Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with Government Employees on the Occasion of Government Week and Employee Day

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

Dear brothers and sisters, who are a part of the vast, hardworking, and devoted group of employees across the country, welcome. Designating a day as Employee Day was a beneficial act. We hope that on this day and occasion, an opportunity arises for those involved to elucidate some of the important issues related to government employees throughout the country; to recognize the value of being an employee and working in the institutions, and to explain the importance of this work.

Today, on this occasion, among you dear ones who have made the effort to come here, the first thing I wish to say is 'well done' to you, the group that forms the large, active, and hardworking body of the Islamic Republic's government. This is an expression of our respect towards the employees; however, the divine reward and acceptance and the blessings and grace of God upon the devoted and hardworking individuals are far more valuable. What is important is that both the employees themselves and the general public know how significant being an employee is in a rightful, just, and popular system. This is very important.

It makes a difference who one is an employee for and which institution one works for. When an individual, at any level of education, works for the Islamic system and a popular system whose goal is to expand justice, security, and welfare, all of which are summarized in the exaltation of the word of Islam; meaning the Islamic government is one that elevates human spirituality, expands justice and security in human societies, and ensures the welfare of various segments of the people; working for such a system is very significant and, in terms of human and Islamic values, is a very distinguished task, regardless of what the work may be.

Of course, some tasks have more importance and value; their reward is also greater. Some employees endure more hardship; they show more dedication. Naturally, the value of their work is greater in the eyes of God. Overall, government work and being a government employee, at any level, for the Islamic system—which, as we said, is a popular system, a system of justice, a system of the exaltation of the word of Islam, a system of spreading spirituality, and a system of creating welfare for the people—is an honor. It is fitting for anyone to be proud to work in such a collection. How different this is from working in a collection with treacherous goals or one that is dependent on the enemies of Islam!

Today, in the Islamic system, the issue of being an employee is this. Today, thanks be to God, the people of Iran witness that the serving government has achieved numerous successes in its constructive activities throughout the country. That is, if one is fair and looks around, in every corner of this country, the signs and movement of construction are noticeably observed; especially in matters that have significant and great effects for the future of the country. It can even be said that some of them transform and advance the life of a nation. This is among the honors of the serving government.

Who does these tasks? This is a point that all the people of Iran must pay attention to. Who are the administrative apparatus and today's officials of the country at various levels? They are the same group that is busy working and striving in various departments and ministries. Managers in one way, non-managers in another, and various levels of employees, each in their own way, strive. That is, at various levels, from the highest executive level of the country—the President, ministers, and senior government officials—to each and every employee of these sectors, all share and participate in these honors. People view the issue of being an employee of government institutions in this way.

Of course, in all sectors, there are people who do not appreciate their position and, with a move or action, discredit others. There are such people among the clergy, in the military, in various sectors, and among employees as well, and the country's employee apparatus and administrative and governmental institutions must be vigilant, ensuring that inappropriate individuals do not, with their bad actions, both create public disillusionment with the employee environment and discredit all the honorable, hardworking, respectable, serving, and dedicated people in the employee environment with their actions. The employee environment is one of honor and purity and an environment for working for Islam and Muslims. This must be noted.

The nature of an employee's work is service. Of course, in a healthy system, even those who have independent jobs may serve society in some way; but how different is that from someone who spends all their life and time for the current affairs of the country? The employee environment is such an environment. An employee—whether sisters or brothers—means someone who dedicates all their life, to the extent of their capabilities, to managing the affairs of the country. This is very valuable.

Of course, I have two recommendations for you dear ones to pay attention to:

One is to know that today the government of the Islamic Republic is not an ordinary government; it is a government with great goals and outstanding tasks. There is a difference between a country whose officials want to manage its current affairs in a 'whatever happens' manner and a country whose officials want to bring about a fundamental transformation in the country and save the people's lives from the miserable state that the despotic and monarchical dominations over time, especially the dependent and corrupt Pahlavi kings and the late Qajar, had created. They had truly disgraced Iran and Iranians in the world and brought everything in this country to decline. In such a context, men have girded themselves with determination and taken on the administration of the country's affairs, shouldering heavy burdens, and want to transform the people's lives from that situation to the state of an advanced, honorable country enjoying dignity and honor at international levels, and bring this country and this great nation to the position it deserves; because you are both Iranian and Muslim. Being Muslim means having many outstanding advantages, and being Iranian indicates brilliant talents and capabilities.

Where is what is required by our being Muslim and Iranian? In the world, in the past seventy, eighty, or a hundred years of history before the revolution, where are the signs of these greatnesses seen? Whatever you look at in the history of the eighty, ninety years before the revolution, it is either the corruption of officials, the treachery of statesmen, the interference of foreigners, or the humiliation of the Iranian nation. In our past history in this century, there is no news of Islamic and Iranian greatness. Today, an Islamic system, thanks to the revolution and the devoted and hardworking statesmen, is rapidly moving towards the prominent position that befits the character of this nation. You are an employee of such a government. This is different from a government that manages a normal daily life. Therefore, when the goals are great, the work becomes sensitive.

I want to tell all of you brothers and sisters who are here and all government employees across the country: in the work environment, try to use all your abilities, talents, and initiatives. This is necessary. Use all your intellectual and practical power in the work environment. Do not let any hour of your work hours pass in idleness or underperformance. Do not allow such a thing to happen in the work environment where you are engaged. If all the individuals who are working in this vast government apparatus today use their initiative, power, sincerity, and intellectual and spiritual abilities, the government's work will be faster and better, and the progress will be more and in line with the great steps that the Islamic Republic government and the sacred Islamic system have ahead today. This is my first recommendation to you government employees: use your time, resources, talents, and abilities. Each government employee at various levels—from the highest levels to the lowest levels—even at the level of that low-ranking employee who performs a small service task in a certain department, can perform their work diligently, with initiative and precision, and double the output of their work.

The second recommendation is: My dear ones! Those who are enemies of the Islamic Republic system do not suffice with accusing the officials and prominent figures of the system. They direct accusations at the entire administrative apparatus of the Islamic Republic. You must be vigilant and clear the administrative apparatus of these accusations. Do not let individuals who neither care about God, conscience, honor, and ethics, nor about their own fate and—by extension—nor about the fate of the rest of the government employees, tarnish the image of the employee, God forbid, in the eyes of others; with the claim that the employee does not work, the employee is greedy, and so on!

Of course, the media must also pay attention. The media should not, under various titles, spread any nonsense about employees and tarnish this hardworking and devoted group, who work so hard and bear the heavy administrative burden of the country and keep the wheels of government work turning, with various titles. You have a greater responsibility. Be vigilant and do not let greedy individuals, God forbid, accuse this content and honorable, hardworking, and dedicated group. The enemy is waiting for an excuse to act hostile.

In the corrupt and vile monarchical system, from top to bottom—except for a few individuals—corruption was rampant. Of course, even in the employee environment of that day, there were truly honorable people. We knew individuals—whether in executive sectors, judicial sectors, or the armed forces—who were honorable and decent people; but those honorable people fought in their work environment to preserve their honor. What does this mean? It means that the general tendency of the apparatus at that time was corruption. Why? Because corruption was from top to bottom. When the minister is corrupt; when the top contractor of the country is in cahoots with foreigners; when the head of the country—who is the king at the time—is a bribe-taker from foreigners and from his own people and from others who can be bribed, the condition of the rest of the people is clear!

In that corrupt and corrupting system, whose stench spread everywhere, none of these international critics would open their mouths; but today, if you look at the foreign radios that are the mercenaries of the Zionists and work for them, you will see that in most of their words, they do not forget to sting the employee sector and the class of government officials! Why? Because they are opposed to this system; because they want to discourage and disable the employee class, which is the hands and arms and fingers of this serving government.

Today, global arrogance is seriously bent on opposing the people of Iran. They do not explicitly say that we are enemies of the Iranian nation; but the truth is this. A few years ago, a U.S. government minister explicitly said that we must eradicate the Iranian nation! What foolishness is this?! Can this nation be eradicated?! Arrogance, this is its nature. They sit there and entertain the foolish notion of eradicating a nation! You yourselves will be eradicated, your arrogance will be eradicated.

Today, they do not want to explicitly say that we are against the Iranian nation. They say we are against the government and the Islamic Republic system! But their opposition to the Islamic Republic system is because they do not want this great movement that the Iranian nation has started after the revolution, to create a transformation based on Islamic thought, to build a society based on the just teachings of the Quran, to elevate the standard of living of a nation based on monotheistic and divine thought, to exist in the world; because it destabilizes their bullying and tyranny in the world and disrupts the empire of arrogance. They are enemies of this. They pass laws to 'punish Iran,' as they put it! Who are you to punish?! Are you the head of the world that you want to punish the people of the world?! Arrogance, this is what it means.

We say to those who stood against the U.S. law of oil sanctions against Iran and Libya; these European and Asian governments that almost stood against this American law worldwide, understand the message of the Islamic Revolution, the message of opposition to arrogance, this is it. The content and essence of the Islamic Revolution is that it is meaningless for a government and a nation to step beyond their borders and dictate to the people of other nations and the companies of other countries! We say arrogance, this is what it means. We are opposed to this and we fight against it.

The Iranian nation, with the help of the Lord, has gained this growth, awareness, and insight to stand against arrogance and not be swayed by the clamor of arrogance. With the help of the Lord, the Iranian nation and government, in the face of all this noise that the apparatuses of arrogance create, continue their path with composure.

Today, a composed, calculated, and strong movement has begun in the country. That is, from the beginning of the revolution, according to the periods and conditions; whether on the day when our borders were attacked and it was the sacred defense of the Iranian nation, or after the war period until today, the nation continues its path, the officials continue their movement with composure and without regard to these noises, and take firm steps.

One day they said: without foreign experts, it is not possible. One day they said: you cannot. One day they said: Iranians are not capable. Of course, even now, the mercenaries of foreigners inside and outside say the same things; but the Iranian nation and the country's officials have proven that, thanks to Islam, they have both the capability, the competence, the initiative, the courage, the military power, and the political power. They move and will continue this path. The Iranian nation and the country's officials, by the grace of the Lord, with their constructive work, perseverance, and courage, will once again strike their firm revolutionary and political fist on the mouths of international babblers.

We hope God grants you all success. We hope God bestows His blessings on the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), who opened this path for the great people of Iran, and grants forgiveness, mercy, and grace to the martyrs of this path, especially the martyrs of the government and the late martyr Rajai and martyr Bahonar, who are two prominent figures of this path.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings