Who is a True Intellectual?

TEHRAN (Iran News) They say: Oriana Fallaci, the famous Italian journalist, in the past decades, asked Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, in an interview:

“Mr. Prime Minister, why do you go across the Indian Ocean to establish a colonial and puppet government and create the East India government, but you cannot do the same right under your nose, in Ireland, which has been at war and in conflict with you for years?”

After a moment of reflection, Winston Churchill replied:

“To do this, you need two important tools, which we do not have in Ireland.”

The journalist asked, “What are these two tools?”

Churchill replied: “A foolish majority and a treacherous minority!”

Regardless of the accuracy of this story, we are now in the era of the Islamic Republic of Iran—that is, the era of freedom and independence—facing groups in universities, media, and the country’s bureaucracy who, while benefiting fully from the atmosphere of independence, freedom, and security, seem to have no real attachment to this land. The roots of their insights, tendencies, and even motivations appear to exist outside the country. These are people who call themselves “intellectuals,” and their past, if not entirely full of loyalty, ignorance, and betrayal, can certainly be said to have brought no meaningful achievements.

A foolish majority and a treacherous minority have, at many of history’s most difficult junctures, abandoned the Iranian nation, joined its enemies, and acted as facilitators for humiliating privileges and contracts benefiting foreigners. These are people accustomed to seeing our country and people through images taken outside Iran. They then show us such images depicting poverty, backwardness, corruption, irrationality, despotism, anti-intellectualism, and the like, in a mysterious and fantastical way; a country utterly wretched and helpless, with a nervous and uncultured population compared to other countries.

Despite all the literary and political daydreams of this group, the history of Iran is full of justice-seeking, opposition to oppression, and the pursuit of truth. The essential question now is: why is there so much resentment, hatred, and hostility among so-called intellectuals toward the authentic culture, history, beliefs, and currents of Iran?