TEHRAN – A ceremony honoring dozens of scientific and sports medal-winners, titled “Medal-Avaran-e Keshvar-Doost”, was held at the martyrdom site of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in central Tehran, where a message by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, was read out.

On the days coinciding with the martyrdom anniversary of Lady Fatima Zahra (pbuh), Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, issued a message addressed to Iran's elites, as well as its scientific and sports medalists, on Oct. 26.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Leader said that according to one of the narrations, these days coincide with the martyrdom anniversary of the Master and Lady of the women of Paradise, Lady Siddiqah Tahirah, Fatimah Zahra (pbuh). It’s remarkable that the exact time of her martyrdom remains unknown, just as the honorable resting place of that divine light is still hidden.

He described her as an exemplary figure in worship, servitude and devotion to God, as a supreme example in uniquely close companionship with the Noble Prophet (pbuh), and as a valiant defender of the Wilayah of the Commander of the Faithful. She was a paragon in acquiring and imparting knowledge, in situational astuteness and rising up for the truth, in patience, sacrifice, selflessness, and compassion for others, and as wife and mother in raising the line of the Infallible Imams (pbut). In one word, he said, she’s a role model for all believing men and women.

Iran, a manifestation of determination and hope

The Leader said that among the shining virtues of a society based on the example of Lady Fatimah (pbuh) is that it lays out a roadmap for the revolutionary, Muslim nation of Iran for undertaking great social movements, being present in the fields of struggle and jihad, participating in popular movements, and even aspiring to achieve progress in the sciences and serve others with humility without expecting anything in return.

At this point in time, our beloved Iran is a manifestation of determination and hope more than anything else, he said, stressing that the role of Iran’s elite and its talented, capable young people in fostering this hope and setting the country on the path toward a bright future is unparalleled. Excellence, he added, is not confined to science, technology and sports. Any positive distinction can be a mark of excellence, now seen in those who strive to elevate the sacred flag of their homeland.

“They are the elite in insight and jihad,” he said. “We consider figures like Rizali Khajavi and Ali Landi to be among the distinguished elite, and their names deserve to be inscribed above the entrances of cultural institutions.” Martyrs and self-sacrificing individuals who offered their lives and health, he added, have left an extraordinary mark on the fate of Islamic Iran and have received from the One God the medal of servitude to Him.

Congratulations to medal-bringers of Olympiads and sports

The Leader congratulated the nation and all those who brought honors, numerous awards, medals and scientific awards in the Olympiads in astronomy and astrophysics, mathematics, earth sciences, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, artificial intelligence, and the humanities, as well as many recent achievements in sports.

He expressed admiration for the determination of those leading the caravan of honor and hope, the standard-bearers of progress, from adolescents and young people to coaches, professors and eminent scholars. The motivation and hope of elites to bring about changes, he said, is a bright flame witnessed over many years and decades, whose manifestation in repeated annual championships in Olympiads and sports is a source of honor and pride for the entire nation.

He said the outstanding results and new records of hardworking athletes attest to their effort, determination, resolve, and faith, elevating dear Iran before the eyes of all nations. He praised the female athletes who make the honorable symbol of the Iranian women’s attire shine before the world, and all medalists who bring joy to the nation and honor to the flag of Islamic Iran, each playing a vital role in realizing the vision of a strong Iran.

Elite status as divine blessing and heavier responsibility

Noting that these are days marked by cheerfulness and renewed focus on science and research in universities, hawzas and schools, the Leader addressed seekers of knowledge, elites and scholars.

“Being among the elite is a divine blessing and gift,” he said. At its core are talent and intellectual ability, a profound divine gift and immense wealth that Iranians, particularly youth, possess in abundance. Reason and servitude require gratitude in heart, words and actions, which opens the way for that blessing to reach its full potential.

Appreciation, he said, must begin with the individual and be cultivated by parents, teachers, schools, universities and the national system. An elite individual thus bears a heavier responsibility to apply talent optimally to resolve the country’s challenges. The distinguished elite, he added, aren’t people who regard themselves as set apart and think only of personal desires, but those who see themselves as effective members of society and use talent for the advancement of self and society.

From knowledge to daily life and defense power

The Leader said Iranian elites have shown knowledge can be turned into tools for real problems, from stem cell research, nanotechnology and biotechnology to aerospace, industry, mining, medicine, agriculture, nuclear energy and infrastructure.

Visible manifestations, he said, include electricity generated by Iranian turbines, knowledge-based technology in desalination plants on southern islands, agricultural drones over northern farms and rice paddies, children born to infertile couples through Royan’s advanced technologies, diagnosis and treatment with radiopharmaceuticals, monitoring of land and crops with remote-sensing satellites, and gains in productivity and food security. Furthermore, he added, many other achievements, particularly in the defense and military sectors, have repeatedly astounded the world in their time and will continue to do so in the future.

Strong Iran depends on science; enemy targets elites

“A strong Iran depends on scientific and technological power, and this core pillar is one of the most important factors for shaping Iran’s role in the emerging global equations and the new world order,” the Leader said. The key to empowerment lies in pushing boundaries of knowledge and solving scientific challenges.

He said the malice and criminal actions of enemies against Iranian scientists prove this pivotal role. The same enemy that assassinated prominent scientists and elites during the Second and Third Imposed Wars – and in academic settings years prior – cannot bear to see Iran advance. It seeks to spread hopelessness, capture minds, draw talents into neo-colonialism and turn them into cogs in Western plunder, he said. Yet every drop of blood shed from martyred elite, scientists, professors, students and schoolchildren has unleashed a storm of determination and progress.

Recalling ancient civilization and luminaries, contrasted with two centuries of stagnation in Qajar and Pahlavi eras, he said the nation recognizes the strategy of “Knowledge is Power” (Al- ‘ilm sultan) and rapid growth over three decades, largely indebted to the guidance of our illustrious martyred Leader. If before a new surge had to be urged, the experience of two recent wars has proven it must now be both profound and accelerated.

Five priorities to shift center of knowledge to Iran

To that end, the Leader said, elites alongside officials must devote themselves to building a glorious future, keeping five points in mind:

First, a serious, practical plan for basic sciences and humanities, as physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics are the foundation of all sciences. Second, sustained attention to undiscovered truths, pushing boundaries and racing to solve famous unsolved problems, particularly in mathematics. Third, creativity and innovation through scientific courage, self-confidence and attractive incentives for practical solutions. Fourth, self-reliance in solving challenges and removing bottlenecks for transnational engagement. Fifth, developing talents in experimental disciplines through industry-university cooperation from early years, knowledge-based enterprises, and linking elites, universities, companies, industries and startups with government support across the chain from knowledge to consumption, focusing on water, soil, food, energy and artificial intelligence.

Rapid advancement, he said, requires harmonizing economic incentives and commercialization with elite motivation, linking research, industry and markets, and direct participation of elites from universities and seminaries in planning and policymaking.

If pursued, he said, the center of gravity of knowledge will gradually shift from Western countries to Iran, Iran will emerge as a leading authority, and the martyred Leader’s objective of establishing Persian as one of the world’s primary scientific languages will be realized.

“God willing, by the blessing of the blood of the martyrs who were elite scholars, and through the benevolent prayers of our Master and Mawla [Imam Mahdi, may God hasten his noble reappearance], a profound, accelerated advancement in the sciences by the nation's elite and distinguished scholars, together with the comprehensive advancement of an ever-stronger Iran, will pave the way toward the realization of a New Islamic-Iranian Civilization.”