Statements in Meeting with Officials of the System on the Twelfth of Ramadan 1434

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 al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided and the Mahdi, especially the remaining one of God on the earth. We express our gratitude to the Almighty God for granting us life and the opportunity to experience another Ramadan. Among the blessings of this month is this warm and intimate gathering, where the officials of the country and the main servants of the system come together; it is both a meeting for friends and officials to connect with one another and a place to hear matters that, God willing, will be beneficial for the country, the people, and the public atmosphere of society. We thank our dear brothers and sisters for attending and forming this session; we also thank Mr. President for the detailed and comprehensive report he presented. We hope that the Almighty God grants success and reward to all officials, to all of you, and to all those who are engaged in providing services across the country, and that your efforts and services—wherever you are—are recognized in the divine scale of justice and rewarded by God. My main point in this session is that after every victory that the Almighty God grants to a person, one is obliged to express gratitude and thanks to the Almighty God. After God grants us success in a certain area, we are required to increase our supplication, reliance, and attention; this is our duty. He said: "When the victory of God and the opening comes, and you see the people entering into the religion of God in multitudes, then glorify the praise of your Lord and ask for His forgiveness; indeed, He is the Most Forgiving." (1) Victory is a divine favor; it should bring us closer to the Almighty God, revive our relationship with God, and increase our supplication before the Almighty God. We thank God; thanks be to God, the divine victories have continuously encompassed this people; the latest of these— which was a great victory—was the issue of the elections, the presence of the people. Both the Iranian nation in general and the officials of the country in particular were involved in this political epic and were recipients of this divine grace and victory. Now that divine victory has encompassed us and we have been able to establish this great epic— the effects of this great epic will gradually manifest themselves in various sectors— we must extend our hands of supplication and reliance to the grace of the Lord and express our gratitude to the Almighty God; especially since it is Ramadan; this is also an opportunity, this is also a success; this is also a favor that at this important moment of the political movement of the country, we are in the month of divine mercy, which He said: "And this is the month of repentance, and this is the month of forgiveness and mercy, and this is the month of liberation from the fire and winning paradise"; (2) these are among the supplications of the days of Ramadan. Ramadan is the month of repentance, the month of returning from the wrong path that we have taken with our sins and our negligence. The meaning of repentance is to turn back to God, and the meaning of returning (inaba) is to pay attention to the Almighty God for the present and the future. It has been said that the difference between repentance and returning is that repentance relates to the past, while returning relates to the present and the future. We must apologize to the Almighty God for our sins, mistakes, and wrongdoings in every aspect that we have committed, seek forgiveness, and return, and also return from the present and in the future; we must strengthen this heart relationship between ourselves and God. Ramadan is the month of mercy, the month of forgiveness. He said: "And this is the month of liberation from the fire"; liberation from the fire is, in fact, liberation from the very sins and mistakes that we commit. These sins of ours, our mistakes, are the very forms of the punishments of the Hereafter. If we commit injustice here, if we backbite, if we speak ill, if we exceed our limits, if we transgress our duties, each of these has a form in the Hereafter that will manifest itself in the Barzakh and in the Day of Resurrection in its specific forms; they will take shape; and these are divine punishments. He said: "O you who tear the skin of Joseph, if you rise from this heavy sleep." (3) Here, clawing at the hearts of this and that will result in the manifestation of divine punishment and the wolf rising from sleep there. "This is the month of liberation from the fire and winning paradise"; winning paradise is also this: we must correct our actions here, purify our hearts, perform our worship, perform our supererogatory prayers, uphold truthfulness, honesty, and friendship towards the believers, and fulfill our duties in various sectors; this is the very path to paradise that will manifest itself in the Hereafter, in the form of divine blessings promised to the believers and the pious. He said: "And remember your Lord in yourself, humbly and in fear"; (4) the remembrance of God with supplication is the foundation of all the good and all the blessings that a person can attain in this life. This remembrance of God should not be limited to times of hardship and difficulty; no, in times of ease, when a person has no material worries, this remembrance of God should be kept in the heart. When hardships befall us, we remember God. He said: "And when they embark on a ship, they call upon