Message on the Occasion of the Arrival of the Year 1371 Solar Hijri

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

O Transformer of hearts and eyes. O Director of day and night. O Changer of conditions and states. Change our condition to the best of conditions.

I sincerely congratulate my dear compatriots on the blessed Norooz, especially the self-sacrificing individuals to whom our nation owes much, and the dear families of the martyrs, the war-disabled of the imposed war and their families, the freed captives and prisoners and the missing and their families, and also all the combatants and those who endured the difficult trials of the war era with all their being; whether they were from the army, the Revolutionary Guards, or the vast millions of the Basij.

This year, fortunately, we can also congratulate some other nations who officially celebrate this holiday freely. I extend my congratulations to the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the people of Tajikistan, the people of Uzbekistan, the people of Turkmenistan, and also many other people in the countries of the region who honor and celebrate Norooz.

I take this opportunity to send greetings to the pure soul of our great Imam, Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), who was the inspirer of this public enthusiasm and the unifier of hearts and minds throughout the Islamic world and the region, and I pray for forgiveness for his great soul.

This year's Norooz coincides with the blessed month of Ramadan, especially the blessed days and nights of Qadr, and also with the auspicious birth of Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba, peace be upon him. We hope that the transformation of nature in this spring will be accompanied and coincident with moral and spiritual transformation and spiritual elevation in all of us.

A complete holiday for a nation is when the individuals of the nation can build their inner selves with hope, faith, vitality, work conscience, awareness, and knowledge. They should also be able to strengthen their relationship with Almighty God and solidify spirituality within themselves through prayer and seeking help from God, with reliance, humility, and worship, to illuminate their hearts and souls and reach the hope, confidence, and tranquility necessary for human happiness. In such a situation, a nation will no longer be vulnerable to the events of the times. God willing, in this new year, and especially in this blessed month of Ramadan and these days and nights of Qadr, we can achieve such successes.

The year that passed was a year of great events on a global scale, and naturally, we were not completely unaffected by the effects of these events. These events had sweet and desirable effects and occasionally undesirable effects. Of course, the country's officials strive to increase the sweet and desirable effects in the face of global events and reduce the undesirable and occasionally bitter effects as much as they can.

One of these events was the disintegration of the great empire and the country of the Soviet Union and the decline of a superpower, which truly counts as a great event in our time and history. This event is significant for several reasons: Firstly, because it allowed countries and nations that gained their independence and freedom to include Muslim countries and nations among them. Millions of Muslims in this region and in our neighborhood were able to openly and explicitly express their Islamic aspirations, ideals, and culture, which they had been deprived of for decades. Secondly, the decline of a superpower in the current era, which was the era of superpowers' dominance on the global stage and in the lives of nations, is an event that can give hope to weak nations; it can be a lesson for the wise of the world and kindle a light of hope in the hearts of many people around the world.

Another important event in the past year was the awakening of Muslims and the intensification of Islamic movements in various countries, which we had complete news of last year, and our dear nation heard these news.

Among the sweet events for us last year was the increase in the influence and credibility of our dear country on a global scale. Our country played a prominent role in international events, and global attention was drawn to it. This led to the expansion and development of positive political, economic, and cultural relations with healthy countries around the world, which was very good for us. All of this is due to the sacrifices and efforts of those who have strived wholeheartedly in various fields and arenas over the years. The greatest credit in this regard goes to our great nation and our brave and free people who have kept the scenes of the revolution alive with their presence over the years, allowing the revolution to gain the necessary prominence in the world and in the eyes of the nations of the world.

The noticeable domestic issue last year was the government's and officials' efforts to rebuild the country. Over the past year, they either started good foundational work or brought major projects to fruition. Naturally, for the prosperity and economic development of the country and also for the eradication of poverty and unemployment, the fundamental issue is that major and primary projects are implemented and launched in the country. This is something that, thanks be to God, was done in the past year. That is, a significant portion of the intended projects were started or are in the design, implementation, and utilization stages, which, of course, will continue, by God's grace, in the coming years as well.

What I can say in these days regarding the past year, which we have seen the end of, is that last year, in terms of global events and domestic issues, was a year full of events and activity for us, and many successful efforts were made. It is certainly necessary to repeat and recall the very great political victory of our nation in the United Nations' statement regarding the imposed war and that Iraq was the initiator of the war. Eight years of arduous struggle and effort by this nation gained a different color and appearance in the world with this global testimony. Although truth-seekers and truth-seers knew the truth of the matter before this testimony, and our nation was more aware of its righteousness and oppression than anyone else, nevertheless, this nation needed this clear testimony from the most official international organization.

In any case, it was a successful year. Thanks be to God, we had many relative successes and took steps forward. Of course, no one can ever claim that we have reached the complete goals of this many years of effort. Rather, we have taken steps towards those goals, and God willing, our nation will also reach its ultimate goals.

The recommendation I want to make at the beginning of this year to all our dear nation and officials is that both the nation and the officials and the serving government should strive to expand and deepen this unity and solidarity and this bond of sincerity and affection that exists between the government and the people.

Our dear nation must continue its strong and powerful presence in the scenes of the revolution, which has been the solution to all the problems of this country and has been able to draw the world's attention to our righteousness. In the coming days, we have Quds Day, where the presence of the people in the march of this day is very important. We also have the issue of elections in the near future, where the presence of the people is very important and decisive. In the future, in all areas, including reconstruction and various collaborations with the government, there are many stages where the nation must show its presence in all these stages. I also ask the dear government and hardworking and serving officials to plan for the quality of the people's presence in the reconstruction of the country and organize them for the reconstruction of the country. I recommend to everyone that work should be considered a high value. Today, truly, work, in any front it may be, is considered a jihad. Those who work for themselves should strive to ensure that their work is in line with the country's goals, the nation's interests, and the public good. People must maintain their unity. They must preserve the heartfelt unity and the solid foundation of national unity, which is very valuable and precious. The remedy for the nation's pains, in the long term and short term, is unity and solidarity.

I especially recommend that people refrain from extravagance, whether during the holidays or throughout the coming year, and especially in ceremonies where they usually fall into extravagance. Excessive and unnecessary consumption is generally done by affluent classes because weaker classes are not able to consume excessively. Consumption by one class is detrimental to the country. It has economic, social, psychological, and moral harms. I have repeatedly said, and I say again, and I ask that consumerism be abandoned. Consumption should be measured, not to the extent of extravagance and excess. This measure varies at different times. Today, many classes of people and families are in difficulty and trouble, and the effects and benefits of the country's reconstruction have not yet fully manifested and its blessings have not reached everyone. The measure is that one should get as close as possible to these classes. The dear officials of the country, whether governmental, judicial, or others, especially must observe this principle more than others.

I hope that Almighty God will bestow His blessings upon you, the people; make this holiday truly blessed for you, and make this year a year of beauty, grandeur, greatness, happiness, and true joy for you.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings