Statements of His Excellency in Meeting with the President and Members of the Government on the Occasion of Government Week

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

First of all, I congratulate you dear brothers and sisters on the blessed days of Sha'ban and the peak of the Sha'ban festivities, namely the half of Sha'ban. This coincidence is also a noteworthy one, as these days coincide with the half of Sha'ban and the birth of Imam al-Hujjah (peace be upon him and may God hasten his reappearance); because the characteristic of the half of Sha'ban and the celebration of the birth of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him) is hope and justice. Two prominent points that exist in our anticipation and celebration for the half of Sha'ban are one, the issue of generating hope, which is the promise of this birth and the future that the world of humanity is awaiting as a result of this birth, is itself a source of hope; and the other is that in the world that will take shape after the arrival of that great figure, the most prominent line will be the line of justice. When you look at all the narrations and works related to that great figure and that era, you see that the emphasis is not primarily on the fact that people will become religious in that era - although they will become religious - but the emphasis is on the fact that people will enjoy justice at that time and equity and justice will be established; this matter is present in the supplications and pilgrimages of that great figure and in the narrations. In other words, the prominent point in that hopeful future is justice; humanity is thirsty for justice.

You are also a government that has made these two characteristics part of your slogans and performance programs; you give hope to the people and you promise justice. That hope is also because you have raised the banner of justice and speak of justice. Truly, the void in today's world is more than anything else the void of justice. In our country and society, the most sought-after thing that this society is thirsty for is justice. When we look at the problems, shortages, expectations, and the lofty aspirations we have for the people, we see that almost all of these return to the issue of ensuring justice; that if justice is ensured, all these things will be resolved. You have raised the issue of justice, which is very good. Of course, it is possible that in this long, perilous, and difficult path, you may be able to take steps; it may be that our lifetimes or opportunities for service do not suffice until the end of the road; but the very step you take and the direction you have adopted is very valuable and revitalizes this slogan. Therefore, this year, the coincidence of the government and this blessed week with the half of Sha'ban is a delightful coincidence and evokes meanings in the human mind.

Martyr Rajai and Martyr Bahonar were truly among those who today represent two points for us regarding these lofty and valuable concepts; that is, what drove them to action - which we saw up close - was love for justice and love for the values of the revolution. It is appropriate for you to commemorate the government week in memory of those great and esteemed figures and to consider yourselves associated with those great ones. God willing, may their memory be honored.

Since you took responsibility, this is the third time we have met on the occasion of government week; that is, three government weeks have passed. Look at how quickly the passage of time is shaking! It was just like yesterday that it was the first government week of this new government and we were sitting there. At that time, I also mentioned that opportunities for service are very fleeting. See how quickly the opportunity for service passes! This is a lesson for us; we should not be negligent for a moment and should not miss any opportunity. You are, thank God, mostly young and possess the vitality and energy of youth. Make the most of this opportunity; channel the energies of youth, the patience of youth, the spirit of innovation, and the spirit of courage and ambition that exists in youth towards these lofty goals and do not tire.

It has been almost two years since you have been engaged in service. In these two years, what I have perceived from the behavior of this government is what I am stating, and I believe that fair observers - who are nearly the majority of the Iranian nation - have had the same perceptions and interpretations:

First, the issue of adherence to principles and values is a very important indicator. The government, both in words and slogans - which is important - and in action, shows that it is committed to the principles of the revolution and the values of the revolution. Pay attention to the fact that when we look at all the great revolutions in the world - the great political transformations that occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries and before that the French Revolution - we see that these revolutions quickly turned their backs on their principles and were disloyal! This - without any analysis - is derived from the text of history. Now sometimes they would mention these principles; however, everyone knew that these concepts had changed; both in France and in the Soviet revolution, this happened in a short time, and these foundations changed in words and actions. In all the minor revolutions that have occurred in various corners of the world during this time, without exception - that is, as far as I know, I cannot find even one exception for this - these foundations have changed.

