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DEFENDERS
49
reading or any other reading of Islam.
What I want to say is: Don’t allow this
dynamic and effective reality in today’s
world to be introduced to you through
resentments and prejudices. Don’t allow
them to hypocritically introduce their own
recruited terrorists as representatives of
Islam.
Receive knowledge of Islam from
its primary and original sources. Gain
information about Islam through the
Qur’an and the life of its great Prophet.
I would like to ask you whether you have
directly read the Qur’an of the Muslims.
Have you studied the teachings of the
Prophet of Islam and his humane, ethical
doctrines? Have you ever received the
message of Islam from any sources other
than the media?
Have you ever asked yourself how and
on the basis of which values has Islam
established the greatest scientific and
intellectual civilization of the world and
raised the most distinguished scientists
and intellectuals throughout several
centuries?
I would like you not to allow the
derogatory and offensive image-buildings
to create an emotional gulf between you
and the reality, taking away the possibility
of an impartial judgment from you.
Today, the communication media have
removed the geographical borders. Hence,
don’t allow them to besiege you within
fabricated and mental borders.
Although no one can individually fill
the created gaps, each one of you can
construct a bridge of thought and fairness
over the gaps to illuminate yourself and
your surrounding environment. While
this preplanned challenge between Islam
and you, the youth, is undesirable, it can
raise new questions in your curious and
inquiring minds. Attempts to find answers
to these questions will provide you with
an appropriate opportunity to discover
new truths.
Therefore, don’t miss the opportunity
to gain proper, correct and unbiased
understanding of Islam so that hopefully,
due to your sense of responsibility toward
the truth, future generations would write
the history of this current interaction
between Islam and the West with a clearer
conscience and lesser resentment.
Seyyed Ali Khamenei
21 January 2015