian countries were very important events. The awakening of nations with empty hands and their resistance against the humiliation which the West and America in particular had imposed on these nations with the help of their agents were very great events. Of course, it has not come to an end. Westerners think that they have suppressed this Islamic Awakening but in our opinion, it has not been suppressed. This was a historical juncture and the region is passing through this historical juncture. The fate of this Awakening has not been sealed yet and westerners themselves know this. This can be seen in their analysis of Islamic Awakening and they are still concerned about it. They do not know what is happening in the region. This happened thanks to the uprising of the Iranian nation, the victory of the Revolution and the formation of the Islamic Republic which manifested the emergence of a national, deep-rooted, religious, steadfast, talented and developing power.
Now, on each branch of scientific, technological and research areas you outstanding personalities throughout the country work, you are valuable constituents of this great order which is fulfilling this historical mission. Today, you have shouldered this great responsibility. What is important is that your movement should not stop progressing. What is important is that your movement should continue without any interruption or pause in the middle of the way. The same is true of all important social, political and military movements. When a movement starts, when a great and long-term task begins, you should not let any pause and interruption take place in the middle of the way.
During the Sacred Defense Era, we saw this with our own eyes when we were engaged in battle. During the war, when a movement started, it would achieve victory if it was not stopped. But if our determination was undermined in the middle of the way, if there were doubts, if we showed laziness and if there was a pause or interruption in our work, it would lead to frustration and defeat. You should not let this rapid scientific movement stop progressing.
Of course, I am addressing all people involved in this issue, both you dear youth and different organizations including the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Health and the Vice Presidency for Scientific and Technological Affairs. You dear youth work hard, acquire knowledge, carry out research and engage in self-edification and often, you carry out interesting and outstanding work. The statements that you made in this meeting is part of this work. Work is not only physical. Offering thoughts, ideas and opinions and making an effort in order to put forward excellent suggestions are among the best pieces of work.
The Vice Presidency for Scientific and Technological Affairs is a very important organization and what it does is very sensitive. A few years ago, this organization was formed at my insistence and later on, the National Elites Foundation was formed. There were certain people who rendered genuine services such as Mrs. Soltankhah and Mr. Vaezzadeh. And today, Mr. Sattari, who is the son of a martyr, is in charge of this vice presidency and this foundation. My advice to the officials in charge of Vice Presidency for Scientific and Technological Affairs and the National Elites Foundation is that they should pursue the matter. You should not start to do things all over again. Outstanding work has been carried out in this regard. You should move forward according to such work. You should try to find and remove shortcomings and weak points and you should not forget about your strong points.
In my opinion, the most important thing which these two organizations can do is that they should focus their efforts on preparing the ground for innovation. Innovation is very important. This process of innovation should not be stopped. Each step should bring about another step. Constant follow-up is necessary in order to preserve the process of innovation in the country. The honorable officials who are in charge of Vice Presidency for Scientific and Technological Affairs should constantly follow up this scientific process in the country. They should see where problems and hurdles lie and they should resolve them. The Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution - which, of course, deals with these issues within the remit of its responsibilities - is important. The Vice Presidency for Scientific and Technological Affairs, which is an organization for coordinating other organizations, other scientific organizations in the country - that is to say, these two ministries - research centers and different scientific and technological centers in charge of implementing these policies should all act in a coordinated and well-organized way. Any kind of disorder and disharmony should be removed.
Of course, our scientific growth is very good on a regional and international level. Our absolute growth rate is good and we enjoy a very fast rate of scientific growth, however this is not the sole standard. This rate of scientific growth should be preserved. This rate of scientific growth does not mean that we have achieved or are close to achieving our goal because we used to be very backward. And the world does not wait for us to move forward. It does not sit and watch. The world is constantly moving forward as well. Of course, the rate of our scientific growth is faster [than the global average] and we should preserve it. If this rate of scientific growth is preserved, there will be this hope that we can conquer peaks and reach front lines and, as I said many times, our country and our scientific centers can be reference points for the world.
This should happen and, by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, it will happen. Of course, I do not think that this will happen in five, ten, fifteen years. No, this is not the case. A few years ago, I said that you can picture this future in 40, 50 years when everyone in the world has to learn Farsi if they want to have access to new scientific achievements. Your efforts should be focused on this. You should do something to make others need your knowledge and learn your language in order to acquire the knowledge that you have. This is possible.
The late Dr. Chamran was an outstanding scientific personality. In the present time, he is known for war tactics, martyrdom, military expertise and other such things, but he was also an outstanding scientific personality. He studied at an outstanding American university, but later on, he left this university and went to Lebanon and - after that - to his own country to engage in jihad. He used to tell me that in American universities - including the university that he was studying in - there were few outstanding students and the number of Iranians among them was larger than other nationalities. Iranians are more talented than the global average. We have repeatedly heard this from other people and, as I said, in the present time experience shows that this is true.
The point which I have stressed from the beginning and which has not been properly addressed yet is the issue of the connection between science and industry, between universities and industries and between research centers and industrial centers. Of course, it is several years that I see this issue has been addressed by students, outstanding personalities and officials. This is a very important point. We have a scientific community and an industrial community. Our industrial community is thirsty for having access to the scientific and research achievements of our universities and research centers. And our scientific organizations need a market to consume their scientific achievements so that their enthusiasm continues to flow like a bubbling spring.
In the present time, there is not a reasonable and complete relationship between these two communities. If we manage to establish a strong relationship between industries and universities, between industries and research centers or - in the general sense of the word - between industry and science, this will lead to the growth of industrial centers and the blossoming of our universities.
Our industrial centers can turn to universities in order to solve their problems. As well as solving their problems, they can utilize the scientific achievements of universities in their industries. Our universities too can begin to flow smoothly. This is like a dam which has been built, but which does not have an irrigation system. Well, this dam has no value. Half of the work that we should do is to build certain walls and gather water behind these walls. The other half is to build an irrigation system so that the water behind these walls can flow to areas and lands which in are in need of water. This should be done.
Of course, companies and factories should turn to scientific centers more than the past and scientific centers too should prepare themselves more than the past. Each year, we should witness hundreds of research projects - which are requested by industrial centers - in universities and scientific centers. Of course, these requested projects should address domestic needs. In my opinion, today one of our great weak points is that our scientific centers are after foreign projects. Even many youth, professors and other academic people sometimes acknowledge this. Such projects are not things that the country needs. I do not want to say that this is absolutely forbidden, but if you sit and work on certain scientific and research projects in order to meet the needs of such and such a scientific and technological organization in the world - which will buy these projects at a low price - this is not a major achievement. You should see what our domestic needs are, how your research - particularly the research that Ph.D. students and students at higher levels carry out - can help the country and what gaps it can fill.
Therefore, there should be a great and serious competition in the area of innovation. There should be a competition, in the real sense of the word, whether in scientific or in technological areas. In graduate theses, particularly doctoral theses, one of the points which should definitely receive attention is innovation. In these theses, it should be clear in which areas innovation occurs and this should be the standard for evaluation. The National Elites Foundation should work in a serious way to create an environment for scientific enthusiasm. If this happens, the Iranian specialists who live outside Iran will be excited to come to their country and the talented Iranian youth will find the enthusiasm to stay in their own homeland and render services to their own country.
There is a fundamental and important point in this regard which is piety and self-purification. The capabilities of outstanding personalities in our country - including young men and women and their professors - will increase in the shade of piety, self-purification and attention to God. Their capabilities will increase and they can easily make achievements. One of the greatest advantages that you have is youthful purity. This is not a permanent thing. During youth, there is a kind of purity and enlightenment which makes it easy for an individual to enjoy divine mercy. If Allah the Exalted opens up the path for individuals, if He smoothes the way for them and prepares the ground, they will achieve their goals more easily. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 92: 7].
You should appreciate the value of the piety, purity, faith and enlightenment which exist in you and which prepare the ground for spirituality. You should ask Allah the Exalted to help you and your country. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, we will be able to reach the desired point for our country and our nation. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, I will always pray for you, as I have prayed for you so far.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings
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