TEHRAN, March 12 (UPI) — Iranian students should focus on advancing scientific thought and avoid angry rhetoric that violates the principles of Islam, a leading cleric said Friday.
Ayatollah Emami Kashani said during Friday prayers that it was the duty of all Iranians to safeguard the principles of Islam, the revolution and the country, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reports.
The cleric made his comments on the campus of Tehran University.
Kashani, a leading figure on the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council, said "all efforts" should focus on Iranian unity.
The people, he said, should avoid extremism and "angry" conduct because such behavior is considered out of step with Islamic teachings, IRNA reported.
Students, he said, should focus on scientific studies because of the emphasis placed on academic thought by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
More than 60 percent of the Iranian population is younger than 30. Iranian authorities stormed the campus of Tehran University as unrest gripped the nation in the wake of contested presidential elections in June.