God, making their religion sincere to Him; but when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him." (5) In times of calamity, a person turns to God; when the calamity is removed, a person forgets. In various places in the Quran, repeatedly—perhaps ten times or more, which I have not counted—God complains about humans that when they face hardship, they pay attention; when the hardship is removed, they become negligent. Well, this blocks your path and halts your movement. In Surah Yunus, this topic is repeated twice; once with a strange tone, a tone of divine complaint against us; He said: "And when man is touched by harm, he calls upon Us, lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never called upon Us for any harm that touched him." (6) When the problem is removed, he moves as if he had not asked Us for anything and We had not granted him anything; sheer negligence! Then He says: "Thus was made pleasing to the transgressors what they were doing." (7) A stern tone and reprimand. Brothers and sisters! At all times, we must seek help from the Almighty God. The heart relationship between us and God must continue in times of ease, in times of comfort, in times of hardship, and in times of Karbala; this is the guarantee of human evolution, the guarantee of human elevation; this is what can lead us to the ultimate goal of creation. In our view, this supplication and reliance manifests itself in all areas of life. If this attention is towards God, there is no stagnation, no despair, no regression, and no stopping in various aspects of life. The prerequisites of action are also "patience" and "reliance". You are the officials of the country in various sectors; you have many responsibilities; your work is both worldly and otherworldly; that is, when you fulfill your duties, you are both developing the world and developing your inner selves. This action—which is both worldly and otherworldly—requires two elements: patience and reliance. The noble verse of the Quran states: "Indeed, the reward of the workers is good. Those who are patient and rely upon their Lord." (8) Patience means perseverance, steadfastness, resistance, not forgetting the goal. He said: "If there are twenty patient among you, they will overcome two hundred." (9) In the battlefield, in the arena of confrontation with the enemy, if you have patience, you can overcome the enemy with this ratio. We have repeatedly stated; in various global arenas, conflicts are often wars of wills; whichever side's will weakens first will be defeated. Patience means maintaining this resolve, this will. Reliance also means doing the work and asking for the result from God. It should not be thought—of course, in today's religious atmosphere, it is not thought; in the past, it was propagated, and such misconceptions were made—that reliance means to sit back and wait for God to deliver; no, reliance means to do the work and ask for the result from God; wait for the result from the Lord. Therefore, in the matter of reliance— as we say in seminary—"action" is taken into account. Well, the application of patience and reliance, in addition to personal actions, is also very important in managing the country. In personal actions, both our patience and our reliance apply: we must have patience and reliance in education, in administrative jobs, in sports, in managing family affairs, and in every personal task, it is the same. In managing the country and its administration—whether in macro management or in managing various sectors—patience and reliance play a role. Without patience and without reliance, it is impossible for a person to carry out the tasks that are assigned to him in the field of managing the country. With impatience, haste, lack of patience, laziness, and despair in the face of problems—these are all against reliance—great tasks cannot be accomplished, progress cannot be made, and the important responsibility of advancing the country cannot be fulfilled. Well, in the field of managing the country—where all of you are somehow involved in this work; in various economic, technical, cultural, scientific, and other sectors, you are the officials—if we want to apply patience and reliance, several essential and fundamental elements must be observed: First, the correct direction must be chosen. The direction must be chosen correctly; this is the compass, this is the main indicator. If we choose the wrong direction, if we make a mistake in choosing the direction, our multiplied efforts will not only not lead us to the result, but will also take us far from the path. He said: "Say, 'Shall we inform you of the greatest losers in deeds? Those whose effort is lost in this world.'" (10) Their efforts have been misguided; that is, they have not been done in the right direction. The direction must be chosen correctly. If this indicator does not exist, various efforts will take us further from the destination. Directions are important. On the fourteenth of Khordad this year, on the anniversary of the passing of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) at his holy shrine, I elaborated on the directions of the revolution based on the interpretation of the Imam—which is valid and binding for us. I explained the directions in domestic policy, foreign policy, cultural policy, and economic policy; these are based on the statements of the Imam and the texts of the Imam (may his soul be sanctified). Today, thanks be to God, throughout the country, our elites, our distinguished individuals, our officials, and all segments