Criticism of establishment ‘leads society to progress’

TEHRAN, Feb. 08 (MNA) – Iran’s Hassan Rouhani has told a ceremony criticism of the established authority and difference of political taste would lead a country to happiness and progress. President Rouhani was speaking in the 33rd Islamic Republic of Iran’s Book of the Year ceremony on Sunday and described the book an influential factor in creating cultural, scientific, and intellectual revolutions; “some countries have effective newspaper, magazines, and other sorts of press; historically, however, Iran has long been a cradle of books,” said Mr. Rouhani. He then turned to criticism by the opposition which he believed should be tolerated; “we should encourage opposition critics to remain in the system and not to turn to hostile enemies of the system; opposition circles are who harbor specific set of thought. We could not and should not expect all to have similar thinking and the same process of intellectual formation; essentially, the difference of tastes is salubrious for society’s health if it is seen in a positive light and will definitely promote intellect,” Rouhani told the ceremony. He criticized the general trend of book reading across the country; “if the figures are true, society will fail to find roads to progress; the print industry should be a competitive sector. We currently have huge difficulties in terms of the low book circulation. Any industry which is not competitive, will fail to create the evolution and change we expect it to foster,” he objected. “Books should have new things to say, new words to attract the different generations of readers; for a book to have new ideas, we should have free expression of ideas and an environment conducive to such new ideas to burgeon in; the critic should not fear his own words. He should feel free to criticize the established authority; universities and academic centers should promote writing. All should know however that all live in a house of glass in their criticism of others; in such environment, no circle should seek to boycott and marginalize other tastes and thoughts and tolerance should embrace all,” Rouhani asserted.