Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Officials and Servants of the Islamic Republic

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 virtuous family and his chosen companions, and peace be upon all the prophets of God.

First, I welcome you and thank you for your presence, especially those friends who have pulled themselves away from heavy engagements or traveled from afar to attend this session.

The situation and purpose of our meeting in these continuous years is one of reminder. When I look at myself, I see that I need reminders and advice; I make a comparison with myself; I think we, the officials - at various levels - need to listen to reminders, admonitions, criticisms, and feedback so that perhaps the Almighty God grants us the opportunity for reform. We must pay attention to ourselves and our hearts; our hearts need more care than our bodies. If we want our hearts to be illuminated and a place for divine mercy and guidance, we must attend to them. Neglecting the heart - which can be quickly and easily attracted to material attractions and magnets - is dangerous; we become afflicted with self-admiration, arrogance, and negligence; we need to be aware.

In two places in the Quran, this phrase appears: "Then when We bestow a favor upon him, he says, 'I have been given it only because of knowledge I have.'" - it is found in Surah Az-Zumar and probably in Surah Luqman - God gives a blessing to a person, but the person becomes oblivious to the giver of the blessing and thinks that it is he himself who has been able to obtain this blessing, this position, and this opportunity. The same phrase applies to Qarun, who, when he was admonished to recognize that these blessings are from God, should take his share and spend it in the way of God, replied: "I have been given it only because of knowledge I have"; I obtained it by my own efforts, it was my own talent; this is the same great error that we may all fall into; being deceived by oneself. The same issue is being deceived by God. The noble verse: "So let not the worldly life deceive you, nor let the deceiver deceive you about Allah" is about being deceived by God; do not be deceived by God.

In the supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiya, it is stated: "So woe to the one who is deceived by You," "how long will he be delayed in Your punishment," "how far is he from relief." Being deceived by God means expecting from God without bringing forth righteous deeds; that a person says, we are good servants of God and God will certainly help us; that a person takes advantage of God's forbearance and continues to sin; feels safe from God's punishment; all of these are being deceived by God. Imam Sajjad says: O God! The eternal calamity is for the one who is deceived by You. This deception by God is the same calamity that befell the Children of Israel. The Almighty God had made them a chosen nation; but when they were deceived by God and did not fulfill their duties, the Almighty God said about them: "And humiliation and poverty were imposed upon them." They are the ones whom the Almighty God has explicitly stated in several places in the Quran that I have made them a chosen people; "And I have preferred you over the worlds"; but these very people, through their bad actions, caused the Almighty God to say about them: "And humiliation and poverty were imposed upon them and they incurred the wrath of God," and they became subject to divine wrath. Being deceived by God brings these consequences. We must attend to ourselves, our hearts, and our souls and not let our heavy responsibilities make us negligent. Of course, the way is open; these five daily prayers, this opportunity for supplication, these recommended prayers, these night prayers; all are ways to attend to oneself; these paths have been opened before us. If we do not become lazy, it can happen; then a person gains elevation and illumination, and their actions become blessed.

My dear ones! You and I need these matters more than ordinary people. Among these spiritual duties that we have, I thought and saw that today the duty of "gratitude" is one of our greatest responsibilities. I said I would speak a few sentences about gratitude. The verse I recited is from Surah Ibrahim - "And when your Lord proclaimed: 'If you give thanks, I will surely increase your favor upon you'" - is a very important verse; it is both encouragement and warning. If you give thanks, an increase in blessings will follow, and divine blessings will come in succession; if you are ungrateful, God's punishment will follow; there is no exception; there is no point of exception in history either. If you imagine a case where God did not show His severe punishment, this is a shortcoming in analysis, and if analysis comes into play, it will become clear that there is no exception. What is gratitude? Gratitude has several main pillars: First, recognizing the blessing and paying attention to it. Our first affliction is that we do not pay attention to the blessing; we do not understand the blessing of health except after becoming ill and disabled; we do not properly recognize the blessing of youth except after aging; this is the flaw. We do not understand the blessing of security except after experiencing insecurity. The people of Kufa realized the blessing of Amir al-Mu'minin when Hajjaj came upon them; the people of Medina realized the blessing of the existence of Amir al-Mu'minin and Imam Hasan when Muslim ibn Uqbah came upon them, massacred them, dishonored their women, and then said all of you must confess that you are slaves of Yazid. One by one, they came and confessed before him, and whoever did not confess had their necks cut off. Those people realized at that time how valuable the government of Amir al-Mu'minin and the government of security and respect for the people was in the previous era. Second, knowing the blessing is from Him. Third, being grateful to God. Not saying that the blessing was given by God and it was His duty to give it; no, but being indebted to the Almighty God. And fourth, utilizing this blessing; like a ladder. When a blessing is given to you, it is a step of a ladder that you have placed your foot on to go up; now it is time for the next step. If you have gained access to the next step, then this is also a blessing; use it and place your foot on it and go up. The one who gains access to the ladder step but does not place their foot on it has not given thanks. You see how this gratitude with these pillars is a great blessing from God. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) in the supplication of Arafa says that if I were to give thanks for each of Your blessings, that very gratitude would be a blessing; so if I were to live until the end of time, with all my being I would testify that I cannot give thanks for one of Your blessings; because the very fact that I have found the opportunity to give thanks is another blessing, and I must give thanks for it, and this continues in a chain until eternity.