of our nation accept the Imam; they all choose the Imam as their indicator. Sometimes, a wrong interpretation of the Imam occurs, a wrong interpretation of the Imam's intended direction is made; this is also bad and dangerous. Fortunately, the Imam's clear evidence is before our eyes; the statements of the Imam, the voice of the Imam, the writings of the Imam, the works of the Imam are before our eyes. That day, I mentioned that the Imam's will, which is a concise summary of the Imam's directions, is accessible to everyone. Therefore, the directions are clear. We have no problem in recognizing the directions, nor do we need to sit down and specify something now. The Imam was a jurist, a sage, knowledgeable, wise, and spoke thoughtfully; with this thought, he brought this revolution into existence; he established this Islamic Republic and set clear and distinct lines. Therefore, the first task of any manager in any sector is to consider the correct direction. Second, all available tools must be utilized. All tools, all forces must be brought to bear. These directions must be translated into practical policies. General policies are part of these practical policies; the twenty-year outlook is part of these practical policies; the executive policies of the government in various sectors are part of these practical policies; the programs that governments and parliaments approve and plan to implement are part of these practical policies. Within these practical policies, the overall goals and directions must be clarified, play a role, and be highlighted. Third, attention to priorities is another element. There are many tasks; sometimes the manpower or financial resources are not sufficient for all needs; therefore, priorities must be considered. This is a task that we can undertake in management to realize patience and reliance. Let us take a general look at the country. Fortunately, the country is in a good phase. I must tell you; the transitions of government responsibilities are among the good phases of our country and political history. This transfer of governments is one of the great divine blessings upon us; one of the great opportunities that we have. A new breath, new initiatives, new works, new tastes and preferences come into the field—this is specified by the constitution—this is one of the opportunities. Of course, this opportunity can turn into a threat if it is acted upon differently; like what is observed in some countries, where the transfer of powers is accompanied by force, bloodshed, and violence; fortunately, this is not the case in our country. Of course, in 2009, some made a great mistake, placing the country on the edge of such a precipice, preparing such a problem for the country; but thanks be to God, the Almighty helped, and the nation was able to overcome this problem. In these consecutive years since the beginning of the revolution—except for that short period in 2009—the transfer of power and responsibility in the country has always been accompanied by comfort, happiness, and joy; this is a very important opportunity. Therefore, today, as the government is being transferred, a new assembly, a new group, new elements, new ideas, and new initiatives are entering the field; they must utilize what has been done so far and build upon the foundation that has been established until today, God willing, to advance the country. This is a very important opportunity, a good opportunity, and for our country, it is a celebration; that is, this transfer of powers is truly blessed. Every assembly that comes to power should look positively at the previous assembly. Well, you heard the comprehensive report of Mr. President, Dr. Ahmadinejad. Many works have been done, significant works have been accomplished. The next government may come and add the same amount of work or double this work or more to what has been done; what could be better for the country? The important thing is that the directions must be continued; I will, God willing, present some remarks to the officials and the nation regarding the continuity of directions in future opportunities; there is no need for that now, nor is it necessary. What is necessary today and should be given attention is a general look at our country and the general conditions of the country. We do not want to get caught up in details—there are many details—we should take a macro view of our dear country and the Islamic Republic, to see where we are and what we are. I have noted several elements here—six or seven elements—these are all realities: The first reality: Our country is one with an important geography. Our geographical position is one of the good geographical positions of the countries of the world. If we divide the countries of the world based on geographical position into several degrees, certainly Iran will be in the higher degrees or at the highest degree. From the perspective of geographical position, this is an advantage; we have this, it is a divine gift. The second reality is our historical and civilizational roots. Our ancient civilizational roots, our history, is a proud history; especially from the time of Islam onwards. Before Islam, there were also distinctions in the history of our country, but after Islam, these distinctions have increased significantly; in terms of science, industry, cultural issues, various political honors, and the development of the country; both qualitative and quantitative development. This is our history. Our scientific heritage in various fields of human knowledge and divine