In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and our Prophet, Abul Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and his untainted, pure, chosen Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
Welcome my dear brothers, dear sisters, and dear workers. I would like to extend my sincere, heartfelt greetings to the country’s working community through you, our respected guests. I wish you all the best and success [in your endeavors], God willing. I am truly happy that we have "Workers’ Week" so that we can meet our workers [annually] during this week and at least offer a verbal thank you to the working community. This is a valuable opportunity for us. Yes, a mere verbal word of appreciation is not enough, but it’s necessary. I sincerely appreciate our workers’ efforts, their modesty, and their endeavors, and, God willing, the advancements achieved by the working community.
I would like to share a few points with you, some of which may be clear and obvious to you. The reason I am emphasizing these points is that these ideas must become widely known and accepted as common knowledge. The public opinion of the society must be aware of these matters. When something becomes common knowledge in the public opinion and it is understood, known, and accepted, it becomes easier to achieve that demand. Governments, officials, and all those involved will help to fulfill that demand. This is what we want to happen.
The first point I would like to address is the value of workers. Much has been said about the value of workers. I have mentioned some things and so have others. You are all aware of this matter as well. The best sentence that can be said in this regard is that according to a hadith the Holy Prophet of Islam (pbuh) kissed a worker’s calloused hands (Usd al-Ghabah, 2: 185). What else could be said that would be higher than this? That is how valuable a worker is. However, there is a point worth noting here. Different countries, nations, and cultures around the world all have a Workers’ Day. Workers’ Day belongs to the entire world, but the point here is that the materialistic world view of workers differs from that of Islam.
Yes, the materialistic world also places importance on workers. But why? Because workers are a tool. They are a tool that is used to produce wealth for employers. The materialistic world views workers as an instrument, like a screw, a bolt, or a machine. But it is not like this in Islam. The way Islam sees a worker and the value that it places on a worker is due to the value it places on work, action. Islam says action has an intrinsic value.
What is meant by the term "righteous deeds," which is mentioned in the Quran, and the various phrases and words of praise about “action” in various narrations is not just prayer and fasting. “Action” encompasses all kinds of deeds, both an act that a person does as a worship act and also an act that a person does to earn a halal [legitimate] income for their family. That is also an act. It is a righteous act. [The verse,] “Except for those who have faith and do righteous deeds” (Quran 26:227) includes such actions as well. The term “action” is a general term.
Thus, you see that after Sad ibn Muadh was martyred, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) took his body and placed it inside the grave. When he was fixing the lahad [stones in the grave], he kept asking for plaster, water, and mud to make it strong. What was the point of making the lahad stones strong? They would break down in a few days anyway. The Prophet provided an explanation for this inevitable question before being asked. No one had asked, but it was a question that was sure to arise.
The Prophet said, “Yes, we know that both his body and the lahad will decompose after a short time. But when someone does something, God wants them to do it properly.” This is the words of the hadith, “Indeed, God, the Exalted, loves that when one of you does an action, he does it well” (Nahj al-Fasahah, 305). So, it is evident that the actions mentioned in the hadith include this kind of action as well. So, action has intrinsic respect.
Thus, there is a hadith about human societies that states, “Whoever works will become stronger.” A society that is actively working and taking action will experience an increase in strength and power. “And if a person is negligent in his/her work, his/her weakness will increase” (Ghurar al-Hikam, 590). A society or an individual that fails to take action will grow weaker every day. Action builds strength, both in the individual and in society. That is how action works. Therefore, action has intrinsic value in Islam. Who is doing this action? You, the worker. Therefore, workers have an intrinsic value.
You see, that is [the Islamic] viewpoint. Islam does not look at workers as tools thinking that if this worker isn’t available, then my pockets will remain empty. That is not how Islam sees it. [The Islamic viewpoint] says that this person is taking action and action has an intrinsic value, thus this worker also has intrinsic value. I am saying this so that you, who are workers, will pay attention to and rely on the value and importance of the position of a worker. Our society and our nation must also pay attention to how important a worker is. This is one point.
The second point is about the country’s current [primary] issue — the economy. One of the country’s most important issues today is the economy. That is why in recent years the motto of the year has been focused on critical points of the economy. And this year, we said there should be a “surge” in production, not an “increase” in production. A surge! How can this surge be obtained? Through the participation of the people. I strongly believe, and this is what our economic experts believe as well, that if people become involved in the [country’s] economy, in particular in the field of production, there will be a surge in production. Once there is a surge in production, the country will become wealthy, people will become wealthy, workers’ pockets and hands will be filled [with money], there will be more jobs, there will be less unemployment, and many of the country’s labor and economic problems will be solved. This is the issue of economy.
Now, in this [year’s] motto, which focuses on a surge in production, who is the central force driving this surge in production? The workers. In other words, apart from their intrinsic value that I mentioned earlier in the first point, the second thing to note is that in this year's motto and in the general policy that should be pursued this year, the role that workers play is very significant. And the country's officials, praise God, are pursuing this policy. They are holding meetings, having discussions, and, God willing, finding solutions. So the role of a skilled, high-spirited, motivated worker in generating a surge in production is undeniable, irrefutable, and important.
If we want to be accurate, we should talk about [the role] of workers and entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are important too. They must exist in order for workers to work. Workers and entrepreneurs are two comrades on the frontlines of the economic war. Today we are facing an economic battle. It is an economic war. This war, like the war during the first eight-years after the Revolution, is an imposed war. That was an imposed military war, and this is an imposed economic war. The US is imposing it in one way and the countries that go along with the US in another way. They are fighting the Islamic Republic and Islamic Iran. It is an economic war.
In this economic war that we are involved in, the front line and the leading front belongs to the worker and the entrepreneur. That is their role. But my point of emphasis is not here. My point is that you who are fighting against the US should be proud of what you are doing. Workers and entrepreneurs are at the front line of this fight. When you work well and when you are supported to be able to work well, which I will discuss further on, this will have a significant impact on this economic battle. That is the second point.
The third point is that there are some responsibilities involved here. There are some responsibilities that both the government and officials have toward workers. They need to do certain things for workers. And the workers themselves also have responsibilities to fulfill. In other words, both sides have duties that must be carried out. I will touch upon these duties. But first, everyone should keep this in mind that improving the situation of the working community has a large impact on the overall improvement of the society.
From what I have been told, we have about 14 million workers [in the country]. If you count their families as well, this amounts to more than 40 million people. That’s half the country’s population. If an effort is made and something is done to improve the condition of the working community, this will result in an improvement in the condition of half of the country. This is a very important matter. I have compiled a list of duties relevant to this issue, which I will now share with you.
The first issue, which is one of the most important needs of the working community, is job security. Now the honorable Minister [of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare] is present here today, and the country’s officials are listening to this. "Job security" means that a worker should be certain that he/she will have a stable future in his/her employment. In one period, we were affected by the closures of large factories that sometimes had a long history. Well, when a large factory closes down, sometimes several thousand workers become unemployed. This is a very important matter. Well, praise God, due to the efforts of our officials, many of the closed workplaces have reopened in the last one or two years. From what I have been told, nearly 10,000 factories that were previously closed or semi-closed have been revived. This effort must continue.
It is important for there to be various methods to ensure job security for workers. So ensuring job security is the officials responsibility. They must guarantee that employees who are dedicated and content in their work at least know that their job is secure and problems won’t arise for them.
Another point is the issue of insurance that the honorable minister mentioned. Insurance is very important. The general policies of social security, which includes for both workers and non-workers, were announced a long time ago. The honorable President [Ebrahim Raisi], gave instructions for the regulations to be prepared as well. However, according to the information I have received, the necessary work has not been carried out with the required accuracy and thoroughness.