Gratitude itself is a blessing. First, when you give thanks, this gratitude leads to remembrance; you become aware of God; gratitude makes a person a rememberer. Secondly, gratitude gives us patience. One of the properties of gratitude is that it provides patience and perseverance. In supplication, we read: "O God, I ask You for the patience of the grateful." When you give thanks, you recognize the blessing and understand the situation; you remember the opportunity that God has given you and become hopeful. This hope increases your perseverance. Therefore, the necessity of gratitude is patience. One of the outcomes of gratitude is the power of perseverance and standing firm in difficult situations. One of the properties of gratitude is not to become arrogant. Then the Almighty God has promised an increase in blessings; "I will surely increase your favor upon you." The divine promise is true and has a clear mechanism. The very fact that we mentioned shows that gratitude itself increases the blessing. The first step of gratitude brings a person to the rooftop. Gratitude is our duty.

What is the opposite of gratitude? Ungratefulness. Ungratefulness is the opposite of these things. Not paying attention to the blessing and being oblivious to the essence of the blessing is something many of us fall into; either denying the blessing; or not knowing it is from God; or becoming arrogant about the God-given blessing, which is accompanied by downfall, and when a person becomes arrogant, they fall; these are all forms of ungratefulness. "And Allah has struck a parable: A town that was secure and at ease, its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it was ungrateful for the favors of Allah, so Allah made it taste the garment of hunger and fear"; a community that is comfortable and enjoying divine spiritual and material blessings is ungrateful and God imposes insecurity and poverty upon it. This is the result of ungratefulness.

In the first place, what should we be grateful for? It cannot be counted; "And if you count the favors of Allah, you will not be able to enumerate them." When my hand was paralyzed, I realized certain characteristics; I saw that this finger of mine, which moves easily and, for example, shakes a chain around itself, seems like a very simple task, from the doctors' words I understood that this very movement is the result of several important movements and abilities in a person's existence; but we were oblivious. In any case, when a blessing is taken from a person, they realize that this simple and small action is the result of several great blessings that we have passed over so easily. This is our negligence. The fact that you can easily, as a national official - at any level you are - decide based on your religious thought and Islamic faith; that foreign policies are not imposed upon you; that the people consider you one of their own; that you have even gained the opportunity to be in a position that can have an impact; that you refrain from seizing public property; that sin is not easy and smooth for you, if we want to count these kinds of blessings, they are among the thousands of blessings that the Almighty God has granted us; but we do not recognize the blessings.

In my opinion, the first blessing for which we should thank God today is national dignity and independence. One day in this country, the highest political authority was waiting for the signals of the ambassadors of England and America for fundamental decisions. One day in this very Tehran, the leaders of three countries allied in World War II appointed a president for this country; one was removed, one was appointed. In this very Tehran, government leaders could not be appointed without the permission of the White House; Aminis would come, Eqbals would go; one would stay, one would go; one minister would be appointed or not appointed; the fate of our nation was like this. Sell the oil to such a country, enter into such an international or regional treaty or you have no right to enter. For a nation with such officials and leaders, is there any remaining pride and dignity? Therefore, the first great divine blessing for our country, nation, and officials is that they have national dignity and independence. Today, no power in the world can claim that it has authority over our political system and that its signals, statements, threats, or intimidation can have any effect on our decision-making.

