Detailed Statements of the Supreme Leader in the Presence of the People of Ardabil Province

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. And peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided and the Mahdi, especially the Awaited One among the inhabitants of the earth.

For me, the meeting with the faithful, loyal, enthusiastic, revolutionary, and very dear people of Ardabil city and province is very precious. Throughout the years of the revolution and before it, your city and region have held a distinguished and esteemed position in our eyes. All the events and incidents that have occurred during this period have reinforced this correct view regarding Ardabil and its people.

I consider this heartfelt and enthusiastic meeting to be valuable and I will present my remarks in two or three sections to you, dear brothers and sisters.

The first section is about your city and your history. Although the people of Ardabil - indeed many people of the country - are largely aware of Ardabil's role and history and the great figures of this city and region, I would like to express from my own words that Ardabil has played a significant and lasting role throughout the past eras, during the revolution, and in the Islamic movement, in the paths that have led to the well-being of the nation and this country.

In the past history, during the rise of the Safavid dynasty, the land of Ardabil was able to provide two great services to this country. The first was that it managed to create a united, large, and powerful country from a land that was divided and in conflict. Before the rise of the Safavids and after the Seljuk period, Iran was a country where each part played a separate tune, and there was no news of the dignity and greatness of Iran in those times. This dignity was given by the Safavids. The Safavids rose from Ardabil, and the family of the fighting and struggling mystics - namely the descendants of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili - were able to create the groundwork for their children to introduce Iran to the world of that day as a united, powerful, dignified, proud, and advanced nation.

The second service was a factor that is actually considered the spiritual support of the first; that is, the revival of the Shia faith, the faith of the Ahl al-Bayt, and devotion to the family of the Prophet. The people - these brave people, these valiant tribes - from this land, with the name of Amir al-Mu'minin, with the name of Imam Hussein, with the name of the martyrs of Karbala, with the name of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them), were able to go forth and establish the name of God, the remembrance of the Ahl al-Bayt, and the sacred religion of Islam and the solid Ja'fari jurisprudence throughout this country, creating a united, strong, and powerful nation.

This power arose from spirituality, from religion, and from the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt. The great figures who have been nurtured in Ardabil over the centuries all demonstrate this straight path. Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili himself, contrary to what some may think, was not a mystic in the sense that is claimed. He was a scholar, a mystic, a commentator, and a hadith scholar. As the late Allameh Majlisi mentions - according to what has been narrated from him - Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili was ranked alongside Sayyid ibn Tawus and Ibn Fahd Hilli - jurists and at the same time mystics - and he was someone who, alongside Allameh Hilli - in the court of the King of God - was able to bring forth the sprouts of Shia in the seventh and eighth centuries in this country and to establish its solid and argumentative jurisprudence in the seminaries.

Later, his descendants were the fighting mystics; hence it has been said that Ardabil is "Dar al-Irshad" (the House of Guidance). This means that there are those who guide to the religion here. The discussion is about the House of Guidance; it is not about mysticism and the actions, words, and claims of that sort. The discussion is about the spirituality of religion and the spirituality of Shia and the family of the Ahl al-Bayt. Therefore, after one or two centuries, in the early Safavid period - in the tenth century - the brilliant sun of Shia jurisprudence - the first person among the greats who shone from Iran in the world of Islamic and Shia jurisprudence after several centuries - namely the late Mulla Ahmad Muhaqqiq Ardabili - rose from this city. For centuries, Shia jurists were from the lands of Lebanon, Sham, Hillah, and Iraq, and we did not have scholars from Iran ranked among the great Shia jurists from the early centuries until the middle centuries. The first person to step into this field was a great Ardabili scholar, a pious man, a mystic, and a researcher.

We thank God that the chain of faith and bravery of the people and the spiritual strength of these people, alongside the chain of scientific progress and piety, has continued over time in this land. The people of Ardabil, even before the Safavid period, were among the few people in Iran who were able to defeat the Mongol armies twice. The Mongol armies, wherever they went, intimidated people into retreating. In Ardabil, the Mongol armies were defeated twice by the people and retreated. Later, these brave tribes and the faithful people were able to establish this place as the starting point for the great Shia and powerful Iran - during the Safavid period.

Of course, I must tell you that during the Qajar and Pahlavi reigns, the Safavids were despised, and for certain reasons, Ardabil was also neglected. As much as the Safavids paid attention to Ardabil, the Qajars and later the Pahlavis neglected this border and remote point. What they did not remember was Ardabil! Thus, this city and this green, fertile, and talented region, which has agricultural potential, industrial potential, and the possibility of healthy foreign trade, is considered one of the poor and deprived regions.

Why? It is due to the revenge that some rulers after the Safavids wanted to take from this region, from these people, and from the Qizilbash tribes of that day - of whom they had grievances, and some of whom were in Ardabil.

We thank God that in the era of the Islamic government, attention to Ardabil has been the attention it deserves. The Islamic government and state are the heirs of the long-standing devastations of the past and are under attack from the enemy. At the same time, in these past two decades, in all the deprived regions of this country, including the Ardabil region, becoming a province, the establishment of higher educational centers, the construction of roads, and many abundant services for the villages have been created.

Of course, as the esteemed Friday prayer leader mentioned - whose remarks are entirely sound - I will also point out that there are still many works to be done in this province.

I must not forget to mention the great scholars of this province; from the late Haj Mirza Mohsen Agha Mujtahid, from the late Haj Mirza Ali Akbar Mujtahid - great men - from the late Haj Sayyid Younes Ardabili, whom I personally knew in my youth in Mashhad, who was an unmatched first-class scholar in Khorasan. These are great figures who all stood firm against oppression, against corruption, and against the domination of tyrannical governments. The late Haj Sayyid Younes in one way, the late Haj Ali Akbar Agha in another way, and others in various ways.

This is your city and province. By the grace of the Lord, this place became a province and the possibility of attracting government assistance for this place has been created.

I must not forget and must state that during the imposed war, the youth of this land, in the form of the brigades and units related to this region, fought valiantly and thousands of martyrs, disabled veterans, and freedom fighters were presented from this region to the revolution; those who bravely - like the valiant youth everywhere in the country - faced the enemy and preserved the independence of their country and their Islamic system with strength.

Just as the people of Ardabil decades ago and in the past century stood against the Tsarist Russians, against the Bolsheviks, against the Ottomans - when it was necessary - they also stood against internal corruptors and unpatriotic Democrats; it was these people - the people of Ardabil and other cities of that day in Azerbaijan - who stood firm. Of course, others took credit for it, but in reality, it was your people's art.

Faith, loyalty, honor, bravery, and love and sincerity towards the family of the Prophet are among the characteristics of you dear people that I know well. Many people in our country also recognize your love and devotion to the family of the Prophet, especially to Sayyid al-Shuhada and Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him).

The second section of my remarks is about the issues of this province that it is appropriate for the officials to pay attention to. These trips of ours are precisely for this reason: that with our arrival, the attention of the country's officials and the serving officials in the government is drawn to the issues of the deprived regions.

Before the trip - one or two months prior - I sent delegations to the outskirts of this province; they came and brought reports from close by. Two things are prominent in this province: one is the abundant natural and human talents; the other is the deprivations! This is not a place where we can say there is a shortage of water, or land, or a shortage of facilities and talented people; no, the people here are talented, the land is talented, the climatic conditions are talented, the depths of the earth are also talented, and there are mines and facilities; however, at the same time, there is also deprivation here!

Of course, the officials have studied the gaps and shortages. Honestly, a lot of efforts have been made; that is, the work that has been done in these twenty years of the Islamic era is incomparable to all the periods of the Pahlavi and Qajar eras and is far greater than theirs.

They had forgotten Ardabil, just as they had forgotten many other points in the country! The remote and deprived areas were not their concern; the display points were their concern; like the center and the centers close to the center! In the Islamic era - by the grace of God - a lot has been done, the gaps have been measured, the problems have been seen; however, what needs to be done is several times more than what has been done so far.

In this trip, we have the opportunity to both recommend the necessary advice to the officials of the province and, by the grace of God, to the officials of the country. Training talented human resources is among the important tasks. Focusing on agriculture in this province is among the important tasks. These fertile lands and these green pastures can utilize the agriculture and animal husbandry of this province at the peak of their capabilities. Legal and halal trade with the other side of the border can pave the way for many dead ends; in addition, it can also prevent illegal and unlawful trades and smuggling and wrongful actions that unfortunately occur in some corners.

Certainly, the officials of the province and the officials of the country, with the sense of responsibility they have, will pursue these tasks with determination, God willing. In recent years, many valuable works have also begun; if the works that have been promised or the works that are unfinished begin with the efforts of the officials - which we will also emphasize and recommend - these are real services to the people of this province.

I will also mention a point about the general issues of the country and the revolution; regarding what our country, our people, our youth, and the intellectuals of the country need today and should focus their thoughts on.

Two weeks ago, I spoke with the officials of the country - which you probably heard and saw from the radio and television - I want to say this point that if the officials of the country start an unyielding struggle with the factors of decline and backwardness, with the support of these people and with the help of these very capable and interested public opinions, they will succeed, they will lead the people to their goals, they will also please God, and real reforms - in the sense that the enemies do not like; in the sense that the foreign media detest and abhor, but the hearts of the faithful and responsible are interested in - will take place. The officials also have a heart for this struggle. No one should think that the high-ranking officials of the country do not want to start or continue this long and difficult struggle; no, everyone wants it.

The targets of this struggle are three things: one is poverty, one is corruption, and one is discrimination. If poverty, corruption, and discrimination in the country are fought against, reforms in the true sense - revolutionary and Islamic reforms - will be realized. Our problems stem from these three ominous foundations and from these three destructive elements. The insecurity we have is also due to this. Much of the insecurity is due to poverty and much is due to corruption.

Poverty must be fought against; both against the personal poverty of individuals and the lack of income sources and against public poverty. A person who cannot live at the level of necessity and need is the embodiment of a hadith that has been narrated from the Prophet that "Poverty is close to disbelief"! Poverty leads a person to corruption, betrayal, and many paths. Of course, faithful people always resist; this is not a justification for individuals to deviate from the correct path under this pretext. However, poverty has this danger.

Public poverty also causes a city like Ardabil to suffer from a lack of cultural centers, a lack of libraries, a lack of sports facilities, and a lack of cultural halls, and the youth suffer from this public poverty.

All of these stem from poverty. Fighting poverty means striving to ensure that the possible wealth that can be extracted from national resources is first extracted optimally, and then consumed optimally and not wasted. Corruption means moral corruption, work corruption, lack of conscience in providing public services, lack of responsibility in facing public opinions and the minds of the people. These are branches and offshoots of corruption. Officials, intellectuals, compassionate individuals, and those who face public opinions should not allow malicious hands to come and inject the microbes of discord into the mental atmosphere. What benefit does it have for the people?! What help does it provide to the people for divisive slogans and discordant slogans to spread among them?! The real needs of the people are not these; the real needs of the people are something else.

Another important task is the fight against discrimination. Discrimination means that instead of considering capabilities, instead of considering rights, instead of considering God and the law, relationships are taken into account! The result is that if several million are given to the people of a village, the life of that village will be transformed and that village will not remain deprived; however, some individuals will emerge who will spend millions on trivial and small desires, on a party, on a luxurious affair, on an unnecessary - and sometimes harmful - action!

These should be the targets of the struggle. True reforms in the country are these. The reforms that everyone in the country - especially in a country like ours where the people are faithful and committed to the principles and ethical foundations - seeks to advance and prepare themselves to endure the difficulties of it, the people will follow them and help them. Any government, any government official, any enlightened individual, any religious scholar, and any wise person, if they pursue these kinds of reforms - the fight against poverty and corruption - the people will assist.

These are not complex tasks; they are not simple tasks; but they are tasks that large national institutions can pursue and set as their goals. The demands of compassionate and responsible individuals should be these. If these are achieved, then many problems will be solved and many difficulties and knots will be untied.

Creating discord, instilling anxiety and fear among officials and among the people does not serve the people. This revolution, this Islamic system, and this great nation possess the true factors of power and survival.

You should look at these countries in our region and many other countries in the world, and see where the country is whose foundations of being popular are as solid as what you observe today in Islamic Iran. In other places, between officials and the people, emotional and sentimental relationships, relationships of love and affection, and relationships of faith are not seen. In Islamic Iran, because the people know their officials and have a heartfelt, faithful, and emotional relationship with them, they participate in elections; they participate in struggles and in construction; wherever the officials of the country seek their assistance, they participate willingly and eagerly.

Fortunately, our country and society are also a young country. Our system is young, our demographic arrangement is young, and this is a very great opportunity. The Almighty God has bestowed the greatest grace upon this nation throughout this country. The foundations of unity among us are abundant.

I must say here that many people are trying to sow discord among the ethnicities of this country, thinking that they can undermine the unity of this nation; unaware that this great revolution and this Islamic system have one of their most solid foundations laid in these Azerbaijani-speaking regions - in Azerbaijan, in Ardabil, in West Azerbaijan.

The sacrifices of these people, the steadfastness of these people, the living slogans of these people, and what is today on the lips of these people as a slogan, first began from Azerbaijan and came - the name of the Imam, the name of the Guardianship, and the repudiation of the enemies - and it was these people of Azerbaijan who, in various tests, were able to dishearten the enemy.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, increase your favors and kindness towards these people day by day. O Lord! Keep these faithful and loyal people among the companions of Islam, among the companions of the Ahl al-Bayt, and among the companions of the truth, always steadfast. O Lord! Send down your grace and favor upon these people. O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, untie the knots from the affairs of these people. O Lord! Grant the officials the success to serve these people more and more. O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, I beseech you to increase the heartfelt relationship and this sincerity and devotion that I have towards these people and the affection that these people have for me day by day, and make us grateful for the affections and kindnesses of these people.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.