The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 1, 2004 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with a number of teachers and laborers. The meeting was held on the occasion of Unity Week, Labor Day and Teachers' Day.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Dear brothers and sisters, welcome. I would like to congratulate you on the auspicious occasions of Unity Week, Teachers' Day, Labor Day and Teachers Commemoration Week. I ask Allah the Exalted to raise the position of the great teacher of the Revolution - the late Ayatollah Shahid Motahhari. He was really a great teacher for the past, present and future of the country. He was a pious, religious, pure and diligent teacher. Teaching and working - in its broad sense - were manifested in this great personality in the most beautiful way.
The praise that we offer to the position of teachers and laborers in this occasion and in other occasions is not a mere formality. Rather, it is an expression of Islam's logic about teaching, labor and laborers. It is a way of presenting Islamic culture about these two professions. In many cases, the problem of societies is understanding things in the wrong way. When laborers in a society are only considered to be a means for production and when their human character and dignity is ignored, they will not be satisfied even if they receive great material rewards. If teachers are considered to be people whose existence in society is for the sake of formality, if we adopt an economic outlook towards them in our plans, policies and laws and if their human and moral character is ignored, this is an insult to teachers.
Without a doubt, earning a living is an important matter and it should be attended to, but humans' value is not confined to this matter. In Islam, teaching is a really lofty position. If Islamic culture is dominant in a society, all the people should consider themselves to be indebted to teachers because they turn one's potentials into an active, diligent, valuable, skilled and knowledgeable force. This is the greatest achievement that can be made in the world.
As for laborers, they are individuals who have shouldered the most important part of society's movement. A major part of labor, effort, construction and production is dependent on manpower - that is to say, the work that a laborer does. If the value of laborers is appreciated in society, all the people who benefit from different advantages in society will feel indebted to laborers. This gives laborers and teachers a feeling of dignity, respect and honor. This is important in society. If politicians, decision-makers and lawmakers have the same respect for teachers and laborers, they write and implement laws in a way that the rights of teachers and laborers can be protected. If we take a thoughtful and shrewd look, we see that laborers and teachers - who are the main producers and manufactures of the country and the true managers of society - are much more valuable than those who only consume without bringing any good to society and its progress.
What is necessary on the issue of laborers is that within the scope of the administration's resources - not more than that and only within the remit of the administration's capabilities - laws should be passed and implemented in a way that laborers feels they have job security and their value is appreciated. On the one hand, laborers' rights should be protected and on the other hand, this should not be done in a way that investors do not dare employ laborers. The two sides of the matter should be considered in a realistic and wise way so that laborers can feel secure and assert their rights.
As for teachers, it should be noted that the task that teachers have shouldered is the greatest task that human beings can carry out. Their products are the most important ones. They produce knowledgeable, wise and competent individuals. They are individuals who help the springs of talent flow in human beings. It is they who turn this raw material - our children and teenagers - into competent, thoughtful and valuable individuals for society, the country and history. All the powerful hands that stirred history gained their power through teachers. It was teachers who made them competent. If talents are not nursed by teachers' care, kindness, effort and diligence, they will be buried in people. Therefore, the value of teachers should be appreciated.
The Islamic government too is really indebted to teachers and laborers. These two great groups of people offered great assistance in the beginning of the Revolution and in preserving the Islamic government and the Revolution until today. They rendered services whether during the Sacred Defense Era or before and after this era. Many hands were working to separate these two groups of people from the system. They used to rely on, magnify and highlight weak points and shortcomings in order to pit these two religious, enthusiastic and diligent groups of people against the Revolution and the Islamic Republic, but they failed to do so. These hands have been unsuccessful until today.
I will tell you that the effort to provoke guild protests and encourage them to confront the Revolution and the Islamic Republic - to the advantage of the enemies of the Islamic Republic - exists in the present time as well. Today too, they make the same effort. Therefore, everyone should be careful. This is different from our advice to the administration, officials and legislators to avoid violating the rights of these two groups of people. This is a different matter and it should definitely be attended to. But on this matter - the effort to provoke teachers and laborers - I should say that our teachers and laborers became the main target of the enemies from the very first day. There was an effort to separate them from the Islamic Republic and the Revolution, but the vigilance, faith, nobility, wisdom and understanding of these two groups foiled the efforts of the enemy.
Today, the society of teachers is a well-known and respectable society in our country, but some individuals have decided to make the people lose their respect for teachers. We can witness this in some of these efforts. Some people render services to the enemy knowingly and some do it unknowingly. They do not understand what they are doing. Now that the country needs to accelerate its movement in the arena of teaching, education and cultivating lofty individuals so that it can make up for past backwardness - by Allah's favor, we have moved forward in this arena to a great extent - one of the tasks that they do is to prevent and hamper this movement.
They attend to both universities - with the purpose of creating obstacles on their way - and schools. Of course, our teachers are awake and vigilant and they appreciate the value of their service and reputability. They know that they will have to confront students' guardians if they are provoked by the deceitful hands of foreigners. Who are students' guardians? Students' guardians are the entire people. What foreigners do is a plot and scheme. They have hatched the same plot against laborers.
There was a discussion in this meeting about the plot that was hatched in the beginning of the Revolution in suburban factories of Tehran. Allah the Exalted foiled all these plots. They had devised these schemes very carefully, but the faith and vigilance of the people and our pure youth in these factories delivered a blow to their mouths and made them retreat. Of course, they may retreat, but their greed does not stop. This is not an illusion. Rather, it is a reality. Today, like 19th-century and early 20th-century colonialism, arrogant powers in the world have opened their mouths to swallow each and every area that brings them more wealth and power. What is the purpose and significance of "The Great Middle East Project" which was devised by the dominant clique in America and directed by the Zionists?
The Middle East is a wealthy region. The greed to swallow it does not let them rest. Their purpose is to swallow this region. Of course, they cannot do so. This food will stick in their throat and it will suffocate them. These policies and vicious plots have been aimed at our country as well, but they are afraid of Islamic Iran. This does not mean that they are afraid of the likes of us. This is not what I mean. Rather, they are afraid of you and the people of Iran. They are afraid of your faith and your presence on the scene. They are afraid of your elections. This is why they do not get close to you, but this is their greed anyway.
Notice what they are doing to Iraq. Notice what they are doing to the oppressed people of Palestine. Today, the flag of fighting against terrorism is in the hands of America. It has held this flag and it is invading here and there in a fierce manner, claiming that it wants to fight against terrorism. This is while they approve of clear assassinations - announced in advance - of Palestinian personalities carried out by Zionist butchers and criminals. And they are not ashamed and embarrassed at all. This is a reason that they are on the verge of destruction, but they do not understand it.
For a political government and regime, real weakness and decline begins when it does not have a cogent and satisfactory reason for what it does and when it loses its political legitimacy. When a regime loses its political legitimacy and when it does not have a reason for its existence and its actions, then it will lose its spiritual power and its decline begins although it does not understand it. They are so drowned in their power and lust that they do not understand what their ideological weakness and their lack of political legitimacy is doing to them.
America congratulates a Zionist criminal - Sharon - on assassinating Ahmed Yasin or Shahid Rantisi. What is their reason for this congratulation? They say that the Israeli government is defending itself. Well! Do global dictators have any other reason for suppressing, torturing and assassinating their opponents? All sinister and vicious political figures in the world - who are notorious for their malevolence and dictatorship - have destroyed their opponents with the same reason. They say that they are defending their existence. America says, "Israel is defending its existence and entity". Could Sheikh Ahmed Yasin, a disabled old man in a wheelchair, do anything other than talking and thinking?
You say that you support freedom of expression and thought. They martyr him and America congratulates them! Notice what the extent of their shamelessness is. Did the world accept this? No, not at all. Even westerners themselves and public opinion throughout the world did not accept it. This means losing political legitimacy. It means that they are not reasonable at all and that what they say is not accepted by fair-minded people in the world.
