Speech [Causes of backwardness of dependent countries]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I hold dear the step you, the youth, take for Islam and for your own country. I have previously pointed out that through their massive propaganda the enemies of humanity and improvement wanted to incalculated the idea in areas they wanted to dominate that people themselves were nothing and had to import all their needs from beyond their borders, from Russia or America. This was one of the causes of the backwardness of these countries. They did not allow these people to put their thoughts to practice. There was so much propaganda suggestion that these people feared to get involved in the practice (of what they believed in). God, the Most Blessed and Exalted, honored us by enabling you to make the Islamic Republic a reality. You succeeded in shattering the erroneous belief widespread in our country. What do you have that makes you feel inferior to other countries? Man is one and the same everywhere, of one type and of one nature. If (our thinkers) here are not better than theirs, they are not worse. However, they did not allow these better ones and the brains of our thinkers to function. Those intellectuals who fled the country had employed their thoughts for foreigners and put their minds to practice for foreigners. If a thinker wants his own country, Islam and his homeland, it is meaningless for him to flee and where can they flee to? It would, therefore, be better for these minds that lived in Iran but worked for aliens, for the US or for Russia, to leave and the thoughtful minds that work for their own country to remain. Thank God, in the past two or three years our youths demonstrated that they could do. Rest assured that in the long run you could do whatever you want. I hope that you will put your thoughts into practice and dispel the fear that they had instilled in you, enter the scene with courage and do the things by yourselves. In the same way that you drove out the superpowers with courage, you will work in your culture as well and do your tasks by yourselves. You should gradually diminish your dependence on foreigners until a day comes when we have no dependence on foreign countries and make everything we need, God willing. Another thing that I have reiterated is that we have been (mantally) conditioned in a way that we should either be Western-oriented or nothing. That is if a young person, a lady, were Western-oriented from head to toe, such a person were of a high position and if she were like other Muslims, then she would be backward. Backwardness and advancement depended on this mentality of being Westernized, which meant that the style of her clothing and shoes had to be Western. Or, for example, whatever he/she consumed had to come from abroad. They wanted to make us consumer-oriented. For this reason, we had been made to consume. The likes of Taqi-Zadeh, «1» who once held power in Iran, had said that we had to be English or foreign from head to toe. We should be like this so as to be human. Being human meant wearing (Western) hats, shoes, clothes and make-up, etc. However, the teachings of the Prophets tell us another thing. The Prophets considered man to be possessing piety, the power of faith, humanity, knowledge and action. They considered the criteria of humanity to be taqwa and knowledge. But they  (the previous regime )created an atmosphere to inculcate in us that if man wanted to be progressive, he had to avoid using his mother tongue, or had to use a few English or other European words while speaking. All these were things that had been inculcated in us. Even local traitors had been inspired by foreign traitors and were educating us this way. If Iran, God forbid, had remained in the hands of this corrupt regime for a much longer time, we would have lost everything.

God favored us by returning Islam and Iran to us. We will now, God willing, do our work by ourselves. Basically, we should think that the country is ours and we ourselves should make it flourish. The farmers, those who work in factories and those who work in the industrial sectors should have this mentality that the country is ours. When it is ours, it is meaningless that somebody else comes and administers it. We ourselves should administer it. We should not let foreigners manage our factories and prevent us from making progress. Their coming was aimed at taking control of all activities and making us do footboy's jobs. They wanted you to toil in the offices, but they would not allow you to get involved in industry. They came here for this purpose and now, thank God, they have fled and left the country. You have now regained yourselves and God is your support. May God grant health to all of you. I thank you who made the radio and television operational. We should launch extensive propaganda; our radio and television coverage should be wide enough to convey our words to the world.

Obviously, they do not let out voice reach anywhere. If the slightest deviation creeps into our affairs, then you will see what (foreign) radios will do. Anyhow, may God protect all of you and may you be successful. I will do my part, which is praying; I will pray for you. May you be in good health! God willing.