Statements at the Garden of Guardians on Tree Planting Day

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

The ceremony related to trees, plants, and flowers naturally has a freshness, and fortunately, it is felt that in the country there is a growing inclination towards attention to the issue of flowers and plants, the condition of parks, and utilizing this aspect in environmental health; we are pleased with this. Particularly, what encouraged me to participate in this session with you friends today was that this place belongs to the less privileged part of Tehran; the deprived section of Tehran. The existence of such a park, such a facility in this part of Tehran seems to be a very good and valuable opportunity. We are pleased that, thanks be to God, a final agreement has been reached among the responsible authorities - that is, those to whom this complex belonged, and those who are utilizing it today; namely, the municipality and the armed forces - and this place, God willing, will ultimately find a good outcome.

The issue of plants, parks, and trees is among the main issues; these should not be considered secondary matters. It is true that in counting the fundamental issues of the country, eyes and perspectives are drawn towards the economy, culture, monetary issues, and political matters - this is usually the case - but if we look carefully, the issues related to human life are more important than those. What is politics for? What is the economy for? What are various urban and national services for? What is the progress of the country for? Progress is for people to have a healthy and desirable life. If the environment is destroyed, all of this will be in vain. The importance of the environment lies here. Truly, if we do not address the issues of water, soil, air, and those things that lead to these matters - such as pastures, natural resources, forests, and urban planning - the lives of the people will not be sweet. Industry and industrial progress and the increasing revenues of the country and various scientific honors do not sweeten the essence of life and the reality of life; all of these must be a prelude for people to have a healthy, sweet, and desirable life. Among the things that have a direct impact is the issue of the environment, the living environment of humans, the issue of water and air. Then the roots of it, the foundations of it, which are soil, forests, and trees, and the rest of the things, gain primary importance.

I urge the officials in various sectors to pay attention to this point that looking at the issue of air and climate, looking at the issue of dust, looking at the issue of smoke, looking at the issue of clean air, looking at the issue of clean water, looking at a healthy environment, looking at forests, are the main perspectives; these should be incorporated into the programs, into the channels of all life programs.

Some of the reports that have been given are reports that should be presented among the officials, should be presented in the government, should be raised in the parliament, should be included in calculations.

Therefore, I emphasize the issue of the environment - which now the issue of the park is an example of work related to the environment - the issue of the environment is very important. The issue of natural resources is very important. Natural resources are national wealth; they do not belong to this government or that government or this minister or that minister; they belong to the nations; and not just to the nations of one generation; it is a wealth belonging to the nations throughout their history; they must utilize these. Be sensitive to the issue of deforestation. The pressure on forests is high. Forests must be preserved. Natural resources and pastures must be preserved.

Now the government officials are present here; I am genuinely worried about this garden city plan. The President has also mentioned it to me several times, and I have told him as well. I do not know what will happen, what the exploiters will do. Look at it with this view that do not open the way. There are some exploiters. Wherever a public benefit project is considered - the same statistics that the respected mayor has provided - I know and I am sure that there are some who are lurking to see how they can snatch this bait. There are forests around the city, there are forest lands and forest areas - which, well, these have been created with great effort over many years - their eyes are on these.

Sometimes I go to the heights, I look from there, I see what is happening. I have repeatedly told various mayors this matter. Of course, it is not only the work of the municipality; the related organizations to urban planning, the organizations related to pastures, all must cooperate. Do not let Tehran grow any larger, do not let the lands of southern Alborz be encroached upon; prevent these. There are some who are only after money, their issue is money; they do not care that now this place they are destroying for money, occupying, what price it will cost for the country, for the people, for the city of Tehran; it does not matter to them at all. The one who is the watchman and guardian of these national interests is you; you must not allow it.

The green space plans here - now the respected mayor has said, I have seen the report before - is nearly three hundred hectares of land; this is very important. He says we want to create green space on two hundred and twenty hectares of it. You must take care of the rest. Eighty hectares of land in the middle of the city is not a small amount. Here are areas that have a meter-by-meter calculation. You have eighty hectares of land here; be careful what is going to happen to this land. You are, thanks be to God, pure yourselves, not inclined to any kind of exploitation; but it is not the case that the entire living environment is free of exploitative individuals. Be careful that the plans you want to implement here are not designed from outside your environment; with some various justifications, economic justifications, establishing a commercial center. Likewise in other places. Now this is the largest, this is the most important, but Tehran still has other centers; centers where green space can be created, where breathing space can be created for Tehran, where the lungs of Tehran can be strengthened. Truly, the lungs of Tehran are weak.

Tehran is a large city and has a large population. With all the efforts you have made, the green space in this city is much less than it should be. Of course, today it is not comparable to the period before the revolution - I remember, at that time I would come to Tehran, I would see Tehran; a dirty, crowded city, always polluted, parks were very limited, facilities were very few; today, thanks be to God, it is not like that; Tehran is a different Tehran - but nonetheless, the green space in Tehran is still low. When you look at this from above, you see Tehran is a densely populated city. More than this, this place must open up and this city must have breathing space. Be careful that the places you have in various parts of the city are put in the service of green space.

A number were mentioned that this amount of hectares has returned to the public treasury. It came to my mind that well, this amount is from what amount. The ratio is important. Here, absolute figures are not important. It must be seen what the ratio of this amount that has returned is to the amount that has not returned; this is what will inform us whether we have progressed or not. It must be such that we make progress.

In any case, parks - as we mentioned - are the lungs of the city. This work is a very good work. Every year I would plant one or two or three trees, but I did not participate in such ceremonies; but this year, because a great work is being done, especially as I said, in the southern part of Tehran, I participated in this ceremony. There is a great need here, there is a very high density here - density of population and density of buildings - facilities are also few. Therefore, this work, especially for this part of Tehran, was a necessary thing and I participated. God willing, may you succeed in advancing this work.

The respected mayor told me that we will deliver sixty hectares of this by June next year. God willing, all of you wait, come here on the third of Khordad to receive this sixty hectares!

This cultural section that you mentioned is also a very important section. Take the issue of culture very seriously. Culture is the soul. All of these things we have mentioned are the body of life. This body of life has a soul; that soul is culture. If the culture is with a religious and divine direction, it will naturally become what is desired by Islam and pure and innocent people.

I pray for all of you; for the officials, the staff, the helpers, those who strive, those who make decisions, those who create decisions. May God, God willing, assist you and grant success and support to all of you.

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