The same thing is being done in Iraq in the present time. The recent uprisings in Iraq and the conflicts in Najaf, Karbala, Basra and other cities began when the Americans closed a publication just because it had written things against them. Do you not say that you support freedom of the press? Do you not falsely claim that you advocate freedom of thought, expression and the press? Why did you close a newspaper then? Did you close it just because it wrote against those occupiers and soldiers who entered people's houses? This massacre and suppression is followed by this event. Today, the Americans and the English have no excuse and reason for their presence in Iraq. They said that they have come to fight against terrorism, to defend human rights and to establish democracy. Is this democracy? Is this human rights? Iraqi women, children, men and youth find intruders in their own houses and land and these intruders dominate and bully them.
In the beginning, they denied what they really came for. But now that public opinion throughout the world is gradually expressing its opposition, the silly President of America says in his speech - it was delivered one, two weeks ago - that if they can benefit from Iraq's oil, they will no longer need the oil of such and such a country. That is to say, he acknowledged that they have come for oil. He acknowledged that they have not entered Iraq for defending human rights and democracy. It was the interests of cartels that drew them to that country. This logic has failed in the world although some people might be afraid to express their viewpoints. Of course even if they speak, Zionist media will not reflect their statements.
A system which yells so hysterically and goes left and right in vain and on the basis of a failed logic in the world is condemned to failure and destruction. It is America itself which has begun the process of destroying its arrogant regime. It has taken a long part of this path and people all over the world will witness this. This will happen although America may make a fuss with its power. The Americans have gotten stuck in Iraq and they have no way out. They are like a wolf whose tail has been caught in a snare. It shows its claws, howls and bites anything that comes its way. This trapped wolf should either press hard until its tail is torn off or it should tolerate the same situation. The Americans have sunk deep into a quagmire. The condition of the Zionists in the oppressed country of Palestine and the condition of the Americans in the oppressed country of Iraq is like this. In the end, the power of innocence will overcome the power of the unbridled and uncontrolled oppression which is shown by these people.
They feel a great hostility towards Islamic Iran. This is because Iran reflects these facts. The things which we freely discuss in the country and which the people understand intelligently are not discussed in the world because there is no opportunity to discuss them. Even if someone speaks about these realities, media will completely restrict and boycott them. They will not allow these things to be reflected among a large number of people. Their fear of Iran is based on their fear of the people and Islam. So, this should not be misunderstood. They are not afraid of individuals. The likes of us officials are nothing without popular support and deep popular faith. Politicians are like a thin and weak wall that can be collapsed with the slightest pressure. The thing that can stand up against them is a solid dam formed by the people.
People should awaken and today, Islamic peoples are awakening. These arrogant powers are afraid of your enthusiasm, excitement, faith, intelligence and presence on the scene. Your presence in the recent elections intimidated them and undermined their morale. Another election is ahead of us. I strongly advise the people in areas which are going to witness an election in the following days to participate in the elections in a very serious way. Although these elections are not held in all areas, tens of MPs are about to enter the Majlis. The people's enthusiasm and valor in those areas which are going to hold an election should be another sign of the great presence of the people. In other cases too, the presence, participation and vigilance of the people are the most important factor.
This has been achieved in the shade of Islam and Islamic teachings and guidance. Without Islamic guidance and deep religious and Islamic faith, this resistance could neither be shaped nor thrive in the face of the plots, tricks and deceptions of the enemies. It is because of this spiritual faith that our people have managed to be so resistant. This will continue. By Allah's favor and grace and contrary to the wishes of the enemies, the people's faith will deepen and their support of the Islamic Republic will increase on a daily basis.
I ask Allah the Exalted to bestow success and happiness on all you dear brothers and sisters, on all dear laborers and teachers and on all the officials who manage the affairs of these dear people. I ask Allah the Exalted to help Islam and Muslims throughout the world - particularly oppressed countries - to achieve victory.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings