May 16-2014
President Rohani says Iranian society should be vaccinated against any cultural invasions that threaten it.
In a speech last Tuesday at a ceremony honoring exemplary teachers, Rohani’s comment about cultural invasions fit in with the standard regime line, but at the same time was far milder than most such comments.
The President said Iranian youth are more influential than those in the past. He urged parents to trust their children, believe in their abilities and be proud of them.
“Our youngsters have a better understanding than their parents about current national, regional and international developments and this sometimes scares their parents. But they should be proud of their children’s abilities,” Rohani said.
“We learn science and art from others and learn lifestyles from them—if those provide a good way of living. But at the same time, it is very important to maintain our own intellectual independence and cultural entity.”
Rohani said Iranians are facing cultural invasions today aimed against their religion, their beliefs and morals as well as against their lifestyle.
He asserted that the West claims to be the cultural and intellectual leader of the world while the US, in turn, claims to be the leader of the West._“None of those claims could ever be true, but they are pursuing them,” he said, without quoting any Western leader asserting such leadership.