An important issue is the safety of employees. Employees should not be injured in the work environment. The safety of workers is very important. Another important need of a worker, which places a duty on the shoulders of the government officials, owners of the workplaces, and the like, is the need for skills development. Workers are prepared to work, but in some places they require further skills. Enhancing workers’ proficiency and expertise in their field significantly contributes to the advancement of work. Such improvement benefits not only the workers themselves but also the country. This development of skills, which means empowering the labor force by improving their work skills, is one of these [duties].
In this regard, it is a matter of searching for people with exceptional talent. Among the working community, sometimes there are outstanding, talented individuals with innovative ideas. If the relevant organizations identify these talented people and give them a chance and an opportunity to bring their innovative ideas and to be creative, I believe that the state of the working community and work in the country will improve significantly.
Of course, some of these duties that we’ve discussed are the task of government agencies, such as the Ministry of Labor or even educational institutions and centers. I have repeatedly made recommendations to the Ministry of Education and Edification about technical and vocational education, which can greatly help the workforce and the development of skills.
Now, some believe that it may be necessary and it’s possible for vocational training to be given in universities, schools, and educational institutions alongside theoretical courses. They suggest that vocational training should be given and even a code or an academic degree should be given so that the competence and suitability of a worker — a young person who has, for example, a technical education — can be shown for them to enter the workplace. This is one of the other issues that, as I said, is the responsibility of both the government and the managers of companies involved in production. If these duties are fulfilled, I believe the working community will improve. These are responsibilities that should be carried out for the working community.
The working community itself also has duties. That is how it is in Islam. Whoever has a right over you, you also have a right over them. Rights are mutual. A right over you requires that you also have a right. If you have a right over someone, they also have a right over you. These rights work both ways. One of the workers’ duties is to value their work. My serious advice to the working community is this that you as busy workers need to realize that you are creating value. It’s not just about working to earn a halal income. That is a part of it, but it’s not just that.
When you are working, you are helping to improve the country. Your work contributes to the prosperity of the country. When the country prospers, honor and pride increase making the country more powerful. I read the hadith that when work is done, it increases the strength of the country. Therefore, your work has two aspects: a personal aspect and a public aspect. Well, this is very valuable. You need to focus on the value of your work.
Secondly, consider the work to be something that has been entrusted to you. The responsibility that has been entrusted to you is a trust in your hands. Thirdly, do your work well and diligently. Do not do a sloppy job. Of course, I have emphasized this on numerous occasions in the past and I have provided various examples of this, so I do not wish to repeat those again. Being disciplined in the workplace and having a sense of responsibility with regard to the tasks at hand are all parts of a worker’s duties.
When I say we should “value work,” this is not just limited to the working community. Everyone should value work. This has two benefits. One benefit is that workers are seen as being valuable. When society values work, it considers a worker — any worker, whether they work with machines, on the land, in a building, anyone for whom the word “[manual] worker” can be used — to be valuable.
Second benefit is that the individual himself/herself will also find a desire to work. We have a number of young people in the country who are young but unfortunately have no interest in working. They do not look for work either. They do not get training to work, nor do they look for work. We also have some who look for work, but they only consider sitting behind a desk [an office work] to be work. That’s what they are pursuing. Sitting behind a desk is not always work. Sometimes it means being inactive. And even where sitting behind a desk is work, work is not limited to that. So young people should play a role in the country’s production process. This happens when that work is felt to be valuable.
Another point is about the participation of the people in the production process. And we said [this year’s motto is], “A surge in production through people’s participation.” How is “people’s participation” achieved? That is a question [that is often raised]. Now, suppose someone wishes to participate in this surge in production. How can they do that? Who is supposed to teach them? What I want to say is that one of the officials’ important responsibilities is to sit down and explain the groundwork needed for people's presence and participation in the production process and to prepare the grounds for this participation. Now, this includes fostering cooperation — creating cooperatives for production — supporting work-from-home jobs, supporting handicrafts, and facilitating the formation of knowledge-based companies.
