IMAM KHOMEINI's VIEWS Dr. Ghulam Habib
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IMAM KHOMEINI’S VIEWS ON EDUCATION, UNIVERSITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FRONT COVER TEACHERS AND ACADEMICIANS Edited by Dr. Ghulam Habib International Association of Muslim University Professors IMAM KHOMEINI’S VIEWS ON EDUCATION, UNIVERSITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEACHERS AND ACADEMICIANS Edited by Dr. Ghulam Habib International Association of Muslim University Professors CONTENTS PREFACE ...........................................................................................................................i SECTION I THE GREAT VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE The Aim of Education and Training .......................................................................... 3 Encouragement to Acquire Knowledge .................................................................... 8 Knowledge and Faith - Belief and Professional Expertise .................................. 15 SECTION 2 UNIVERSITIES BEFORE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION Colonial Culture and Lack of Real Progress ........................................................... 51 Suppression and Attacks on Universities ................................................................ 95 SECTION 3 UNIVERSITY AND CULTURAL REVOLUTION Universities and Anti-Revolutionary Groups ....................................................... 103 The Need for Cultural Revolution ......................................................................... 120 Establishment of Headquarter for Cultural Revolution ...................................... 156 SECTION 4 THE MISSION OF UNIVERSITIES Manufacturing Human Beings ................................................................................ 177 Cutting-off Dependence and Independence of Country .................................... 187 Prosperity of Nations ............................................................................................... 195 Protection and Continuation of Islamic Revolution ........................................... 201 Reconstruction and Development.......................................................................... 205 SECTION 5 UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE VIEWS OF IMAM KHOMEINI Responsibilities of University Faculty Members Towards Society .................... 211 Imam’s Expectations from the University Faculty Members ............................ 220 SECTION 6 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE VIEWS OF IMAM KHOMEINI Responsibilities of University Students Towards Society ................................... 233 Imam’s Expectations from University Students .................................................. 239 Islamic Students Associations ................................................................................. 252 SECTION 7 PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION ABROAD Studying Abroad in the Views of Imam Khomeini ............................................. 279 Role and Responsibilities of University Students Living Abroad...................... 290 SECTION 8 SEMINARIES (Howzeh) AND UNIVERSITIES Role of Colonialists in Separation of Seminaries from Universities ................. 329 Communication between Seminaries (Howzeh) and Universities ....................... 356 INDEX .......................................................................................................................... 383 PREFACE Imam Khomeini pioneered a new era in world politics, however, it is not widely appreciated that he was also a great academician. Though he was a theologian, he had unique, modern and revolutionary vision of education from primary school to higher education, role of universities and religious seminaries and responsibilities of teachers, university faculty members and scholars. His ten years of exceptional politico-academic leadership in building new Iran based on resistance against global hegemony and principles of Islamic teachings, transformed the entire education system of country after the success of Islamic Revolution in 1979. Imam emphasized key role of self-purification and self-reconstruction before acquisition of knowledge, education and training together, character building and acquisition of knowledge and skills side-by-side and ethical development with professional development. According to him, teachers, both from the schools, colleges and universities and the Islamic seminaries are the builders of a nation. They have important and heavy task not only to nurture and train intellectuals but also develop highly skilled human beings who in future, will build society, serve the poor, needy and downtrodden and will also play key role in the future leadership, management and politics of country at different levels. Another important point that is clearly seen in the speeches and writings of Imam Khomeini is the pivotal role of universities. According to him, all the changes in any society originate from universities. Universities are the factories of manufacturing human beings and universities can make a nation successful. On the other hand, universities with corrupted education and culture can destroy the entire nation and bring the country to its knees. According to him, the greatest dangers to universities is penetration by individuals, faculty members, intellectuals and scholars with deviant, western influenced thinking and lifestyle. This leads to bad education, training and moral upbringing of young students and distorted notion of education and service of fellow human beings, society and country in their minds. Such individuals especially instructors can make their students neglectful towards self-building and service to society. In addition west-toxication of their souls and lifestyle leads to spread of different types of moral and ideological corruption in the society. A highly educated but distorted young intellectual is more dangerous than an ignorant individual. i Finally, Imam Khomeini being a theologian, emphasizes divine aspects of education and training. According to him the profession of teachers and faculty members is similar to the mission of all the prophets. The divinely sent prophets purified human souls and educated them and reformed whole society – freeing it of corruption and oppression. Similarly, teachers educate and train students and shape their character so that they make progress in their careers and develop into not only successful professionals of but also virtuous servants of God and humble supporters of their fellow human beings in a society. This book was compiled from the Persian version with the help of Sahifa of Imam Khomeini in English. Extensive editing was carried out to make it suitable for English speaking readers. I thank my student Mahdieh who really worked hard in preparing this book. Thanks also to Dr. Fatima Reza for her help in converting it to final book form. I hope this book will enlighten readers in the field of education and training. Dr. Ghulam Habib Advisor, International Affairs International Association of Muslim University Professors April 2021 ii SECTION I THE GREAT VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE Section I: The Great Value of Knowledge The Aim of Education and Training1 The profession of teaching is similar to the mission of the Prophets By virtue of being teachers, you have been entrusted with another noble task, the responsibility of which is as great as its nobleness. Your occupation deals with molding human beings. A teacher produces human beings just as the prophets did. The prophets- every prophet from the first one to the last- came only for the job of molding people and training them. The teaching profession is the same (in aim) as that of the prophets. The Noble Prophet (s) is the teacher of the whole of humanity. After him, it was Hazrat Amir (a) who was also humanity’s teacher. They were the teachers of humanity in its entirety, whereas you are the teachers of a part of it. But the task is the same; that is, the sphere is the same; the job is the same. While their range of activity was broad, ours is limited. Therefore, this occupation of yours is very noble one, but bearing a great responsibility, just as the responsibility of the prophets was great. Their responsibility was as grave as the task of molding human beings. They, however, accomplished their mission and the tasks with which they had been entrusted. Your occupation is very honorable and the same as that of the prophets, and the responsibility is also the same. Date: June 11, 1979/Khordad 12, 1358 SH/Rajab 61, 1399 AH. Place: Qum Subject: The beginning of offspring from the viewpoint of Islam Audience: Female teachers of Dezful Reaping the benefits of spirituality and tawhid (unity) from science It is only to a small extent- what we seek in the sciences taught in our universities and the ones taught in the old madrasahs (schools of theology) is not that as appears outwardly now and with which our scholars are busy. Their work, though highly respected, is not what Islam is after. What Islam wants and aims for is that all the sciences, whether the natural sciences or the other ones, be moored to the divine sciences and to move on to tawhid. It wants every field of science to possess the aspect of divinity. That is to say that when we observe nature, when we observe the physical world and all the things that 1 A separate book on Imam Khomeini’s views on ‘Basic Principles and Aims of Education and Training’ has been published in Persian. 3 Imam Khomeini’s Views on Education, Universities and Responsibilities… exist, we should perceive God in them. Islam has come to take all the things that exist in nature to the position of divinity, and all the natural sciences to the divine science. And this