Statements in a Video Conference with Representatives of Student Organizations

Khamenei expresses gratitude for the opportunity to meet with students during Ramadan, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the spiritual effects of the holy month in daily life.

He highlights the significance of student opinions and critiques, noting their value in shaping public consciousness and hopes for divine blessings on their efforts.

Khamenei addresses recent tragic events in Afghanistan and Palestine, condemning the violence against innocent students and urging a strong response against the actions of the enemy.

He discusses the necessity of transformation and reform, defining it as a movement to strengthen the principles of the revolution while innovating methods and practices.

Khamenei warns against the Western notion of transformation, which seeks to undermine revolutionary values, and stresses the need for genuine reform that aligns with the ideals of the Islamic Republic.

He outlines the urgent need for reform in governance, social behavior, and economic practices, calling for a collective effort to address longstanding issues and challenges.

Khamenei emphasizes the role of youth in driving this transformation, recognizing their potential for innovative thinking and action, and encourages them to lead the way in creating meaningful change.

The necessity of having experienced and skilled individuals alongside the youth

Of course, I must also tell you: you young people are dear to me, and I have a great affection for you — I have spent a long life alongside the youth and with the youth, and I know them well and love them. However, alongside this praise and admiration I have for the youth, there are shortcomings in their work, deficiencies that we observe, which we have seen over time and continue to see now. Even in the very statements you make, which are very valuable and sweet to me, there are weaknesses in these statements and in the presentation of ideas. Therefore, experienced, worldly-wise, and skilled individuals must also be present alongside the youth. This is something I have said many times. When we said "the revolutionary young government," some imagined that it meant a government whose members should all be between 30 and 35 years old! This is not the case; the presence of youth is essential, and certainly, without the presence of youth, no work can be accomplished, but this does not mean that experienced, skilled, and worldly-wise individuals should not be alongside the youth.

The fundamental and primary condition in all of this — whether it is the youth or those who have passed their youth and reached middle age or old age — is that there must be faith and sincere, revolutionary motivation within them. In my opinion, a revolutionary young government — as we have said — can encompass all of these.

The possibility of solving the country's problems with a government that believes in youth and their presence at various levels of decision-making and execution

Of course, the government is not just, for example, twenty ministries and twenty ministers — the cabinet consists of about twenty-some individuals — the government is not just these; it is a vast collection that includes hundreds of effective and decisive management positions, and all of these can, so to speak, host our faithful, elite, and revolutionary youth who must be able to participate in decision-making, policy-making, and execution; that is, some youth must be present in decision-making sectors, some in policy-making sectors, and some in execution sectors, and they must be able to act. In my opinion, this is entirely feasible; that is, if a government comes to power whose senior officials believe in youth, have confidence in youth, just as Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) did and advanced work with the youth, if such a government comes to power, I believe the problems will be resolved very quickly; all of these problems that are currently before us, despite all the difficulties, complexities, obstacles, and hostilities that arise from abroad and sometimes from within, in my opinion, all of these works, all of these ideals and demands are achievable. In the past, the youth accomplished remarkable feats; both in the revolution and in the Sacred Defense, for example, the youth were there; they were student youth who went to the IRGC, some to the Jihad, some to the Revolutionary Committees, and engaged in work and accomplished great things.

Today, fortunately, the country has a good situation in terms of nurturing faithful, revolutionary human resources with self-confidence and expertise; that is, we do not lack manpower; there are forces that need to be identified. If there is no desire for the presence of youth, the identification of youth will not take place, and the government and the system will be deprived of the benefits of their existence.

I was asked whether in these councils — the councils related to the leadership, such as the Cultural Revolution Council — you do not want to include youth. Yes, I had this thought some time ago; there were obstacles in the way, and God willing, it will be realized, and we will appoint some youth to these councils, God willing, so that they can be present, make decisions, and act.

Summary of the discussion on transformation

Well, therefore, the summary of our discussion regarding transformation is this: First, transformation is necessary and is our current need; secondly, transformation is possible; thirdly, the way to create transformation is to form a government that believes in transformation and believes in the transformative element, meaning the elite, faithful, revolutionary youth; that is, the condition is that they must be faithful and revolutionary; otherwise, if they are young with the same qualities of courage, ability, and initiative, but lack faith, then it is of no benefit; that young person, with that energy, will go down the wrong path much faster and more vigorously than the elderly; if they lack faith, it is of no use; if they are not revolutionary, they will not guide the country towards a correct transformative movement; therefore, they must be young, faithful, and revolutionary; that is, these elements must be gathered within the government. Thus, transformation is both necessary and possible, and the condition is the presence of a government that believes in youth and employs them, and this work will be accomplished. This is our statement regarding the issue of seeking transformation.

The necessity of officials' attention to the decline in students' learning due to the conditions of COVID-19

I would like to give a few reminders regarding universities, which are minor reminders but important concerning the current state of universities, and then I will say a few words to the organizations.

One reminder concerns learning during the COVID-19 period. I am worried; the situation reported to us from universities regarding professors and students is concerning. This situation may truly disrupt and hinder learning. My request is that the higher education officials in various sectors — whether in the Ministry, the Ministry of Health, or the Free University — pay attention to this issue. Well, now a year and a few months have passed since the onset of COVID-19, and we do not know when it will end. God willing, we hope it will not take long, but we do not know when it will end; the issue of learning is very important, and I am worried; do not let learning decline.

The necessity of addressing the deficiencies of virtual education systems and dealing with fraudulent channels by officials

One issue is the matter of these virtual learning systems that have become prevalent in both education and universities, and I have heard they have defects and deficiencies that complicate the work. These defects must certainly be addressed, and the responsibility for this lies with the government officials.

I have heard that there are exploiters who create fraudulent channels and have set up fraudulent groups. This undermines the credibility of examinations; this ugly phenomenon must be dealt with. If it is true and such a thing exists, it must be addressed. I have been informed that such a thing exists.

Special attention to fostering hope among students by officials and the students themselves

One important point regarding students is that there is a massive and calculated propaganda campaign aimed at discouraging our students; either to completely dishearten them about the future, leading to depression and worse fates, or to discourage them from continuing their work in the country, which results in turning their backs on the country and leaving it. This is very bad. Of course, this has always existed, but today this movement has intensified; and now I kindly ask you dear friends to pay attention to the issue of fostering hope. [From] the active and faithful students themselves, in the statements made, there were some points that might lead to that meaning; some of the friends' statements were entirely hopeful and encouraging, in my opinion, strengthen this aspect. Officials should also do the same; do not let students — because students are a valuable element for the country — become depressed, incapacitated, and hopeless.

The necessity of the government facilitating employment for students from their student years

One of the necessary tasks of the government is to facilitate employment for students from their student years. Of course, regarding technical students, I raised the issue of the connection between industry and university years ago. Fortunately, although late, eventually an organization was established for connecting students with technical issues and similar matters in the Vice Presidency, and good work has been done that is commendable and should be expanded and strengthened. However, in other areas, the issue of employment is very important. One of the fundamental tasks for government officials is to think about where this student should work after completing their studies — whether in the public sector, the private sector, or in a sector that will be created due to such a student body.

The necessity of examining all aspects surrounding proposals regarding military service

The issue of military service, which several friends have mentioned, is a significant matter; this issue is among those complex issues, and it is not simple or easy. Of course, proposals have been made, and we have received some, and groups are engaged in examining this matter, but it cannot be resolved with slogans. The issue is complex; it must be thought through, its aspects must be considered, and God willing, we will reach a correct decision.

The great opportunity of organizations in various fields

However, regarding organizations; I would like to say a few words about organizations. First of all, the existence of student organizations is one of the great opportunities for the country. Of course, some say that there are too many organizations; in my opinion, there is no problem with that. Some groups with a specific political flavor and taste engage in university affairs, in political matters, and in the affairs of the country, while another group with slight differences also engages; there is no problem with having multiple organizations; these organizations themselves are a great opportunity for the country. These organizations can be centers for generating ideas; we need this; generating ideas within these organizations; or these organizations can be the driving force behind student movements and the jihadist and transformative movements we discussed; that is, these organizations can be an important factor in creating the same jihadist and transformative movement we previously discussed. They can guide various social activities and even scientific movements; as we have seen recently, in the realm of social movements, organizations have indeed played a role.

Examples of actions and activities of student organizations regarding domestic and foreign issues

Last year, as I was informed and I directly saw some of these in the media and elsewhere, good actions were taken by organizations; among the latest and most important was their presence in the COVID-19 field. Truly and fairly, these jihadist youth worked; this entry into the COVID-19 field is not just a task and a jihadist movement, but it demonstrates readiness to engage in high-risk work; this is important; like the fields of jihad and the Sacred Defense, where there were high-risk tasks, the youth would enter. That they entered the COVID-19 field shows that they are prepared to engage in high-risk issues and fields. Also, regarding the problems of privatization, good activities were carried out by student organizations that sometimes led to results, and God willing, they will lead to more results; and this movement that the youth and organizations undertook regarding privatization issues was very good. Of course, regarding privatization, there were opinions expressed by the gentlemen that we may agree with some of them and disagree with others! Privatization is a very good thing, provided it is done well; the problems arise from poor execution, not because the policy of privatization is wrong. Therefore, the student movement and the movement of organizations, in my opinion, is a very good movement.

In foreign affairs, they also had a relatively good presence; in international issues, in the matter of dealing with the insulting newspaper incident from France, the students engaged well; regarding the explosion at Kabul University that occurred recently, the students indeed took good action, and in issues concerning Yemen and Palestine, student activities must continue. Regarding FATF, for example, they expressed opinions and took positions; I am not concerned with what those positions were, but the very act of taking a position was, in my opinion, very good, indicating the breadth and scope of the students' perspective on various issues; or they paid attention to this strategic law of the parliament, supported it, and strengthened it, which is all very good and helps to strengthen the organizational identity of these organizations; that is, when you enter the fields of expressing opinions, taking positions, and acting, and essentially create a movement, this itself helps to strengthen your organizational identity.

Expectations from student organizations: 1) Strengthening religious and revolutionary foundations and self-purification

Well, now there are expectations; the first expectation I have from the organizations is that you strengthen your religious and revolutionary foundations; do not pass over this issue lightly; this is very important; intellectual and religious strengthening. Now, they said that I should introduce a book or a person for reference; in my opinion, you can familiarize yourselves with many individuals in the Qom seminary. Now, in the seminaries, especially in the Qom seminary, fortunately, in recent years, very good works and movements have been carried out; there are personalities who can be reliable references and advisors in intellectual, Islamic, and religious matters for you. And among them, self-purification; I urge you to pay attention to the issue of self-building and self-purification. It was narrated from Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) that he said those who fear America do so because they have not purified themselves; and in my opinion, this is indeed the case. One day, Imam asked in a certain matter, "Do you fear America?" The answer was given that no; he said, "Very well, then do such and such a significant task," the details of which are extensive. The point is that self-purification has a significant impact even in social struggles; that is, it is not merely about becoming a good person; no, this good person has an impact in various social, international, and revolutionary struggles.

We have a lesson from the past; some organizations in the 1980s were considered the spearhead of the revolution; as you young people say, they were at the forefront of revolutionary fervor; that is, when they interacted with us, who had more revolutionary experience than them, they would engage in a demanding manner. Of course, some of them; some went to jihad, became martyrs, accomplished great works, and truly persevered in the correct and revolutionary path; some, however, changed direction 180 degrees; this was because that thought was not deep in their minds, that faith had not risen above the level of slogans. When faith becomes merely a slogan and lacks depth of thought, then such dangers exist; attention must be paid to these.

You know that from the very beginning of the revolution — that is, before I became president, in 1979 — students came to me at the behest of Imam and I connected with students and worked with them; I am fully aware of the depth of student activities and know how the situation was and how it changed, leading some of them to deviate; first, they deviate, and then gradually become misled, which sometimes leads to a 180-degree opposition. If there is faith, if there is piety, then there will truly be no problem; that is, the student will not turn to the opponents of the revolution and the enemies of the revolution; therefore, God Almighty commands His Prophet in the Quran: "So be steadfast as you have been commanded, and those who repent with you." This is very important. If there is steadfastness, the organization and its members will have a good end; if there is no steadfastness, if there is no deep faith and logical, profound thought, then it becomes difficult to have a good end; as Hafez says, "The decree of concealment and drunkenness all depends on the end."

2) Efforts and planning for intellectual influence on students and resolving their intellectual knots

Well, another point that I would like to remind the students and organizations is that you have an important opportunity that is duty-generating; that opportunity is that you are among the vast multitude of students; these student organizations face millions of students; and this is a very great opportunity, meaning your efforts to align and engage the student body must be serious, well-planned, and fundamental. There is no need for them to join your organization, but it is necessary that they be influenced by your thoughts, and maximum efforts must be made to have an intellectual and religious impact and to resolve their intellectual knots; as mentioned in some statements, there are indeed intellectual knots that must be untied; and now the representative offices also have a significant duty in this regard and have major responsibilities that they must work harder on. In this election as well, the fundamental and straightforward task you have is to encourage everyone, including students and others, to participate. Some of the statements made today, which were said out of concern, are indeed correct, but it should not be the case that such well-meaning statements discourage people from participating; this must be taken into account.

The importance of enthusiastic elections for the system in terms of civilization and deterrent power

Now that participation has been discussed, I would like to say a word about elections. Enthusiastic elections are important for the country in every respect. They are important for the presence of the people and the realization of true democracy; let us not underestimate this; let us not say that because in a certain governmental movement, the people were not present, therefore there is no democracy; no, the very presence of the people in selecting the country's officials, from top to bottom, is a very important matter; it is a significant human issue, a very important civilizational issue; it is democracy. Furthermore, as you know, the presence of the people in elections greatly affects the capabilities and strength of the elected government; ultimately, a government will be elected, a president will be chosen, and a government will be formed; the more support it has, the stronger it will be, and it will certainly enhance the country's deterrent power, provide security for the country, and create dignity for the country. Therefore, participation is very important.

Desirable selection and the election of a capable government in the second stage

Thus, first and foremost, high participation is essential, followed by a desirable selection and a good choice so that a government is formed that possesses competence, necessary management, faith, is people-oriented, and is filled with hope. Government officials themselves must not be hopeless. If we place a hopeless and depressed person at the head of a task, it is clear that this task will not progress; they must be filled with hope. They must believe in domestic capabilities. Those who believe that no work can be done in the country, whether in defense, politics, economics, production, and so on, are truly unworthy of ruling over these people; those who come to power must believe in the people, believe in the youth, value the element of youth, have revolutionary performance, and genuinely seek justice; not just pay lip service to justice; they must truly seek justice and be anti-corruption. "Justice," of course, is not only economic justice; although a significant part of it is economic justice, justice must be pervasive and present in various sectors. And if such a government comes into existence, then it can appoint hundreds of young and faithful managers in various sectors from top to bottom, and God willing, the country's affairs will be well organized; this is what you should pursue.

The Supreme Leader's non-interference in the selection of individuals

Of course, I do not interfere in the selection of individuals. In previous periods, those who wanted to run for office would come and ask me, for example, "Do you agree?" I would say I neither agree nor disagree. In previous periods, it was like this; anyone who asked me, "Should I enter the election?" I would respond that I neither agree nor disagree; I have no opinion. This year, I said I will not even say that; if someone asks, "Do you agree?" I will not even say, "I neither agree nor disagree." Ultimately, they should examine it themselves, consider it between themselves and God, and if they feel they are worthy and their entry is in accordance with the law, they should enter the field; otherwise, no; the people should also see the programs and make their choice. Thanks be to God, you have made good points regarding slogan-based selections and so on; these must, God willing, be corrected.

We hope that God Almighty grants you success. You dear youth are the treasure of the revolution and the source of light for the eyes of the officials; I have been friends with you for years and love you, and I pray for you. There is no day or night that I do not regularly pray, especially for the youth of the country, and especially for the active youth; God willing, I will continue to pray. And may God assist you, God willing, may you be among those who receive the pure prayers of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him), and may the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the pure souls of our dear martyrs be pleased with you.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.