Youth is a bright period of life which has lasting and effective impacts although it is not long. A cursory look at history reveals that the role and presence of youths has been very obvious in all eras.
When the Prophet of Islam proclaimed his religion publicly, it was the youths who were inclined toward the new religion rather than the elderly. With their pure nature, youths gathered around the Messenger of mercy and gladdened him so that the Prophet said, “God granted me Prophethood as a giver of good news and a warner. Then, the youths were my allies while the elderly opposed me.”
When Imam Khomeini staged his great uprising for establishment of justice and eradication of oppression and corruption, youths were the pioneer of the revolution and their role was so significant in changing equations to the favor of justice and spirituality. Imam Khomeini considered the victory of the Islamic Revolution indebted to youths and said, “You the youths have brought this movement powerfully up to here and made it triumphant. Keep this power of faith. God’s greetings to you, the great Iranian nation and you the valiant and smart youths. With the lofty endeavour of you youths, in all strata of Iran, this movement reached this stage. It was by your lofty endeavour that we triumphed and expelled the roots of corruption from Iran to some extent; and God willing, from now on by your lofty endeavour the remnants of this corruption will also be eradicated.”
During the Pahlavi regime, although the youths made up a big part of the Iranian population, the regime had prevented their political, cultural and social activities through suffocation and dictatorship. Moreover, it tried to mislead the thought and talents of youths so that they wouldn’t ponder on the fate of the country. Meanwhile, the enlightening of Imam Khomeini and some of the revolutionary and wakeful personalities was effective in awakening the youths. Thus, many youths were working in groups clandestinely under the supervision of the revolutionary figures who were either the disciples of Imam or had been inspired by his remarks and writings. In 1978, the young generation had found its ideals in the mottos of the revolution: Islamic identity, justice, independence, negation of oppression and foreign hegemony. In view of this, youths entered the scene as an overwhelming force.
The formation of the Islamic Revolution was based on the efforts and perseverance of youths. Demonstrations were often planned and held by them and different duties would be assumed by them in the neighborhoods of cities and towns. Youths found their national and religious identity in the Islamic Revolution. The youths’ brave participation in the demonstrations of November 4, 1978, their clashes on streets in January and February 1979, their valorous capture of the American den of espionage in Tehran on November 4, 1979 and their all-out participation in the 8-year holy defence portrayed lasting and praiseworthy pictures of their sincere love and devotion.
Youths worked inexhaustibly in the scenes of the revolution and were indeed the motor of the Islamic Revolution. During the 8-year imposed war, also, they fought valiantly. As a result, many youths courted martyrdom in the way of lofty Islamic values and the Islamic Revolution. What was noteworthy in the battlefields were the youths who were the commanders in different levels of the armed forces, especially Basij volunteers. Hassan Baqeri, Hussein Alam-ul Hoda, Mahdi Zain-udDin, Mohammad Ebrahim Hemmat, Hussein Kharrazi, and many others were in their 20s and 30s when they drank the elixir of martyrdom. Many of these courageous youths were bright students who left the university and rushed to the battlefield to obey Imam Khomeini’s command. Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, describing the outstanding features of youths, said, “Worship of God, intellectuality and prudence, bravery and courage, self-sacrifice and steadfastness, and insight were the prominent characteristics of these youths which turned them into the lions in day and worshippers at night. On this basis, the Imam with his profound vision described the training of such youths as ‘Fat’h-ul Fotuh’ [the highest victory].
As the youths were effective in shaping and victory of the Islamic Revolution, they are the key players of stabilizing it and their accompanying of the revolution will guarantee the future of the Islamic Revolution and will drive it toward its goals. After the end of the imposed war, the youths played matchless role in the construction of the country. The 8-year imposed war had inflicted colossal damage on the infrastructures of the country. However, the youths were the pioneers in the field of reconstruction of damages and contributing to the growth and thriving of the economy in the country independent from the foreigners.
In recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made very notable progresses in scientific and technological domains due to the strenuous efforts of youths. The high speed of these progresses augurs the march of the Islamic Revolution toward perfection and sublimity. The open and free climate and self-belief that the Islamic Revolution instilled in the youths of society helped their talents flourish. Thus, through insight and smartness, they showed that they are the precious assets of the country in the direction of development and progress of the country and the Islamic Revolution.
Today the youths, knowing that sciences and technology are the key to advancement and thriving of any society, acquire different sciences and prepare themselves for scientific contest in the world. But, the enemies of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Revolution make every effort to impede the way of these youths. They have even resorted to assassination of a number of the Iranian scientists such as Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan and Majid Shahriari to stop Iran’s move toward progress. Yet the blood of these martyrs made Iranian youths more resolute and accelerated their move toward gaining access to nuclear energy.
The presence of the brave and determined youths in different fields of the Islamic Revolution has frustrated the enemies of the Islamic system and emboldened the youths of Islamic and downtrodden countries. Ayatollah Khamenei, proud of these youths, reiterated, “The future of the country belongs to you. If you train yourselves with such characteristics, the country will definitely reach the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection in every field in near future. The enemies and ill-wishers of this nation intended that, when it is the turn of the youths of this generation, no name remain of Islam and revolution and America dominate all the affairs of the country; and they continued their hard and soft assaults with this intention. But now they are facing a generation whose faith, talent, thriving and might are more than the first generation and this generation is more prepared than the previous ones in repelling the enemy.”
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