Speech in Meeting with Minister, Officials, and a Group of Jihad-e Sazandegi Warriors along with a Group of People

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

First, I sincerely thank all of you brothers and sisters who have kindly come from near and far, and have formed this great assembly on the day of remembrance of the martyrs of the Bloody Hajj, especially the esteemed families of the martyrs and the disabled - the dear ones of the revolution and the nation - and also the dear people of the earthquake-stricken areas. Last year, around these days, these brothers and sisters and the people of those areas were in a great test. We hope that God will grant the people of Gilan and Zanjan and all the earthquake-stricken areas patience, perseverance, diligence, hope, and trust in divine assistance, and completely remove the effects of that grief and public calamity from the face of those regions.

I also thank you dear warriors of Jihad who have come from various parts of the country. This blessed and enduring institution is truly a gift from Almighty God to the people of this country. These warrior brothers have performed very valuable struggles both during the war and in non-war times. Jihad is truly one of God's blessings in this country. We hope they will succeed and that their services and struggles for this great and deserving nation will always continue and persist.

What should be addressed today regarding the issues of the revolution is precisely the matter of the country's construction. If the Islamic Revolution can eliminate the ominous effects of the domination of tyrannical powers in this country, then it has fulfilled its greatest duty. What are these ominous effects of the era of tyrannical domination? Primarily, it is the poverty, backwardness, and ignorance in many parts of our country. This talented and intelligent nation, this land rich and endowed in every way, and the Islamic teachings leading this nation, all of these should have made Iran one of the most prosperous, and its people one of the richest nations in the world today; but we know that this has not happened.

What caused this talented nation to fall so far behind in the caravan of knowledge and wisdom over the long years - perhaps over one or two centuries or more? Certainly, the domination of untrustworthy hands over this nation, and these oppressive, despotic, and short-sighted rulers over these years, brought these calamities upon this country, and thus the matter of development and construction remained halted. If Islamic laws are implemented in a country and an Islamic government is established, it will remove these obstacles from the people's path. The Islamic Revolution in Iran must perform this great art and miracle.

Of course, we had almost ten years of war during the twelve-year period of the revolution's victory. From before the start of the Iraq war to after its end, the superpowers and tyrants and those whose tables the revolution had overturned, exerted all kinds of pressures on our revolution, nation, and country. Those who had been slapped by Islam created problems for the Iranian nation as much as they could during the past ten or eleven years.

The youth, scientists, and talented individuals in this country must strive to compensate for the hundred-year and two-hundred-year backwardness. What the oppressive kings and dependent regimes could not do, you must accomplish; and that is to strive among this nation and this country to revive talents, develop the country, and eliminate the ruins. Worthy and knowledgeable individuals must be trained, universities must train skilled specialists, to remove this dust of oppression that the enemy has cast on the face of many areas of our country.

We do not oppose using the knowledge and experience of other countries and nations; but our point is that the one who must build this country is the Iranian and the native. A foreigner will not care for your home; you must care for your own home. Ambitious Iranians, youth, scientists, specialists, skilled minds, and outstanding individuals, the general public, arms and hands of labor, must strive to build Iran.

Of course, we must use the experience and knowledge and expertise of others; we do not close the door to learning. Wherever there is knowledge and experience in the East and West of the world, we will go to bring it into our service. This is Islamic and the command of Islam, and there is no opposition to it; but the burden is on your shoulders. This is our message today.

We do not only have the ruins caused by war, earthquake, and flood. Many places have not been reached by war, earthquake, or flood, yet they are ruins; worse than war, earthquake, and flood. Over the past two hundred years, the rule of the cursed Pahlavi dynasty and the rejected Qajar dynasty over this country has destroyed the country, which has been worse than war, earthquake, and flood.

The task is great, the burden is heavy; but it is on your shoulders and those of these faithful and capable youth. Our youth must prepare themselves. Our warriors, students, and specialists, and government agencies must also use them to build and model this country.

The Islamic society has both spiritual and material life. The Islamic society enriches the religion, ethics, culture, and knowledge of the people, and also pays attention to their material life, livelihood, work, production, extraction, and invention. In an Islamic society, all of these are provided. We must pursue such a movement.

Today, thanks be to God, the programs of the country's officials and the work of this serving government are in this direction and on this path. Everyone should help the government in serving the goals of the revolution and in the path of the country's construction. Revolutionary institutions and this very institution of Jihad-e Sazandegi have been in the thoughts of the country's officials and above all in the thoughts of our great Imam (may his soul be sanctified). This thought still exists; it is not finished. If you strive, Almighty God will also help. This is a divine promise and it will certainly happen.

We hope that Almighty God will help and guide this country and the entire nation; may He include the soul of our dear and great Imam in His blessings; and may He immerse the martyrs of the Bloody Hajj four years ago and also the deceased of last year's earthquake in His mercy.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings