Statements in Meeting with a Group of Teachers, Nurses, and Workers

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

First of all, I welcome each and every one of my dear brothers and sisters. You have gathered today in this warm and sincere session, which is very meaningful, in this Hussainiyah. I send my greetings to the pure soul of Zainab al-Kubra (peace be upon her), who is one of the reasons for today’s three occasions; the day of the nurse. I also pray for the elevation of the ranks of our esteemed martyr, the late Ayatollah Motahhari, who is another reason and title for one of today’s occasions.

The three groups that have gathered here today constitute the most important segments of our society. One section is the education and training sector; the guardians of the children of this nation over many years; and those who can inscribe the first good or bad writings on the blank slate of our minds and the minds of our children: the teachers. Perhaps we cannot find a role higher than that of a teacher - in the common terminology of our time; that is, the primary school teacher, the guidance school teacher, the high school teacher - in this sense among all the professions in our society. The teachers who teach in higher educational institutions - whether in seminaries or universities - are of course very esteemed, up to the higher-ranking teachers; but the role of the teacher in education is an exceptional role; it is unique. The main structure of our existence, alongside family upbringing, is determined and created by these teachers who have been working with our children for these twelve years. The more we think about it, the more we see that this is very exalted, which necessitates that our society, our nation, our government, and our officials recognize the value of the teacher and understand that teaching in this sense is a very high value. The teachers themselves must rightly appreciate this role, consider it a divine blessing, and pay attention to the great work they are doing by divine will and permission.

The nursing sector is also, from another perspective, a very influential and important sector. The role of the nurse and also the midwife in the health system of the country is a very important role; it is a very significant role. If a compassionate and kind nurse is not beside the patient, the assumption that the physician's treatment will have no effect on that patient is very high. That angelic element that actually guides the patient through the long and difficult path of illness and its severity is the nurse. Each of us who has suffered from illness and has been through difficult surgeries - including myself - has felt and continues to feel this clearly. The role of the nurse is a revitalizing role; it is a life-giving role. The midwives have the same significance; their role in the health of the newborn and the mother is vital and decisive. Here, I also say to the nurses - both brothers and sisters - and also to the esteemed midwives that they should recognize the value of this service, this great blessing; just as the people should regard them with respect, they themselves should also view their profession with respect, as this self-respect, this recognition of their own worth, has a significant role in all sectors in the quality of work.

The role of the worker is also among the roles that are now almost recognized worldwide. Although the rights of workers are trampled in many parts of the world, the worker is, in fact, the central element in the organizational structure of activity within a society. The one who, with their own hands, eyes, brain, skills, and expertise, brings work to fruition, produces goods, and meets the essential needs of society is the worker. The more one reflects, the clearer the importance of these three groups becomes for humanity. Of course, the issue of work has two sides: the issue of the worker, the issue of managers and investors, all of whom are involved and influential in production.

What I am saying is that these three groups should recognize their own worth and dignity; this, in my opinion, is an important point. If the importance of the work that a person is engaged in becomes clear to them, there will be no negligence in their work; there will be no discouragement or despair among them. When we understand how important the work we are doing is for the life of society and the life of the country, this itself creates a force within us that overcomes all external obstacles.

Therefore, our first recommendation to all is that they should value the work assigned to them, with enthusiasm and interest - for whatever social or individual reason they have been drawn to that work - appreciate it, give it importance, and perform it correctly. We have repeatedly mentioned the saying of the great Prophet, who said: "May God have mercy on a person who undertakes a task and performs it with precision." This applies to me, to you, to each individual worker, teacher, nurse, and other professions and responsibilities. The work we have undertaken should be performed with precision and completeness.

Regarding the issue of work, what I have emphasized and continue to emphasize today is that we must align and promote our national culture towards the promotion of domestic production; this is very important. For many years, this culture has been injected into our nation that they should seek foreign products and goods. When it was said that this product is foreign, it was a complete argument for its superiority and quality. This culture must change. Of course, the quality of domestic production is effective in this, the unreasonable and excessive promotion of foreign products is effective in this, encouraging domestic entrepreneurs is effective in this, and the work ethic of the worker - whether a simple worker or an experienced worker or an engineer - is effective in this. The government has a role, the officials have a role, the workers themselves have a role, the entrepreneurs have a role, and the traders importing foreign goods have a role. Everyone must join hands to ensure that domestic production gains preference; that it gains value and that a culture prevails in our society and in our minds that values consuming domestic products. By consuming the products of a foreign worker, we are rendering a domestic worker unemployed.

All the officials of the country, the policymakers of the country, the advertising officials of the country, the entrepreneurs themselves, the workers themselves, the government, and the relevant sectors must pay attention to this point. Today, fortunately, many of the products and goods produced domestically are superior and sometimes much superior to their foreign counterparts. Why should we be indifferent to our own products? The day has passed when those affiliated with the power structure, with their venomous statements, instilled the notion that Iranians are incapable of production and manufacturing. They held Iran back. They harmed the spirit of innovation and the desire to work in the country. The revolution came and changed the situation. Today, our youth are performing the most complex tasks. All this infrastructure has been created in the country for great works; all these complex technical tasks are being carried out by the minds and innovations of Iranian youth. The officials are pursuing this work. Today, everyone must turn towards domestic products and productions; this must become a culture. Of course, an important part of this also relates to the job security of workers, which everyone must pay attention to; the worker must be carefree; they must be assured; they must have job security. Employers and workers, investors and workers, workshop managers and workers must work together fraternally to advance their tasks. This relates to the issue of work.

Regarding the issue of education and training, what I emphasize and insist on is primarily the need for reform in the education system; the same point that the esteemed minister also referred to, which we have emphasized many times in the past. Our education system is an imitative and outdated system; it has two bad characteristics. First, from the very first day that the education system was imposed on the country during the dark Pahlavi era and shortly before it, the needs and traditions of the country were not taken into account. The foundation must be based on the traditions of the country, and the maximum use must be made of the experiences of others. It is not that we come and take a model that has been implemented in some Western country with its own circumstances - with all the mistakes it may have - and apply it here verbatim. Unfortunately, this is what they did. It was purely imitative; this is one. Secondly, it is also outdated. Those who once became the reference for the authorities of our country have now moved beyond these methods and introduced newer methods; but we have clung to the old methods! Reform is necessary.

Today, fortunately, the opportunity for this work is available; the country is stable; the system is secure and reliable; many works have been accomplished. In this tumultuous and chaotic world, the Iranian nation has managed to maintain its dignity, its grace, its tranquility, and its calm. Today is the opportunity to engage in these important tasks. What the esteemed minister said about thinking and working on this issue is very good; it is commendable; but it must be implemented, it must progress, it must reach the stage of action; it requires courage, it requires action, it requires initiative and creativity. This is one issue; a profound transformation in the education system.

The next point, which is also important, is to give importance to the nurturing system within the education system. Some, due to negligence towards the nurturing system, have gradually sidelined the foundation that was established at the beginning of the revolution from the education system, have gradually diminished it, and it can almost be said that they have eliminated it. You now believe in this issue. Implement it; operationalize it. If nurturing is not more important than education, it is no less so. That blank slate that is the mind of our child and student cannot be made right just by scribbling and writing numbers on it; it requires construction. This construction is nurturing. Attention must be given to the issue of nurturing and the nurturing process - in whatever form it can be carried out; we do not express an opinion on its form - in textbooks, in teacher selection, in teacher training, in the organization itself. And the more education and training can avoid quantitative expansion - whether in organization or in human resources - the better; because the quantitative expansion of education and training is not the first priority today; qualitative expansion is important. Needs must be met. The amount of need for teachers and schools must be provided. The first priority must be qualitative expansion; raising the rank of teachers in terms of readiness, experience, knowledge, and culture; these are the things that are important in education and training.

We hope, God willing, that God grants success. Well, thanks be to God, you are busy working, you are striving. We must appreciate these efforts. These advancements that - whether in the health sector, the labor sector, or the education and training sector - the esteemed ministers have mentioned, are among the honors of the system; it is the system that has this capability to show itself. I do not know why some deny these truths! They are unwilling to acknowledge these advancements. The more these realities exist, the greater the honor of the Iranian nation and the honor of the Islamic Republic will be.

One matter outside of professional and guild issues that relates to the entire Iranian nation and is connected to this current period is the issue of elections. My dear ones! Our nation has been an ineffective element in the management system of the country throughout its historical centuries. Why? Because the nature of despotic rule is such; the nature of monarchical rule is such. The nation is nothing. What will the state of the nation be? It depends on the fairness of the one sitting at the top. If at some point the fortune of the nation is high, a dictator comes to power who has a bit of mercy in his heart - for example, in our history, they mention Karim Khan Zand - well, the situation of the people will improve somewhat. But if people like Reza Khan the bully and Naser al-Din Shah and various other tyrants - the despots - come to power, they consider the country their own property, and the nation, having no role, is regarded as their subjects. Look at history - I am not talking about centuries of history; I am talking about the history from the Constitutional Revolution to the present - the Constitutional Revolution was nominally established in the country; but from the time the Pahlavi regime came to power, elections were regarded as a mere show; except for a brief period during the national movement; during the two years when the situation was somewhat better; but that too had many problems; they closed the parliament, transferred the powers of the parliament to the government, which was done during Mossadegh's time. In the rest of this period, elections were purely a show. In that period when I and others of my age remember, everyone knew that elections absolutely did not mean the choice of the people. Certain individuals were considered by the power structures, the court of the kings of that day, and competitions took place among themselves; they even fought with each other; but the one they wanted to bring into the parliament to sit there, who would be obedient, submissive, and serve their interests, would be brought in. The people would go for themselves. Throughout this period, there were very few times when the people felt that they should go and cast a vote in this ballot box to have an impact on the management of the country. Absolutely nothing like that existed. We heard the name of elections in the newspapers, which said: now it is election time. We did not understand when election day was; the people did not understand. On election day, they would place a few ballot boxes in one place, they would have a brief discussion and commotion, and they would do what they wanted, and that was it. The people had no role.

The Islamic Revolution completely turned the page; the people gained a role; not only in electing the representative of the parliament, but also in electing the president, in electing the experts who are supposed to elect the leader, and in electing city councils that must elect mayors. In all these sensitive stages, the opinion of the people became decisive. The constitution was drafted on this basis, and today thirty years have passed. And I tell you that this work has continued with strength and power until today.

Before the revolution, Iran was a pasture for the grazing of foreigners. The oil here, the market here, the products here, the human resources here, everything that was and was not was used by the dominators and the powerful; one day the British, another day the Americans and the Zionists. After the revolution, when the people came to power, their interests were cut off. It was natural that they would oppose this system, which they have been doing for thirty years. One of their hostilities is that they deny or overlook or deny the valuable phenomenon of the presence of the people and the role of the people in the management of the country. They have repeatedly undermined our elections in their explicit statements, in their insinuating remarks, in our elections. No; our elections are freer, more enthusiastic, and the motivation of the people in these elections is greater than those of most of these so-called democratic countries. Enthusiastic elections, good elections, healthy elections. The enemy undermines. There is no expectation from the enemy other than hostility; what expectation is there?

It is an unreasonable expectation from friends. It is an unreasonable expectation from those who are part of this nation; who see the realities; who see how healthy and precise these elections are conducted, and yet, they repeat the same words that the enemy says! My expectation is this: those who are with the Iranian nation, who are part of the Iranian nation, who expect the Iranian nation to pay attention to them, should not speak against the Iranian nation and should not question the elections of the Iranian nation. They should not repeatedly say that this election is not healthy; this election is not an election. Why do they lie? Why are they unfair? Why do they speak against the truth? Why do they overlook all the efforts that this nation and the officials have endured over these years? Why? Why are they ungrateful?

Elections in previous periods have been healthy. In cases where doubts arose, we sent people to investigate, to follow up. In one of the previous parliaments, rumors arose, some brought reasons, and said that the elections were unhealthy; they expected that in some important cities, including Tehran, the elections would be annulled. We sent knowledgeable and informed individuals to investigate, to study; they found that there was no flaw in the elections. Among thousands of ballot boxes, there may be flaws in two or five boxes. This does not ruin the elections. This has happened at certain times. Sometimes a group, a faction - from these usual factions of the country that you know - that were in power, found the result of the elections to be against them and in favor of the opposing faction; this has happened repeatedly. How can anyone question these elections? ...(1) Well, if you are ready, then God willing, all of you participate in the elections; all the Iranian nation, in defiance of the enemies, will come to the ballot boxes in the next elections with enthusiasm, interest, and sincerity and will create an election that will anger and infuriate the enemies.

O Lord! Bestow Your mercy and grace upon this dear nation. O Lord! Grant Your blessings to this nation day by day. O Lord! Strengthen the steps of this nation on the path to perfection day by day; elevate the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the noble martyrs day by day.

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