This is a miraculous and unprecedented phenomenon for our revolution that today we are still proclaiming the same slogans and have set the same principles and foundations for ourselves as our program of action that were announced at the beginning of the revolution; that is, in our planning and in our requests, there has been no deviation from these principles. This is very important. Methods may change, but the foundations and principles remain. These fundamental principles have remained. All the enmity and hostility that is directed against our revolution is for the preservation of these principles. Perhaps over time and in different periods, some dust has settled on these principles; but today one sees that these principles are more transparent, more alive, and more prominent than ever; they are expressed in your words, in your slogans, and in the programs you announce, and since you are responsible, what you say does not remain merely words but creates a line and a depth in society; this is the nature of responsibility. Of course, let me say in between that for this reason, the responsibility of what you say also increases, and it is not the case that what we say disappears like a line drawn on water; no, what you say has lasting effects in realities and in the mentalities of society; whether short or long. Therefore, your slogans have established the atmosphere of principledness and the atmosphere of revolutionary values and the atmosphere of loyalty to the foundations of Imam and the revolution in society; this is a very valuable thing. This is the first and most important characteristic of your government.

Second, the same adherence to justice that we mentioned. You may not have been able - or may not be able until the end - to accomplish everything that needs to be done regarding justice; however, the very approach you have towards justice is very valuable, and you must strive to move as much as you can:

"It is better to walk the path of the wilderness than to sit idly by, for if I do not seek my goal, I will strive as much as I can."

It is better than for a person to not speak of justice at all, to forget justice, to hide justice among other concepts, and to distance it from the mind and eye of humanity. These are not permissible. When justice comes to the forefront and is regarded as a main criterion and indicator, it will inevitably appear in the programs as well. Adherence to justice is also the next indicator.

Adherence to service is also one of the characteristics of this government that is commendable and worth mentioning.

The hard work of this government is indeed a remarkable thing; even some who are opponents cannot deny this; that is, no matter how much unfairness there is, it cannot overshadow the truth that your government is indeed a hardworking government, and your efforts and work and movement are very significant. This is very gratifying.

Another characteristic is the courage and decisiveness of this government. The great work you did for gasoline rationing, which is a first step towards targeted subsidies and guiding and consuming them to their destination - of course, I see that in some corners of the government, they sometimes do not pay attention to the magnitude of this work; a very great work has been done, which God willing, if I remember, I may refer to later that this work must continue until the final destination and there should be no halt or disruption in this work - or the other actions that have been taken, indicate the courage and decisiveness of this government.

Among the other characteristics that I have noted to mention here is the spirit of transformation and innovation and reform. Just as the President reported now, the changes being made in the general structure of the organization and the government are very fundamental works. Reform is indeed about looking at various sections in the direction of righteousness and fundamentally changing and transforming the structures.

Another characteristic that is worth mentioning is that this government has not become passive in the face of the arrogance of the arrogant powers; this is very important that in dealing with the world, one knows their place, knows their demands, knows their strength and power, and knows what to do. Today, the world is not a trouble-free, calm place where one can say: well, we have interests, we will gradually set out to pursue our interests! No, the world is not like that. Of course, it has always been this way; today, with the close communications between human beings, this has intensified. The world is a place of conflict, a place of sabotage, and a place of aggression by the powerful against those who are powerless or weak; in the true sense, a law of the jungle prevails in the political atmosphere of the world. The actions that the arrogant governments, led by the United States, are currently taking do not follow a rational, logical, or internationally acceptable logic; the logic behind it is the logic of force. They say: because we can, we do! The logic is the logic of force. In such a world, if one submits and shows weakness and does not stand firm on their positions and does not use their strength in confrontation and facing challenges, they will certainly suffer losses. In such a world, no one shows mercy to anyone! This resistance against the arrogance's excesses and the sense of dignity that arises in this field, in my opinion, is one of the characteristics of this government. These are the characteristics that, thank God, exist.

In delivering service to the deprived individuals of society and justice, I believe that the issue of provincial trips is very important. The work that you have undertaken and set out to visit and have walked all over the country and contacted the people and heard the grievances of the people - which are expressed by their officials, their Friday prayer leaders, and their prominent individuals - is very good in my opinion. I myself have been involved in the executive and non-executive issues of this country for years; however, when I travel to a region and return, my knowledge about that region multiplies compared to the knowledge one gains from papers and reports in general. Traveling and confronting the realities of people's lives is a very important thing. How can someone deny this or doubt it or question its benefit? This is a very important task. You are doing this work. Of course, it is also laborious; you accept the labor involved.

