Hawzah News Agency- the production of books, the translation of works needed by young people, the design of reading lists, the introduction of good books, and the delivery of cultural products to the minds of audiences are among the necessities that the martyred leader of the revolution always emphasized alongside the promotion of a reading culture and the creation of a habit of study in society. Today, on the occasion of Book and Reading Day and Librarian Day, statements from the Sayyid al-Shohada of the Islamic Republic of Iran on this subject are presented to you, the esteemed reader.
The Necessity of Study Planning to Expand Reading Culture in Student Organizations
The issue of reading and the reading movement has not had the desirable prevalence among student organizations... You [students] need to read, you need to know... You must launch a reading movement, truly read and study. I have, of course... repeatedly spoken about the books of Martyr Motahhari, but I do not mean only those; no, your own intellectual circles, your more experienced members should sit down and plan, design, and define reading lists and study programs for different places and different segments of society, and similar measures. This is a very necessary thing. (2019/05/22)
The Necessity of Audience-Building to Transmit the History of the Revolution and Revolutionary Identity to the Younger Generation
Try... to deliver your publications and products to minds, to audiences. That is, we should not merely be content that we have produced a book; of course, the production of a book is undoubtedly important, or the production of a film and artistic production is important; however, alongside this, finding an audience—or in a sense, producing an audience—is also important. Try to be able to deliver the book to the minds of the audience. Today, our young people need intellectual nourishment. Many of today's young people—even our active and good young people—have neither understood the revolution, nor understood the Imam, nor understood the era of the war, nor are they informed about various events... It is very important that young people know their own history, their own past, and in reality their revolutionary identity. You must try to accomplish this as much as possible. This, of course, requires work; that is, it is not an easy task. More difficult than writing a book is delivering the book to the eyes and minds of the audience; this is very important. This requires artistry, precision, and subtleties that you must be able to bring into their minds. (2016/12/05)
Promoting Public Reading and Turning Friday Prayer Venues into Centers for Introducing Good Books
One issue in... lifestyle and habits and good ways of living is, for example, reading... But it is very important that we encourage people and young people to read. Reading is very important; introduce good books as well. I even think—of course, those who are responsible must examine its various aspects—and I think it would be good for Friday prayer venues to be centers for displaying good books, current books, and desirable books, so that people come and see these books are available, and if they wish, they can obtain them from there or elsewhere. Let us encourage people to read; let us encourage the elites to produce books; these are things that are necessary. (2015/01/04)
Monitoring New Global Publications and Targeted Investment by the Ministry of Culture in Translation and Book Production
The responsibility of the Ministry of Culture is very heavy... one of our tasks is book production, book translation. Look and see what is being published in the world that knowing about it is necessary for Iranian youth; translate it, pay for it to be translated, just as others are doing—I am very familiar with books, I read a lot, and I am well informed about new publications in the publishing market and similar matters. Things are being done; a capitalist goes and pays an excellent sum to a translator to translate a certain book. I asked one of these gentlemen whether translators come to you or you go to translators. He said no, we go to translators; he is telling the truth, they find translators to translate. Well, you must do this too; translate books, produce books. (2013/12/10)
Institutionalizing the Habit of Reading in Children and Young People by Guiding Them to Desirable Reading Sources
In our society, there is a disregard for books. Sometimes one sees on television that they ask this person and that: Sir, how many hours a day do you study, or how much time do you have for reading? One says five minutes, another says half an hour! One is astonished. We must accustom young people to reading, accustom children to reading; for this will accompany them for the rest of their lives. Reading at my age—although I read several times more than young people—is often far less influential than reading at the age of young people and you dear ones present here. What always remains with a person is reading at a young age. Your young people, your children should read as much as they can, in various disciplines, in various ways, learn things. Of course, one must also avoid wandering aimlessly in the world of books, but that is a secondary matter; the primary matter is that they learn, that they become accustomed to referring to books, to looking at books. Of course, institutions must be vigilant, individuals must be careful, and guide them to good books, so that time is not wasted on bad books. (2012/10/11)
A Seminary Student Must Never Be Separated from Books; He Must Read Books of All Kinds
A seminary student must never be separated from books; he must read, read all kinds of books, read during his youth. Fill this memory reserve—which has infinite capacity—as much as you can during your youth. Whatever we accumulated in memory in our youth is available today; whatever we acquire in old age—although I, even now with all my engagements, study more than young people—does not have permanence. Now you are young. Fill this precious and valuable resource with valuable information, with useful and necessary knowledge in various fields that you need for propagation, as much as you can; you will use it. (2012/10/10)
Promoting a Culture of Study by Confronting the Laziness of Reading and Teaching the Habit of Study from Childhood
Books must be given attention. Attention to books is in fact consolidated by attention to reading. The tradition of reading must become widespread in society. This is the benefit of literacy. The effect of the movement and campaign undertaken in countries to eradicate illiteracy consists of precisely this: that people can benefit from the vast repository of others' thought, taste, and talent; this is not possible without reading. In my opinion, one of the worst and most costly forms of laziness is laziness in reading books. The more one gives in to this laziness, the more it grows. Reading must be promoted in society; and this task falls to all institutions responsible in this field; from elementary schools—where there must be programs that accustom our children from early childhood to reading books; reading with contemplation, reading with research and reflection—to mass media, to radio and television, to various advertising means. (2011/07/20)
Elevating Iran's Position in the Global Publishing Arena by Understanding the Intellectual Needs of Society
We, as the Iranian nation and as a Muslim nation, have a foundational, deep, and ancient connection with books. We did not become familiar with the concept of books today or yesterday. In our country, especially after the spread of Islam, great libraries, scientific collections, and valuable written works have an ancient historical precedent. We are a nation with a long history with books; over many centuries we have been familiar with books. Of course, in those days access to books was not easy. Copying manuscripts was difficult, but nevertheless, those who were worthy and deserving of using books made great efforts. We have read and repeatedly heard that people needed a certain book, and the owner of the book was stingy and would not give it; then with pleading and effort, they borrowed the book for one night, two nights, and did not sleep day or night, did not rest, in order to copy the book and have a copy for themselves. There are many such examples. Today these obstacles have been removed. The progress of science has made the production, reproduction, and publication of books easy. Today we must, considering this ancient precedent, raise our position in book publishing and in the use of books.
Book producers must also pay attention to this meaning. In book production—whether production in the sense of creating a book, or production in the sense of translating a book, or production in the sense of publishing a book and making it available to others—they must look at the needs and gaps of society; recognize intellectual gaps and intellectual needs, select them, and pursue them.
We see that in the book sector and the book market, sometimes guidance accompanied by deviation is pursued; particularly they go after issues that are harmful to the mentality of society and the mentality of the country, whether in terms of moral aspects, or in terms of religious and doctrinal aspects, or in terms of political aspects. One clearly observes that in the book market and the book sector, hands are active; they bring in certain things, create certain translations, with political intentions; their appearance is cultural, but their interior is political. (2011/07/20)
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