knowledge is a rare legacy. Truly, fewer countries in these ancient regions of Asia— in India, China, Egypt, and the like—have had such a legacy; now the Western regions do not have such a past. Therefore, we are among the distinguished and the best in terms of civilization; this is also a reality. The third reality is our remarkable natural and human resources. About twenty-some years ago, it was said that the oil reserves of the country would be depleted by a certain date— a specific period was specified—but discoveries in the field of oil and gas reserves have extended this period by about four to five times. In terms of metals, in terms of energy, in terms of various reserves that a country needs to manage itself, we are a rich country, an extraordinary country. In terms of human resources, it is the same. We have repeatedly said this—initially, we said it based on guesswork, later international statistics confirmed this—that we rank high in terms of human talent; that is, we are much higher than the average of the existing human societies in the world; our average is above the world average. Our talents, our youth are extraordinary; you see it. I may have said this repeatedly; with the information I have and the reports provided to me and the observations that exist, there is no field of various sciences and technologies where its infrastructure exists in the country and our youth and scholars cannot make significant contributions; wherever they cannot, the infrastructures have not existed; of course, these infrastructures must be created, and they are being created. This is our natural wealth and our human wealth. Another reality that must be observed alongside these realities is that we have suffered severe blows over the past two or three centuries; both from internal despotism and internal dictatorships, and from external aggressions. This is a reality that we have been hit. The history of the entry and influence of foreign powers in our country dates back to 1800 AD; that is, for two hundred and twelve years, the first foreign influence occurred through the British government of India; John Malcolm came to Iran—those who have reviewed its history know it—and the consequences that followed. The weakness of those governments in facing the influence and aggression of Western culture and Western politics and Western governments led to the passivity of the country, and gradually we became weak, suffering losses; this is also a reality. In assessing the issues of the country and understanding the current situation of the country, we cannot ignore this period. They dealt severe blows to us; they gained political influence, cultural influence, and plundered our resources. Unfortunately, no proper work has been done in this regard. Our researchers and historians must sit down and conduct a comprehensive and detailed study on the plundering of the economic resources of the country by foreign influential countries that entered here; like the British at one point, the Russians at another point, and others who were alongside them—of course, these were the main ones—then the Americans ultimately. The plundering of wealth, political domination, and the humiliation of the nation. What you have heard from the mouths of politicians and officials dependent on Western policies and despotic regimes regarding the humiliation of Iran and Iranians and that "we cannot" and so on, all stem from that cultural and political domination of the West over our country. These are among the realities. The fifth reality is national awakening in three phases. In three phases, we had a public and national awakening: first, the Constitutional Revolution; second, the national movement—Ayatollah Kashani and Dr. Mossadegh—and third, the Islamic Revolution. In those two phases, the Iranian nation was defeated. The Constitutional Revolution was an important uprising; however, they were defeated. In the national movement, they rose up and were defeated. Now, what are the factors of this defeat? These are lengthy and detailed discussions; each had its own factors. The third phase, the phase of the Islamic Revolution, is a national movement. Of course, there have also been movements and actions and non-public uprisings—like the Tobacco Movement and others—those were not national movements for fundamental change and transformation in the country; they were for specific issues. What can be said to be a national movement, a great action, are these three phases. The first two phases were defeated; however, the phase of the victory of the Islamic Revolution was a prominent phase that defeated the West and its opponents and brought them to their knees; and this was due to the blessing of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the character of the Imam and the blessings of the laws and regulations that our great Imam relied upon and established the Islamic Republic based on them and drew clear lines; this is a reality. Therefore, in the face of the losses we suffered over those two centuries—approximately—in the face of Western aggression, we also had this victorious confrontation with the West; this is also a reality. The sixth reality is the experience of progress in various fields. Some say in political matters—whether foreign policy, domestic policy, economy, or others—that one must be realistic. Well, these are the realities; these realities must be seen. One of the most important realities is the advancements of a country. Iran has changed so much from the time of the victory of the revolution—since 1979—until today that we do not see this level of change in other countries within this period; that is, I do not know of any. The advanced countries of civilization and industry and science have had a longer distance to reach this point we have reached today. As far as I know, it seems that this level of progress is less seen in the world or has not been seen. We have made progress in scientific fields—of which the President referred to a part today, and of course, our scientific advancements are much more than this; not that we say this as domestic officials; no, this is the judgment of global scientific centers— we have also made progress in political fields. In domestic politics, this new model of religious democracy that we have presented to the world, this elections, this transfer of executive power and legislative power in the country, is one of the greatest successes. Religious democracy is a healthy democracy; without the tricks and schemes that are common in the world. I regret that many of our youth are unaware of these schemes that are used in the world, in America, in the West, in Europe, regarding elections, which have the appearance of democracy but have a non-democratic essence. Good books have been written in this regard, written by Westerners; they should read these books, see how the election of a mayor or a governor in a certain state in America is done, then becoming a senator, then becoming president; how individuals are pushed into these arenas with what schemes; then compare it with here, where someone comes in front of the people, speaks with the people, sometimes without any executive background, attracts the people; a wave is created, people go to the ballot boxes, vote, choose, with these high percentages; this is a new model of democracy; this is our political progress. In foreign policy, it is the same. Today, the Islamic Republic has an undeniable role in various regional issues and fundamental issues of its region, which no one can deny. The issues of our region are also global issues; this should also be noted. Progress in domestic politics, the new model of democracy, the power of national choice; in foreign policy, these influences; these are realities. Progress in construction. The amount of work done in the field of construction in these thirty years is truly astonishing. Before the revolution, we went to various cities, to villages, to deprived areas, we saw the situation; we know how they worked at that time. Earthquakes would come—I myself had formed relief groups in several major earthquakes and worked there—I saw how they moved, how they worked; and now in the current period, you observe that if an earthquake occurs in a part of the country, if a natural disaster arises, and people face problems, how quickly relief is provided. This is unbelievable, but it is a reality. In the cultural field, it is the same. We have a complete 180-degree cultural shift compared to before the revolution and the era of tyranny; we do not discuss the details. From a macro perspective, it is a complete turnaround. Of course, if we work better, know more, and strive more, we will also succeed in the details. A hopeful future is another reality of the country. This young generation is very valuable. Last Ramadan, I mentioned a point here, and it was followed up briefly; not completely. The issue of population control is a danger for our country; I must tell you. Limiting the population is a great danger for our country. We have made significant progress in the region; we must return; we could have prevented this, but we did not. What specialists and experts have examined with scientific perspectives and careful scientific scrutiny leads us to the conclusion that with the current trend, the country will face many problems in the future; the country will face general aging. This population control is a bad thing. Of course, I heard that a plan is being reviewed in the parliament; however, as it has been conveyed to us, this plan does not suffice; this amount seen in this plan is not sufficient. Officials and those familiar with the requirements of this work in the parliament must pay attention and do it correctly. The seventh reality is that the country faces a hostile front. Like many other things and other arenas where we are in the world, in this area, we are also in the world! We do not have a country that has such a hostile opposing front in front of it; there is a front of reaction, a front of global arrogance, some leaders of Western countries, and some weak officials of regional governments; ultimately, there is a front against us. Of course, these have specific reasons, and they can be explained and analyzed— which is not the place here—but the reality is that such a front exists. Well, in confronting this front, relying on those realities, looking at those overall goals, we must decide. Every official in every sector must know how the future is in such conditions; they must be able to discern this. In our view, these realities show us the way forward. The initiatives that governments and managers of various sectors employ are opportunities for the country and divine blessings. The decade we are currently in—the fourth decade of the revolution—can truly be the decade of progress and justice. These realities that we observe all compel us to make this decade truly the decade of progress and justice. In advancing towards the ideal goals, the internal structure of power must be strengthened; this is the foundation of the work. If we want to continue this path and move towards this direction and pursue these goals and fix our eyes on these ideals and move forward and stand firm against these oppositions, we must strengthen and solidify the national power structure within the country. The elements of this solidity are some permanent elements and some seasonal elements. What is among the permanent elements is steadfast resolve; which we have mentioned. The officials of the country must maintain their decisions in the face of problems, preserve their steadfast resolve, and not become shaken. Moving towards ideals requires this steadfast resolve. It should not be that upon seeing the frown of the enemy, the displeasure of the enemy, the opposition of the enemy in various forms—its propaganda, its political, economic, and other forms—they become shaken. Both the steadfast resolve of the officials is necessary, and the steadfast resolve of the people is necessary. Of course, the latter—the steadfast resolve of the people—has its own requirements, which are now clear. If we want to maintain the steadfast resolve of the people, a series of duties must be fulfilled. However, what is seasonal—what is currently a priority for the country—is, in my opinion, the issue of the economy and the issue of science. The senior officials of the country, the policymakers of the country, those who are responsible for managing the fundamental affairs in the country must pay attention to these two main points for progress. The issue of the country's economy must be emphasized, and the issue of scientific advancement of the country must also be emphasized. Fortunately, attention to the economy is relatively general; everyone is paying attention. The economic epic has also been among the slogans of this year. We hope that just as the political epic was realized, the economic epic will also be realized with the efforts of the officials. Of course, economic work is not a short-term task; it is not a task of one month, two months, or one year; however, the movement must begin. I also emphasize the issue of science. In the past ten years, our scientific movement has been very good; scientific progress and the speed of progress have been very good; however, this speed of progress must not slow down. If we want to reach that desired level, if we want to reach the forefront of global knowledge, we must maintain this speed of progress. The second point in this regard is the issue of interaction with the world; which is often mentioned these days. We believe in interaction with the world. In interacting with the world, the counterpart must be understood; if we do not understand, we will be tripped up. We must not forget our history of enmity. A person may sometimes choose not to bring up a past issue; that is fine. You may be facing someone, wanting to do something, and you have a history with them, and you do not find it appropriate to bring it up; that is fine, but do not forget that history; if you forget it, you will be tripped up, you will be hurt. The Americans say they want to negotiate with Iran. Well, they have been saying for years that they want to negotiate; this is not an opportunity they have created for us. I said at the beginning of the year that I am not optimistic. In specific matters, I do not prohibit negotiation—like the specific issue we had in Iraq, and some other matters—but I am not optimistic; because my experience shows this. The Americans are both unreliable and illogical, and they are not honest in their dealings. This four-month period since our discussion has confirmed this; the positions of American officials have shown that what we said—that we are not optimistic—is correct; they themselves have practically confirmed this. The British have a different approach, and others have different approaches. Interaction with the world is not objectionable; we have always been inclined to interact with the world; however, in interaction, the counterpart must be understood; their schemes must be known; the fundamental and overarching goals must be kept in mind. An enemy may block your path and say you should not proceed from here. Compromise with them is not to accept and turn back; the art is to find a way to continue your path without them blocking your work; otherwise, if compromise and agreement mean that they say you must turn back, and you say very well, that is a loss. Attention to these aspects must be present among officials and statesmen. Of course, regional issues are also important issues, which occupy part of our minds and concerns; however, there is no time left. Dear brothers and sisters! You have endured and listened; we hope that the Almighty God grants all of you His favors. O Lord! Grant us the success of supplication to You in this month. Save us from the hell that we ignite for ourselves. O Lord! Guide us to good deeds and righteous actions. O Lord! Grant Your grace and favor to the Iranian nation, to the officials of the country, to those who have been working until today, and to those who will work tomorrow. Accept the efforts of those who have strived for this country and this nation. O Lord! Make those who intend to work for this country, to strive, to serve, successful in this work; guide them to the right path—the path that is pleasing to You. Make the sacred heart of the Awaited One pleased and satisfied with us. Make the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the pure souls of the martyrs pleased and satisfied with us. Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.