Thank God you have achieved these successes. Now, what is your duty regarding these successes? Your duty is gratitude; gratitude to God. Let no one among you - whether the President or each of you - think that it was you who accomplished these things. No, it was the Almighty God who granted you this success. Whatever you did was by divine grace, with the strength that God has given you, with the enthusiasm that God has placed in your heart, with the opportunity that God has provided for you to serve. Let not pride take hold of us; for one of the greatest pitfalls is pride; that one says it is I who have done these works and it is I who thought of these things. When one looks at their own performances and over time realizes their own mistakes, misjudgments, and naivety, then they understand whose work the success was; otherwise, if it were up to us, it would have been nothing but these mistakes and failures! Of course, one does not quickly realize their mistakes; they understand them gradually. Today, when I look at my performance from ten or fifteen years ago, I see flaws that I did not understand at that time; today I understand. One gradually realizes their mistakes; it is not understood quickly. Those mistakes teach us that if at some point we have seen a success and if something good and correct has come from us, it has only been by divine grace and divine assistance. Therefore, do not fall into the pit of pride, for getting out of this pit is very difficult and requires divine assistance. Also, do not settle for what has been achieved; of course, we have recommendations that I will express:

Our first recommendation is the issue of the "Vision Document." In the report of the President, a short sentence was mentioned and the name of the Vision Document was brought up; however, this is not enough. The Vision Document is a supra-governmental issue; it does not belong to this government or that government, this policy or that policy, this current or that current; it is the product of a concentrated and compressed effort; it is a well-studied work; and it is correct. This document is, in fact, our macro plan for twenty years and a document in the true sense of the word. What is stated in this document is not flattery. It must be considered in all planning - whether in legislation, for which the legislators are responsible, or in execution and executive regulations, for which you are responsible - and you must evaluate and see where it does not align with the Vision Document, correct that place, and do not allow it to deviate. This is not only the responsibility of the President - although the President has the greatest responsibility in this regard - but it is the responsibility of each of you gentlemen who are at the head of the executive apparatus. In other words, truly consider the Vision Document as a covenant and the basis of action. This is one point and my emphatic recommendation.

The second recommendation is the issue of strengthening expertise. I do not take seriously the remarks of your opponents and critics, whether fair or unfair, regarding the lack of expertise in the government's work; because I see that in some areas, very good expert work is being done; but I want to emphasize that you should truly take expertise seriously; especially in fundamental and foundational matters, such as planning and budgeting, or the issue of councils and the like; these are foundational and lasting works; they must remain. If thorough, precise, and comprehensive expert work is done, this work will remain; otherwise, if the expertise is superficial, your efforts will be wasted. First, you may become aware of the mistakes that occur in the future, and some mistakes may not be correctable; secondly, those who come after you and future generations - you are not only doing these works for your own government term, you want these works to remain in the structural apparatus of the country - will not take them seriously; unlike when the work has been done with precise expertise. Ultimately, in the foundations, even the smallest mistake in calculation creates great dangers. The foundation of a building is different from a wall drawn between two rooms; there, the calculations must be very precise and expert so that the structure remains intact and does not encounter problems. This is another issue.

Of course, in this expert work, the issue of interaction with elites also comes into play - which I have repeatedly told you and have also discussed with the President - that is, utilize the elites. There are many elites in the country, and they are not limited to this gathering and related gatherings. We truly do not lack elite individuals in the country; they are in universities, in workplaces, and in research environments. Sometimes when one encounters elite individuals, they realize that they are all ready and eager to help; seek them out and desire their assistance. Of course, this must be demonstrated in practice so that the elites come forward and present themselves, which is an important issue.

Another recommendation I want to make is the issue of interaction with other branches. Fortunately, today the relationship between the executive branch and the legislative and judicial branches is a good one; however, this interaction must be strengthened at the grassroots level; that is, efforts must be made to establish logical and correct interaction. Of course, I do not believe that the parliament should overlook its duties in relation to the government; no, the parliament must act strictly, yet benevolently, regarding its duties towards the government. The government must also absolutely not deviate from its authorities and must make maximum use of the powers granted to it by law and the constitution in relation to other branches. However, the spirit of interaction, the spirit of agreement, and compatibility must prevail among all three branches.

Another point I want to recommend is the issue of information dissemination, which I also mentioned that day in the gathering of government officials; truly strengthen information dissemination; feed appropriate media; the national media must also actively work regarding the government. Of course, the work of information dissemination is a delicate task; it is not the case that one sits in front of the camera and addresses the people saying that we did this work, we did that work; when the people hear it, they will completely accept and believe that yes, these works have been done! Information dissemination is not like that at all. It is an artistic task. Provide the main food and substance to the national media, and the national media must work; disseminate information artistically so that the people accept it deeply. Even now, many of your works are not known to the people; that is, they do not become aware of your significant and national works, let alone sectional and provincial works, let alone structural works! These important structural works that are among your significant services and you take pride in them and they deserve it, the people do not pay attention to them at all. These must be explained and articulated to the people. This work is hopeful for the people, enlightening, and will garner support and assistance from the people, and it is also enlightening in the face of criticisms.

Of course, let me also say this: do not get angry at criticism at all. Some critics of the government aim to make you angry, tire you out, and unsettle you; criticism is sometimes done with this goal. Or baseless fault-finding; you have seen that sometimes a news item is headlined, exaggerated; the next day or the day after, it turns out to be completely false and baseless! These are also actions that some people undertake. You must not let feelings of anger and impatience take hold of you at all. Then, also welcome that criticism - even if it is not benevolent - because sometimes there are truths in hostile criticisms that the critic does not express out of goodwill, but their criticism is real; let alone those who criticize you out of goodwill. Do not be upset at all and welcome criticism.

The next point I want to recommend is to alleviate the oppression of the cultural sector. The cultural sector is truly a marginalized sector. Now in the report of the President, there was no mention of culture at all; or in the prioritization, this priority was sacrificed for other priorities and they took precedence, which should be expressed in a short time! This is oppression, after all. Do not underestimate the issue of culture. Many of the problems in our society can be solved through cultural development. Pay attention that today, the main forces of our enemies are working in the cultural front. These psychological wars, these cultural activities, these hidden and open budgets that are allocated to distort minds, all relate to the issue of culture. Culture is like air; when a person inhales this air, with the air they have inhaled and the life they have gained, they can take two steps forward; all other actions stem from what you have inhaled. If at some point, a toxic air is injected, the results seen in the organs will depend on the toxicity in that air. If the atmosphere is sedated with smoke or narcotics, when you inhale it, your behavior will correspond to what you have inhaled; culture has such a state. Do not underestimate culture; it is very important. Therefore, spend time on it and allocate significant funds and chapters in the budget to give a value-oriented direction to culture. Among the tasks that the cultural officials of the government must pay attention to and truly not neglect for a minute is to give a value-oriented direction to the public culture of society and cultural tools and means. Because a lot of effort has been made to ensure that cultural movements and cultural agents - art, literature, poetry, cinema, and the rest - move in a non-value-oriented direction and take off. You must help and do your utmost to give a value-oriented direction to the cultural movements of the country.

On this occasion and in this regard, I want to address the issue of science and research. Great importance must be given to the scientific movement in the country; it must be taken seriously. Let me say: no country - including our country - will be able to achieve its national and great aspirations unless it can find a place and rank in the scientific competition. Scientific backwardness inevitably leads to political, economic, and cultural backwardness. These savages who have today seized the world and truly have not taken a whiff of humanity and spirituality have gained this dominance thanks to science; they learned science. I have repeatedly said: like a wise knife-wielder; they are thugs and knife-wielders; they go and learn a science, and by virtue of this science, they do not lose their thuggery! They are just like that. One sees that they are truly the thugs of the world; these arrogant powers are the thugs and bullies of the world; but they are equipped with knowledge. Now you are very noble, very religious, very honorable, very original, very family-oriented; they are rootless, without lineage, without family; but they are equipped, you are not equipped; you are uneducated, they are educated; they come and dominate you; there is no alternative.

Make yourselves knowledgeable. Advance your country and nation in the caravan of knowledge. We have backwardness in this regard. May God's curse be upon those who did not understand the priority of knowledge and research in this country at their time and kept the country backward; then, the lofty ambitions in this country were not seen that could compensate for the backwardness. Now the revolution has occurred; the revolution has completely turned the page and changed the course. We can compensate for this backwardness. Of course, if we want to follow the exact path that others have taken, we will always lag behind them. There are shortcuts. The divine creation has strange and intricate paths; they must be discovered. All these scientific advancements are the discovery of shortcuts. There are so many shortcuts that if you find and discover them and advance, you will suddenly find yourselves in the forefront of this competition. Of course, finding shortcuts without having scientific prerequisites is not possible. The scientific prerequisites must be passed, and the people must be made knowledgeable and educated; however, the research work must be taken seriously. Therefore, the issue of the scientific movement and scientific leap is important.

The research budget is truly one of our weak points. Sometimes when I encounter university professors and officials in the scientific sectors of the country, they raise the issue of the research budget. For three or four years, they have repeatedly told us that it is supposed to reach three percent of the budget; however, now we are progressing with six-tenths or seven-tenths of a percent! It is truly very low. They keep promising that it will get better and I don't know what will happen; no effect is seen. Truly increase the research budget; apply pressure to other areas, but advance this. This scientific and research vice-presidency that has recently been established in the presidency is one of those very important tasks - one of the structural tasks is this - give them space, open the way, help them, and demand from them; they can advance these works. This is one issue.

Another issue is the policies of Article 44, which I want to mention specifically; the policies of Article 44 are very important. The bill that was submitted to the parliament had deficiencies; some of those deficiencies were addressed in the parliament; I want to recommend that actions be taken in such a way that this bill aligns with the objectives mentioned in these policies; that is, truly eliminate this wrong line that has been unjustly drawn in the economy since the early years of the revolution and has continued; go towards the correct line! This does not contradict the issue of justice-seeking and what we mentioned in the policies of Article 44; that is, definitely consider the issue of justice-seeking; however, the economy of the country must flourish; the people's forces must come into the economic field and work; this cannot be achieved merely through words and discussions; action and implementation are necessary, and it must be felt.

Now the issue of investment comes up; some time ago - a few years ago - a detailed meeting was held with the officials of various economic sectors; one of the gentlemen made a good point; he said: we tell foreigners to come and invest here! Well, the foreigners look to see if our domestic investors are investing in the country or not?! This is our showcase; if they see that those who have the power to invest are investing in the country with peace of mind, then they will also be encouraged to come; but when they see that they themselves do not invest here, it is very difficult to convince a foreign investor to come and invest here so that we can benefit from their investment! All of these have been taken into account in the policies of Article 44.

One more issue that I want to mention is the issue of inflation; truly think about it. Inflation - especially in the housing sector and some goods - truly exists and puts pressure on the people. Of course, solving the issue of inflation is a root cause. It is obvious that controlling inflation is a scientific, root cause, and foundational task that has prerequisites and principles; and until those principles are implemented, it will persist; however, immediate actions must also be taken. After all, one cannot just sit and wait for these foundational works to yield results one day; no, truly think about it; do something. Now I do not want to suggest what you will do in that regard. Of course, let us also say that in inflation, both real and fictitious and psychological factors are involved; sometimes a single word or an ill-considered decision suddenly stimulates this wave of inflation and raises inflation in various sectors and creates expectations that we hope, God willing, the gentlemen can pursue this as well.

Trust in God. Seek success from the Almighty God. Strengthen your relationship with spirituality and the Almighty God day by day. Let not your work-related engagements distract you from remembering and focusing on spirituality! That is, one of the dangers is that we become immersed in practical matters and remain oblivious to our heartfelt connection. What underpins our vitality, enthusiasm, and success is divine assistance. Divine assistance must be sought in the true sense of the word from God and requested from God. Therefore, this requires attention; take advantage of these days of the month of Sha'ban. In the noble supplications you recite at noon, you read: "The one who was the Messenger of God - may God bless him and his family - who diligently observed fasting and prayers in its nights and days, in gratitude for Your honor and greatness to the place of His bath"; that is, the Prophet honored the month of Sha'ban and its days and nights until the moment of his death, and all his Sha'bans were like this; then in this supplication, you read: "O God, help us to follow his tradition in it and attain intercession with him"; may you continue the tradition of this great figure in this month, God willing; pay attention, pray, remember, and prepare for entering the blessed month of Ramadan.

We hope that the Almighty God grants you success and increases the reward of our great Imam for the services you provide and the efforts you make - which have a reward before the Almighty God - God willing, and may the pure spirit of the martyrs be pleased with you and us.

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