Another great blessing that exists in our country today is the flourishing of talents. Those active youth in nuclear energy came to this Hosseiniyeh and set up an exhibition; a miniature arena of a great movement and reality, which brings joy to see all this progress; but I enjoyed seeing these youths even more. A young, devout, and diligent individual is the head of a large organization - Mr. Aghazadeh introduced them to us - a young person has initiated such a great project; one enjoys it. Where were these youths?! We did not bring them from abroad. They are the fertile soil of human nature in our country. The nurturing rain and sunlight of the revolution and Islam have made them fruitful and have given them growth and blossoming. Similar cases exist in a hundred other places. Now nuclear energy has become famous, they know this; but similar cases exist in other areas, and I have seen some of them up close. When this young person finds a field of work here and their talent flourishes, they do not need to look beyond these borders; they want to work. Everyone sits and complains about brain drain, the migration of brains, the flight of brains; which I have never viewed as a fundamental problem; they go to study and most of them return. We must open the field here so that this young person feels that they can actualize this talent:

A beautiful face does not have a veil; when it is bound, it raises its head from the window.

When you place a football field in front of a strong young person, they engage in football and showcase their talent; but when this field is not in front of them, they either become lethargic or go in search of a football field where they can run. The field must be opened; and this has been done - of course, we have responsibilities that I will mention later - this flourishing of talents is one of the great blessings that one observes everywhere; in our scientific forces, in our administrative forces, in our armed forces.

One of the greatest divine blessings is the hope and self-confidence that exists in the people. The spirit of hope is a very great blessing. Despairing, hopeless, and visionless people become impatient; not that they do not work, but they hinder work; but hopeful people move forward and pull the officials along with them. This is what is happening today in the country, and the spirit of hope prevails among the people; the people are hopeful for the future. This is a very great blessing. We must appreciate this blessing and give thanks.

One of the great divine blessings is our nature; another is our underground resources; and one is this opportunity for service that has been given to you. Among other blessings is the religious and spiritual orientation and atmosphere that currently prevails in the country. Let us not forget that there were those who opposed any religious movement, with all kinds of means, and tried to create a false anti-religious atmosphere and a passive atmosphere against Western culture in the country, despite the high officials of the country and despite the beliefs and faith of the people. Today, the people have been able to establish their thoughts, faith, and spirituality in the cultural atmosphere of the country. This is a great blessing.

Another very great blessing is this government that has come to power with principled slogans, which gives principled slogans and comes to power with them. This is one of the blessings that must be appreciated. The parliament must also come to power with principled slogans. These are very great blessings that we must give thanks for; it is our duty.

I will provide a general and brief outline of the current situation in the country; we do not want to fall into the trap of extreme optimism and misleading, nor do we want to fall into the trap of extreme pessimism and misleading. We have many positive points, and we also have negative points; both must be seen in order to make the right choices.

Our positive points, first and foremost, are the accumulation of great successes that have occurred successively for our country, some of which are the result of the efforts of past governments and some are the result of the efforts of the current government; collectively, significant successes have occurred for our country, which is a positive point for the country. Of course, the same things we mentioned exist in the field of foreign policy and science and are part of the tall and impressive successes of the Islamic Republic.

One of the positive points is this spirit of hope that exists in the people; the people feel lively.

Another positive point is a fresh, determined, and hardworking government that has come to power. This is a positive point.

Another positive point is our dignified international standing, which is observed repeatedly. Our international standing has become a very solid, dignified, and prominent one. Anyone who is familiar with international issues and world news can clearly see this. One of the signs is the successful trips that the esteemed president has made to various places, where one observes signs of success.

Another positive point is the scientific advancements that exist in various sectors, and we hope that the Almighty God assists these capable youths and managers who are active in these sectors to achieve their desired results and present them before the eyes of the people and enhance the sense of dignity among the people.

Another positive point is the scientific advancements and the infrastructure for development in the country, which are largely the result of the efforts of past governments. Today, good investments that have been made in our communication tools, such as telecommunications, transportation, and various sectors, and good foundational and infrastructural works are evident and palpable in the country.

Another positive point is political calm, which has neutralized all the efforts of hidden hands. You have observed that they tried to create religious discord, but it did not happen; they tried to create ethnic discord, but it did not happen; they tried to create professional discord, but it did not happen. This indicates that this deep sea has a calmness that these orchestrated and planned movements by hidden hands, whether concealed or open, cannot disturb this sea.

The coordination of the powers with each other is one of our greatest positive points. Today, the parliament, the government, and the judiciary have mutual trust; this is a far cry from a situation where the parliament is distrustful of the government, the government is indifferent to the parliament, and the judiciary is dissatisfied with both; this is a very bad situation. Today, thanks be to God, it is not like that; there is coordination, there is camaraderie, and various institutions and different currents cooperate with each other; there is agreement, unity, and coordination.

On the other hand, we have urgent needs that are unmet, which are among our negative points and problems. There are dangerous gaps in the country; the issue of employment is our important issue. In the previous government, I emphasized the issue of employment a lot and cooperated and assisted the government to initiate the employment flow. Now, the issue of employment is a fundamental issue for us. The issue of inflation, the issue of deprived areas, the fight against corruption, are important issues, and we cannot abandon them. "Corruption" is like leaks and cracks that occur in a pool. You place several large pipes and continuously pour water into the pool; but it does not fill up - all this effort leads nowhere - why? Because there are leaks and cracks, and the waters flow away without being collected to be directed to where they should be directed; corruption is like this.

We also need to ensure the security of investment so that investments can be made within the country. The security of investment must be fully ensured so that the wealth that is in the hands of individuals can be used for progress, entrepreneurship, and initiating the economic flow of the country.

Another issue is the stabilization of this international standing. It is not the case that we can behave however we want and do whatever we like, and this international standing will remain intact; it is not guaranteed; it must be stabilized. This requires careful planning and a lot of concentrated activity.

The cultural face of the country is one of our major issues. The cultural face of the country must be a radiant, Islamic face that is completely in line with the virtues of Islamic ethics; this is one of our gaps. Of course, the principled government and parliament can, by giving thanks for the blessings we mentioned - insisting on principles and continuous work - increase the volume of these successes and continuously reduce these gaps.

I have said, and everyone says that today the decision-making pillars of the country - the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the government and the judiciary - are managed by the principles of Islamic thought (commonly referred to as principled governance), which is one of God's great blessings. Now, what are these principles that we speak of? This is very important. I do not want to outline the principles now; however, I will mention a number of the most prominent principles that we adhere to. Principled governance is not just talk; principled governance is not in opposition to the prevailing political currents in the country. It is wrong to divide the country or political activists into principled and reformist: principled and so on; no. Principled governance belongs to all those who believe in and adhere to the foundations of the revolution and love them; whatever their name may be.

What are these "principles"? First and foremost, faith and Islamic and revolutionary identity and adherence to it. This places responsibilities on the government. It cannot be said that the government does not care about the faith of the people; no. For a while, this idea was promoted; but it is wrong. The government has a duty. How can the Ministry of Health fight against the artificial drug dealers in Nasir Khosrow, but the Ministry of Culture does not fight against the cultural drug dealers? It does not fight against the cultural poisoners? This is the duty of the government; the media in one way, the Ministry of Culture in another way, and various institutions in their own ways. The important duty is to strengthen the foundations of a clear and firm faith in the minds of our growing and young generations; a faith that is free from superstition and weak-mindedness, a clear faith, faith in religion, faith in the system, faith in the people, faith in the future, faith in oneself, faith in the independence of the country, and faith in national unity, and a faith that does not ignite the flames of sectarian fanaticism in any part. I repeat and emphasize this and say to everyone: It is wrong for us to speak in the name of Islamic faith or religious faith and do something that constantly ignites sectarian fanaticism and pits everyone against each other; the matter is not at all like that. Adhere to your faith; discuss with anyone who religiously or doctrinally disagrees with you, argue, reason, and convince them of your thoughts; but do not incite fanaticism; "And argue with them in a way that is best." This is the Quran. Why do some people not understand? I do not know.

In this section, another important duty that falls upon the government and the Islamic Republic system is to highlight and clarify Islamic identity in the Islamic world, so that this becomes a criterion before the eyes of Muslim nations; a religiosity free from superstition and exploration of religious sources and innovation. Some think that innovation in religion is impossible! The treasure of our Islamic and religious sources is endless; we have only drawn a few buckets of water from this bubbling spring to the extent of our ability; let us strive and produce new thoughts and new words in various fields. This Quran is an endless ocean; there are many truths; not "many", but most of the truths of the world that we can understand from the Quran, we have not yet understood. Thinking, extracting, innovating, and presenting new ideas to the public minds of Muslim thinkers and intellectuals is one of our tasks. Of course, it is clear that this work, like all other works, must be done with its own method and technique; it has a method, and outside of that method, the work cannot be done. The one who is not at all familiar with a technique cannot be told to innovate in that technique; this is the work of those who are knowledgeable; who are familiar with the book and tradition and the Quran; they are the ones who can do this. From someone who does not know music at all, one cannot say to create a new song; how can they create it? Let us raise the banner of Islamic brotherhood with all Muslim nations and promote moral virtues in society: cooperation, forgiveness, assistance, patience, forbearance; these are Islamic morals; let us promote these in society. This is the very faith and Islamic and revolutionary identity that is the first principle.

Some think that when we say "Islam" and "faith", we mean to close our eyes, deny everyone, and approach every word and thought with great frowns; like some of those deviants you saw in Afghanistan and today show themselves in the terrorist network in Iraq, considering the entire Islamic world outside of Islam! Frowns furrowed and eyes closed, they whirl swords around their heads and drag nations into blood and soil; that method is not our method.

The Islamic Iran has its own flag. We have someone like the Imam with those new, clear thoughts and innovations in all areas, even in jurisprudence; that the Islam that Islamic Iran presents comes sweetly to the nations like sugar and spreads everywhere, the reason for this is that. When Iranian talent, taste, understanding, and wisdom engage in the analysis and understanding of religion, these good fruits emerge. Islamic and religious identity and adherence to it mean this.

The second principle is justice. The existential philosophy of ours is justice. That we create an economic growth program and then think about justice after achieving two or three economic growth programs is not logical. Economic growth must proceed alongside justice; they must plan and find the way. Now, what is justice? Of course, there may be differences of opinion among individuals, groups, or factions regarding the definition of justice; but there are certain certainties: reducing disparities, providing equal opportunities, encouraging the righteous, and restraining the aggressors against national wealth, establishing justice in the prevailing governance - appointments, judgments, opinions - bringing the remote and impoverished areas of the country under supervision like the center of the country, distributing the financial resources of the country to all, considering everyone as owners and possessors of these resources, are among the certainties and agreements of justice that must be implemented. Therefore, justice is a principle and requires decisiveness. Justice cannot be achieved with "I die, you die"; justice cannot be achieved with politeness; first, it requires decisiveness, secondly, it requires connection with the people, thirdly, it requires simplicity and being down-to-earth, and above all, it requires self-cultivation and refinement; this is also among the prerequisites and preconditions for the implementation of justice. First, we must correct ourselves and give ourselves a good wash, so that we can implement justice; this is our duty.

We must truly fight against the privileged and corruption.

The third principle is the preservation of political independence. This is very important; this is among the fundamental principles of the system. This independence is political, economic, and cultural. We must free ourselves from the tentacles of cultural octopuses imposed by the West; this is also one of our principles. Any movement, current, slogan, or planning that does not consider the independence of the country and the nation is not principled.

The fourth principle is to strengthen self-belief and national self-confidence. This self-confidence is everywhere. We have seen examples of it in the field of experimental sciences, one of which is nuclear technology, one is the production of stem cells, and one is the good works that have been done in various sectors, and I do not want to specify and state them prematurely, as it is also beneficial for the advancement of human knowledge. Of course, these are only part of the work. National self-confidence and self-belief are not limited to the fact that we can build dams; we can build power plants and we can initiate large projects without foreign assistance; rather, we must have self-belief in politics, philosophy, popular innovations, and moral values as well. Look! Others engage in a foolish, insane act like bullfighting in their streets, causing casualties, ridiculing themselves; but they take pride in it, claiming it is our national tradition! The act is wrong; but self-belief is good; they do not feel ashamed. Now, suppose we have an Islamic tradition that we have logical reasons for and we have accepted it, we should not feel ashamed in performing it. I do not want to give examples now; but there are cases where it is not appropriate to give examples; it may involve getting into details in some issues; but you can find numerous examples.

In moral values: a constant cultural struggle against the chronic and imposed self-abandonment that has been imposed on this country for several decades. The greats and flag bearers of culture and politics in this country, at a certain time and with a united voice, shamelessly said that Iranians are pure zeros! And if they want to find meaning, they must stand aside from Western culture. The first pioneers of the intellectual caravan of our country and the most famous politicians of the Qajar and Pahlavi eras explicitly stated this, and some who did not say it acted in this way, and this became a chronic disease in our society; we must fight against this.

The fifth principle is scientific jihad. I emphasize - this is among the foundations of principled governance - "scientific jihad." For several years, I have repeated: the movement for the production of knowledge must be initiated in the country. I am happy; when I encounter students and youths who often speak and express their thoughts, I see that they raise the issue of the production of knowledge and the connection between knowledge and industry, and the support of the government for scientific advancements and innovations as their expectation from us. I say I am very happy, and these are our words, and now it has become common among the academic community; however, this is not enough; we must move towards great works. You see! There is a time when you can build an airplane that others have invented and built, without external help; this is very good; this is better than buying a manufactured airplane; but there is a time when you produce something in your country at the level of an airplane; this is what we need; we must add to the wealth of human knowledge. They should not say it cannot be done; it can be done. One day humanity did not know the technology of the smallest things - nanotechnology - and then it became known. Today, there may be a hundred fields that humanity does not know; but they can be known and progress can be made. Of course, it requires prerequisites; but those prerequisites can also be provided with effort. One day in the group of youths and university people, I said my expectation is not too much; I expect from you, the academic community of the country, that in fifty years - fifty years, half a century - you will be among the top scientific ranks in the world; is this too much to expect from a talented nation? But if we want this to happen, we must work hard from now on. The condition is not to be lazy; not to be negligent; not to tire; not to be afraid of entering this path and to provide opportunities and nurture scientific elites. In some areas, we are not far from the world; in those areas - like the ones I mentioned, fortunately, our distance from the advancements of the world and those peaks of movement is not great - we can double our efforts; this is also a task. Therefore, this is among the duties of the government; it must provide the field. These youths are thirsty for work and understanding, provided that the facilities are made available to them. Thanks be to God, we also have good professors. There was a time at the beginning of the revolution when we had a shortage of professors in this country; but today, thanks be to God, there are plenty of professors, and today the majority of them are nurtured by the embrace of this nation and have grown in this climate.

The sixth principle is the stabilization and assurance of freedom and free thought. Freedom should not be misunderstood. Freedom is one of the greatest divine blessings, one of its branches is free thought. Without free thought, social, scientific, intellectual, and philosophical growth is impossible. In seminaries, universities, and cultural and media environments, booing someone who brings a new idea is one of the greatest mistakes; let them think freely. Of course, I do not endorse a misunderstanding of freedom; I do not endorse leaving the enemy's hand open inside to continuously produce poisonous gas and blow it into the cultural or political atmosphere of the country; I do not tolerate silent overthrow - as the Americans themselves said and their agents foolishly and naively expressed it here years ago - but the expansion of freedom and the freedom of the field for the cultivation of thought, knowledge, and understanding has nothing to do with these. A subtlety is needed for a person to distinguish these two areas from each other and to define their boundaries. Freedom and free thought are among the fundamental principles of principled governance.

The seventh principle is the reform and correction of methods; reforms. Reforms are among the foundations of principled governance. I think it was last year when I met with youths and university students in Kerman, I said that principled reforms and principled governance are intertwined. The reforms that are to be carried out according to American standards in the country are like the same reforms of Reza Khan. You know that Reza Khan, in the most important sections and years of his reign, had the slogan of reforms! All the atrocities and crimes you know from the era of Reza Khan were carried out under the name and banner of reforms; read the documents left from the era of Reza Khan. They would dismiss individuals because they said these are against reforms; they would bring individuals to power because they said these are believers in reforms. The reforms that are carried out according to Reza Khan's standards, according to American standards, and according to Western cultural standards are not reforms; they are corruptions. I have spoken about this in several speeches at Friday prayers and elsewhere over the past three or four years. Reforms must be regulated and based on Islamic and Iranian values and standards. The standard of reforms is the constitution; based on this, we must reform; we need reforms. Reforms are the correction of our methods; the correction of our interim goals; the correction of our decision-making; being biased against unjust decision-making is wrong. This is different from breaking structures and fighting against the constitution, fighting against Islam, and fighting against the independence of a country.

The last principle - which, of course, is not the last in this short list I am presenting - is economic flourishing; addressing the lives of the people and addressing the economy of the country. We need to support investment; entrepreneurship must be promoted; domestic production must be encouraged; serious battles must be fought against smuggling and corruption; employment must be pursued as a fundamental basis and an important goal; stability, transparency, and coherence of economic policies and regulations must be ensured - economic regulations that today say one thing, and tomorrow change it, are of no use - our economic regulations and laws must have both stability so that people can plan based on them, and they must be coherent and compatible with each other and transparent. Global marketing is one of the most important tasks for the economic flourishing of the country - which is among the tasks we have not done and is among our shortcomings - and complete information dissemination about activities and programs; we must keep these in mind. Of course, the fundamental strategic programs of the country must not be overlooked; the issue of reliable currency reserves so that the country can cope with economic and currency shocks; securing production resources and investment; strategic programs for the production and transfer of water and energy in the country are among the issues that we will feel our need for them sharply in the coming years; these must be pursued with seriousness; these are among the same issues of economic flourishing of the country. Addressing regional cooperation - the same works that are currently being done; ECO, Shanghai, etc. - are necessary things. We must pursue these things with seriousness and put in effort. We must also make optimal use of oil. Experts say - I am not an expert; the statistics and figures are from the experts - that the fifty or sixty billion we earn from oil sales is obtained through nine hundred billion dollars of exports and trade; this is very important. We waste this income we earn from oil on the daily issues of life; this does not make sense; these must be done with proper calculations. We waste this oil; of course, this is not a problem of today or yesterday; for decades, the foundation of the economy and progress of the country has been based on this method, and it cannot be changed overnight. I told the officials of that day ten or twelve years ago that the day a person feels satisfaction in the oil issue is when the country can declare on its own that I deem it appropriate to reduce my production today; today I want to close a certain number of wells in the country according to the interests of the country; today I want to reduce my oil exports to this extent and use oil in non-fuel applications - fuel is the worst use of oil, and the world is discovering and advancing better uses for oil than fuel - that day we can be happy and satisfied with oil.

We also have imposed challenges; both from our own weaknesses and from the outside. Let us set aside any hesitation; today, the most important external imposed challenge we face is from America; do not have any doubt about this. They have been planning for the Middle East since the nineteenth century - not the Americans, the West - because the Middle East is the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Mediterranean Sea is the location of colonial governments, and the Indian Ocean is the area of colonies; and the Middle East is located between these two sensitive areas, which they could not be indifferent to. The pressures of England on Iran and its influence in the nineteenth century were carried out to protect India - which at that time was part of the British Empire - and we became victims of India; and this applies to the entire Middle East. The emergence of Israel also stems from this. Then, various other factors emerged: the issue of oil, the issue of the division of Ottoman possessions after World War I, and the emergence of the Soviet Union, all of which intensified the matter. The West, and then the last inheritor of the West - America - have plans for the Middle East. Now, in this sensitive region, which has oil and is a strategic and geopolitical area, suddenly a government named "the Islamic Republic" has emerged, with its principles and in opposition to the oppressive foundations and aggressive policies of America. Some say: Why do you provoke America? The nation provoked America; you provoked it; you established the Islamic Republic, and America was provoked, what should we do about it? In the first ten years, they began with a hard overthrowing conspiracy - the imposed war and economic sanctions - but they could not do anything. The imposed war and economic sanctions, each in their own way, became an opportunity for the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic. The dark clouds they cast over the Iranian nation brought beneficial rains for the Iranian nation. The war made us determined and steadfast; economic sanctions made us think of self-reliance and brought us all these blessings. In the following period, they pursued soft overthrowing - cultural invasion and cultural blitz - which also did not lead to anything, and after many years, the result is that now a government based on principles and with principled slogans comes to power, which is evident that cultural invasion could not achieve what they wanted. After this, other conspiracies are on the way, and we must protect ourselves. Part of this protection comes from unity, faith, and the application of reason and knowledge. I emphasize that if a person closes their eyes and sets off, nothing will progress; we must move forward with open eyes, with focused attention, with united words, and by utilizing all opportunities. All problems will be solved one after another; peaks will be conquered one after another.

Of course, I have recommendations regarding management issues and what is the responsibility of officials and managers, and I have noted them, but there was no opportunity, and God willing, we will have another opportunity for them. Regarding current issues, Mr. Ahmadinejad has mentioned matters about nuclear energy and the European package, which are the same points that the gentlemen have stated.

O Lord! Make what we have said and what we have heard for You and in Your way; accept it from us by Your grace. O Lord! Make our actions and behavior pleasing to You; make us capable and successful in what You will question us about on the Day of Resurrection and in the difficult questioning of Barzakh; illuminate our hearts with the light of Your knowledge and guidance; strengthen our bond with You day by day; strengthen our bond with the people, with the believers, and among ourselves day by day.

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