Statements in Meeting with the People of Bijar

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 virtuous family and his chosen companions, especially the Awaited One of God on earth.

I am very pleased to be present today among the affectionate and passionate people of Bijar and Ghoras, with their historical backgrounds and great honors. The people of Bijar, in addition to their historical honors, have demonstrated their brilliant essence during the contemporary events of the revolution, in the imposed war, and in the sacred defense of the borders of the country. Their men and women, old and young, even their teenagers, showed such courage in this field that will certainly not be forgotten. Just now, we were at the martyrs' cemetery, visiting the sacred graves of several student martyrs who went to the battlefield together from one school and drank the cup of martyrdom. These are great signs; they speak of a people, a nation, a city. History will judge based on these.

The era has passed when the efforts of the central powers and the powerful sought to overlook the distant cities and various ethnic groups of the country. Today, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, every Iranian individual, in any part of this vast and expansive country, is regarded as a person of independent value. The collection of these values, the collection of these independent personalities, the collection of these wills and affections, constitutes the great nation of Iran; a nation that, in contemporary times, has been able to impose its presence, its will, and its influence on the opponents and adversaries, despite the wishes of the arrogant powers of the world.

The steadfastness of the Iranian nation, which today serves as an exemplary steadfastness and a model for many nations, stems from the steadfastness of each and every individual in the country, from the brilliant essence of character in all ethnic groups and in all cities and corners of this great country.

What draws attention regarding the city of Bijar is that these people, with their love for the Ahl al-Bayt (the family of the Prophet) - whether Shia or Sunni, especially the Shia who follow the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt - have been able to emerge from great tests with honor. These dear people have successfully passed their examination in guarding the Islamic country; they received a passing grade. The people of Kurdistan, in all parts of this province, including the city of Bijar, which is a center of Shia Islam, live together, Shia and Sunni, side by side, demonstrating a model of Islamic solidarity and unity. This is commendable. In our studies and investigations, not only in this period but also from the past, we have noted that during the era of tyranny, this region was viewed negatively. The people of this region were considered strangers and were neglected; hence, from the very beginning of the revolution, by the order of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), the first group of development, as the Office for the Development of Kurdistan, came to this region to engage in service and to address the accumulated problems from the previous era. Of course, the insecurities that the enemies of the revolution created at one point in time seized opportunities and caused delays in these services, but the brave youth of the Islamic homeland - whether the youth of the construction jihad, the valiant members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the strong men of the army and law enforcement - with your support, were able to accomplish tasks in this province and region. However, the delays are not insignificant. The esteemed Friday prayer leader referred to some requests. Fortunately, the service-oriented government has addressed these issues in its meetings - including a session held two days ago in Sanandaj - and made good decisions regarding the Bijar region; they reported to us, and we emphasized that they should follow up and pursue these matters, and God willing, they will follow up. With your efforts, with the help of you people, God willing, the service-oriented government will be able to accomplish the great tasks it has in mind for these people, for this region, for you dear ones.

I would like to mention a point that pertains to the general issues of the country and the revolution, but is particularly relevant to the issues of Bijar as well. That is, the Iranian nation accomplished this great movement, which astonished global observers, with the help of three essential elements: one is unity; one is presence; and one is awareness. The Iranian nation took this significant step with its unity, its presence, and its awareness, creating a new civilization, a new movement, a new current in the political thought of the world. Muslim nations felt their identity, gained character. They realized they could compensate for the backwardness imposed on the Islamic Ummah. Thus, you see the movement of the Iranian nation has impacted Muslim nations - from North Africa to East Asia - awakening them. In the case of Palestine, in the case of Lebanon, in the issues of Iraq and Afghanistan, step by step, the influence of your breath, the Iranian nation, is palpable. This great work was due to the blessing of these three elements:

National unity. Hearts drew closer, voices raised a single cry to all ears, people across the country from various ethnicities, with different religions, united in pursuit of the Islamic Republic and the raising of the flag of Islam. This unity at the beginning of the revolution was able to exert such pressure on the enemy that it broke the back of the tyrannical regime. Since then, until today, it has been this unity of the Iranian nation that has delivered the final word to the enemies and has discouraged them from penetrating the ranks of the Iranian nation. This unity must be preserved.

What I said in Sanandaj, I repeat here: Muslim brothers should prefer Islamic unity over the division of Shia and Sunni sects and should not allow sectarian differences to lead to differences in conduct, methods, and orientations. The unity of Iranian ethnicities, the unity of Islamic sects, the unity of various political currents guarantees the dignity of the country. I advise everyone here. Where the majority is with our Sunni brothers, this was our recommendation. Here, where the majority is with our Shia brothers, this is still our recommendation: be brothers with one another, be united and supportive of one another, help each other. This is the first point.

The second point is presence. The presence of the people in the scenes was able to discourage the enemy. If the people had not participated in elections over these thirty years, had not participated in the rallies of the 22nd of Bahman and Quds Day, had not showcased their presence and this massive volume of the Iranian nation to the enemy, certainly the stature of the Iranian nation would not be as it is today. Maintain this presence.

The reason we emphasize in all elections that people should be present in the scenes and participate in various arenas is because of this. This presence is not only in the political arena, not only in elections; in the fields of construction, in the economic arena, people should be present. As I said, this statement pertains to all of the Iranian nation, but it also holds meaning and relevance for Bijar. The people of Bijar should appreciate their city, their lush and green deserts, their very blessed region. The reports that sometimes people from this county migrate to distant places contradict the presence; the economic presence. Stay, remain, and develop this place. The era has passed when governments did not want to look at distant regions. Fortunately, the service-oriented government is looking at the farthest points of the country and addressing the issues of the farthest points. I see, I observe, I am closely monitoring how attentive they are to the issues of counties and provinces. Regarding Bijar, I saw that the government officials are rightly aware of the problems of this region and county; the issue of water scarcity, the issue of the diversion of dams to other provinces, and the deprivation of this area from water are matters that the provincial officials are paying attention to, thinking of remedies for these issues; they are pursuing solutions. It is very valuable that the officials of the country are concerned about the various regions of the country - even those places that are far from the center, even those places that are unknown to many people in the country. This is very valuable, very good. The people of the region must cooperate. Cooperate, be present. This presence is one of the most important issues for the continuation of the great movement of the Iranian nation at the national level and here at the provincial level. Appreciate your city, your homeland, your blessed, beautiful, vibrant, and green land, consider it valuable, benefit from it. The officials should also assist, join hands. This is also an issue of presence.

The issue of awareness, that is the third element, plays a very important role. Like the role of unity and presence in the scene. The Iranian nation has shown that it is an aware nation. If it were not for the awareness of the Iranian nation, those unstable and unfaithful governments in the early years of the revolution would certainly have charted a bad fate for this country. Those who explicitly stated that they did not believe in the revolution, those who said they were afraid of America - they explicitly said this - those who showed that they were inclined to softness and submission before the great powers, if they had remained in power, today our nation would have had a different path and situation, and there would have been no news of this dignity, this progress, this global stature for the Iranian nation. Our great Imam stood firm, and the people, due to their awareness, stood behind the Imam. This awareness helped the people.

I want to say, my dear ones! This awareness is always necessary. It is necessary today, it will be necessary tomorrow. Our young generation is fortunately a dominant generation across the country today. The youth should be alert, awake. The criteria are clear. In elections, this awareness should have an effect; in expressing the demands of the nation, this awareness should influence; in various presences, in different issues, this awareness must have an impact. The Iranian nation in its elections - I mentioned the criteria for elections the other day, this is a complement to them - should pay attention; those who come to power with the vote of the nation should not be those who seek to raise the white flag of submission before the enemies and disgrace the Iranian nation. Those who come to power should not be those who seek to gain favor with the West, with the arrogant powers, thinking they can establish a position for themselves on the international stage. These have no value for the Iranian nation. Those who come to power should not be those for whom the enemies of the Iranian nation covet that through them they can divide the ranks of the nation, distance the people from their religion, from their principles, from their revolutionary values. The nation must be aware. If those come to power who, in various political or economic centers, instead of thinking about continuing the path of the Imam and the values and principles outlined by the Imam, are thinking about winning the favor of a certain Western power and a certain international arrogant, it will be a disaster for the Iranian nation. This awareness is necessary for the nation.

Therefore, today, like these past thirty years, the Iranian nation needs these three elements: the element of unity, the element of presence in various arenas, and the element of awareness. If the nation possesses these three things, which are all blessings of faith in God and the teachings of the Quran, I tell you, it will have both this world and the hereafter. By virtue of their faith, their belief, and their adherence to the grace of the noble Prophet and the teachings of the Quran and the Ahl al-Bayt, the nation will be able to improve its worldly affairs from what they are, and also attain God's pleasure. This is our general line.

In this trip to Kurdistan, I thank God that although I had much information about this region beforehand, through hearing and reading, I have gained more insights and truths about these dear people, about you warm-hearted, affectionate, loyal, brave, and noble people. I hope, God willing, the officials of the country will appreciate you good, noble, faithful, and loyal people. You should also appreciate these service-oriented officials. It is with this unity and cooperation between the nation and the officials that our dear Iran will be able to reach the goals that revolutionary Islam and pure Islam have outlined.

O Lord! We beseech You by Muhammad and the family of Muhammad to shower Your mercy, blessings, grace, and success upon these people. O Lord! Unite the pure soul of this great religious authority, this knowledgeable jurist, whose passing truly saddened us, with his saints. O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, grant us the success of self-building, detachment, and complete knowledge.

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