Supreme Leader's Viewpoints on Cultural Onslaught
The cultural onslaught issue which we have put great emphasis on is a
clear reality that cannot be vanished through denying. The cultural onslaught
exists. If
we deny it, Imam Ali's (AS) saying ``If you fall asleep at the trench, it does not mean
that the enemy is also sleeping at the trench. So, try to make yourself awake'' proves
applicable. We should know that the cultural revolution is threatened. Even the origin of
our national and Islamic culture is in danger. The cultural onslaught means a political or
economical society invades a nation's cultural foundations in order to perform and achieve
their own objectives and chain the people. To do this, they impose new beliefs in order to
replace that nation's national beliefs and culture with them. The cultural onslaught like
a cultural activity is carried out quietly. The cultural onslaught aims at making the new
generation disbelieve in religion, revolutionary principles, and also active thinking
which have frightened and endangered the arrogance and domains of arrogant
powers. The
enemy in its cultural onslaught program gives the nation those parts of its culture which
it wants. And what the enemy wants is crystal clear. The cultural onslaught which I have
personally discussed about and I am heartily and mentally sensitive to has two basic and
important parts which are interesting to you: The first is to replace local culture with a
foreign one and this the continuation of the same activities carried out freely in Pahlavi
era which were stopped after the culmination of Islamic Revolution. They are making every
effort to continue those activities. The second is to attack the Islamic
republic, its
values and the Iranian nation's values and from viewpoint of culture this task is done in
our country through writing and producing films and plays, and writing books, etc. We
should believe that we are a target of our enemies' cultural onslaughts. We face our main
and cultural foes' all-out animosity, in the field of public culture, people's cultural
mentality and actions as well as in the field of educational and training programs of
manpower. They intend to prevent us to achieve our objectives. In my opinion, there is an
all-out and organized attack. At first, it was natural that the Revolution could not
attract the society of thinkers and artists who have nothing to do with religion, faith
and spirituality. Of course some of them had sound conscience who were attracted by the
Revolution, and some were not attracted. In the first years of Revolution, this group did
not the courage to do anything. These people whom I knew them very well before the
Revolution try to keep from danger. They cannot take part in hazardous scenes. The tempest
of early times of the Revolution had forced them to hide at their homes and whisper
together behind the closed doors. Little by little, they set up a publication, wrote
something, a few people said something in favor of them, wrote some poems, and nobody
opposed. They thought that through organized plans they could do something in such an
atmosphere, i.e. to influence amongst the people who are the back bone of the Revolution.
In the front line are the officials and next are the close to the authorities and then the
masses of the general public. They thought if they could take the masses of people as the
main supporters of the officials under their influence, then every problem would be
solved. That's right. Of course, if they succeed to do that, the revolution will face a
great loss. If they can draw the attention, thoughts, and probably intellectual
recognition of those who are at the back line, they have succeeded to influence them.
That's right. But do they succeed? No. In our opinion, they think simply. But they think
that they can do it and therefore they have started. That's the aim. An agent of their
society is present in cinema, press, even in government-based radio and
television,
cultural halls, festivals, and other cultural places. They are active. At the
beginning,
they start their activities merely in regard to culture. Now, they are active in the field
of politics. They criticize the government, the system, and impugn the government's
motives. It has been done and is very dangerous. Of course, when I call it as dangerous I
do not mean that it is insolvable. It is easily solved on condition that we are sure that
a problem exists. But there is danger when we are not aware of it. We are cultural figures
and enjoy cultural recognition. A person who are engaged in cultural activities need not
to touch or see something and then believe it. And this is what the journalists, personnel
of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, all the propagation organization such as
Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance, Islamic Propagation Organization and Ministry of
Education should know. This is the question today. Of course, they do not have a firm
faith. They will withdraw with a small move. Their words is nice but not based on belief.
The materialist writers and thinkers have the same nature. When he talks, he tells the
cock-and-bull story, as if an afflicted person talks. Most of them had written on
colonialism, Zionism, oppression and alike, but they did not accept to take a step in the
scenes which the people were present. Even they went back on the people. They are slave of
their sensual desires and hallucinations. One of the methods of cultural onslaught is to
dissuade the faithful youth from their firm beliefs protecting civilization, just like the
same done in Andalusia centuries ago. The youth were wallowed in corruption,
sensuality,
etc. At present, they are being repeated. If you and the cultural figures are not
aware,
the spiritual values will be damaged through hidden invasion of the enemy when there will
be no solution. If a young person who has had an active presence in the battlefield is
deceived by them through giving him a video and some films to arouse his sexual excitement
and then taking him to the parties, what can we do? It is not so difficult to corrupt a
young person in particular when the corrupters enjoy some organizations. Now the enemies
are doing so. I am aware of different towns of the country and I am informed of such news
every day. Who except the enemies are engaged in these evil activities? When a young
person is entrapped in lusts, he loses his faith. The enemies corrupt the
schoolchildren,
high schoolchildren and even guidance schoolchildren. They find someone to distribute
drugs and pornographies among the schoolchildren. Disseminating the wrong
culture,
corruption and indecency, the enemies try to entrap our youth. This is called not only
cultural onslaught, but also cultural inroad, cultural plunder as well as cultural
massacre. This is exactly what the enemies are doing. The enemies of Iranian nation are
making every effort to deviate the public opinion and make our youth give up their faith
by traitors and mercenaries. Today, they plan conspiracies against our nation. The recent
economic sanctions is a plot. The propaganda is a conspiracy. The corruption and indecency
which they are disseminating in order to entangle our youth is a conspiracy. Spreading
lies is a conspiracy. They plan conspiracies to uproot this system and destroy it
completely. I put great emphasis on the cultural onslaught issue because the cultural
invasion in the unknown trench and front of the enemy. So, it should be known. Since while
we cannot find the enemy's front, how can we defend? Under such conditions, what is needed
is firstly to preserve attitudes, secondly safeguard faith and thirdly be aware of the
enemies.
(Date and Source missing)
