Some Western thinkers were racist: Velayati

The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution held a session today chaired by the top aide to Iran Leader Ali Akbar Velayati.

The meeting was held in commemoration of Iranian philosopher and founder of the Iranian school of Illuminationist or Ishraqi philosophy ‘Sohrevardi’ commonly known as Sheikh Ishraq(1154-1191.)

At the start of the session, a report was presented on the works of Sohrevardi, followed by a research on the Musilms’ impact on architecture in Europe in Middle Ages.

Velayati said in the meeting “given the differences between culture and civilization definitions in all schools of thought, we should not follow Western thinkers.”

In all schools of thought, civilization is rooted in urbanization, Velayati said, adding “some famous Western thinkers were to some degrees racist.”

The Iranian official further said "science has undergone constant evolution in a meaningful manner throughout Iran’s cultural evolution," adding “in Iranian civilization, first basic sciences such as mathematics were developed, followed by literature, then architecture.”

At the end of the meeting, a report was presented on steps taken and the plans for holding a conference on engineering sciences and engineering in Islamic culture and civilization.

KI/FNA13970501000587