The Islamic Revolution Leader, Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with Semnan province Alims, elites, clerics, and female scholars praised the Shi'a clerics' independence and their democratic approach, as their "unique personality traits."

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized, "strengthening interactions with the people, increasing the level of their political comprehension and analyzing, preserving the clerics' sanctity, their ethical and financial health, maintaining the scholarly approach in life, increasing religious competence for achieving victory at global campaign of thoughts, and brave campaign against superstitions are among the duties which would lead to preservation of the clerics' unique status, and their historic grandeur".

Ayatollah Khamenei during the Wednesday night meeting considered the main characteristic of the Shi'a clerics to be their "independence and keeping relationship with people" that has given them a unique role in Iran's history and in prevailing conditions in the country.

The Islamic Revolution Leader added, "contrary to the status of the clergy in other religions, the Shi'a scholars are merely dependent on the people's support and are in the service of the people, which is a great phenomenon that needs to be preserved."

Referring to the deep and two-way relations between the clerics and the people, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "this has given the Shi'a clerics a pioneer status in various historic eras, including during Iran's constitutional revolution, the nationalization of the country's oil industries, and the Islamic Revolution."

The Islamic Revolution Leader emphasized that the clerics need to remain at the political scene, denouncing the continuous efforts made by the global arrogance to detach them from political activities.

Ayatollah Khamenei considered the cultural onslaught of the west as "a reality and a serious threat", urging the clerics to enlighten the mind of the public, particularly the youth about it.

He considered campaign against superstitions as another important duty of the clerics under current conditions, stressing that the noblest Messenger, too, attached great importance to that task.