Of course, the government can use economic experts who, praise God, exist both within and outside the government. These experts can suggest many other ways that can bring the people’s participation. People can get involved in industrial, household, handicraft, agricultural, and animal husbandry areas. They need to be guided, the background for their participation should be provided, and it should become easy for them to participate.
Of course, there is another point which concerns the government, [and that is that] banking funds should also be directed toward production, which is not the case today. Banking funds and loans should be directed more toward production. Our banking officials need to pay attention to this.
The last point is related to the sanctions. When we discuss economic issues, we can’t ignore the sanctions. For years we have been facing severe sanctions. The countries imposing the sanctions, primarily the US and some European countries who follow them, have described these sanctions against Iran as being unprecedented in history! They have said this themselves. Well, first of all, what is the goal of these sanctions? They mention certain goals, but they are lying. Those issues are not their goal. They bring up the issue of nuclear energy. They raise the issue of nuclear weapons and human rights. These things are not the issue. [They say], “We are imposing sanctions on Iran because it supports terrorism!” Who are the terrorists? The people of Gaza! In their opinion, the people of Gaza are terrorists!
A malicious, fake, usurping, brutal regime that has massacred nearly 40,000 people in six months, thousands of them children, is not a terrorist, but the people who are under its bombardment are terrorists! So these excuses are unfounded lies. The true purpose of the sanctions is not these issues.
They impose sanctions in order to put Islamic Iran in a tight spot. Why do they seek to put the Islamic system of the Islamic Republic of Iran under pressure by imposing sanctions? Because they want us to comply with their colonizing, imperialistic ways. They want us to submit to their tyrannical demands and power-hungry expectations and to align our policies with theirs. That’s their goal. Now some individuals — who have a good intention, God willing — keep saying, “Sir, come to certain agreements with America. Let’s listen to what America says.” Well, the expectations of the US never finish. There is no end to the US’s expectations.
A few years ago, in this same Hussainiyah, there was a discussion about nuclear issues. In my speech to the public, I said, “The US should specify how much nuclear reduction is necessary for them to be satisfied.” They are not willing to do that, obviously. They come forward step by step until they reach the point where we have to get rid of all our nuclear devices, as was the case in a North African country. Countries need nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, and nuclear treatments. Hundreds of necessary tasks are carried out in the country using nuclear advancements. Should all of these be stopped? That’s what they expect.
With regard to political matters, economic matters, and the country’s general policies, they want absolute obedience. They tell us to submit to them, similar to what we see and know is the case with certain governments. They want those countries’ wealth and reputation to be in their hands. They want the policies [of other countries] to be in line with their policies. Well, it is evident that the Islamic system, Islamic devoutness, and the great, long-standing Islamic nation will never submit to such coercion. That’s why they impose sanctions.
Yes, the sanctions have a negative impact on the country's economy. There is no doubt about that. That is, a portion of the economic problems is due to the sanctions, and there’s no doubt about that. However, there is another point which should also be considered here, and that is the fact that these sanctions lead to the development and growth of skills inside the country. These sanctions lead to the emergence of different capabilities within the country.
Today, we are producing many things inside the country that we previously had to buy at very high costs from foreign governments, some of them our enemies. Why (are we able to produce many things)? Because we had to. They refused to sell to us and imposed barriers, so we turned to ourselves and developed our own capabilities. Our young people and scientists have succeeded in producing the same products that were previously sold to us reproachfully and at high prices. Now they are produced at a lower cost within our own borders. This is a sign of a thriving nation.
A thriving nation uses its enemies’ hostilities to create opportunities for itself. This has always been my recommendation to our dear youth, our respected officials, and our enthusiastic, devout men and women, “Create opportunities for yourselves from the enemies’ hostilities.” An example of this is the advancements we have made in our weaponry. This has surprised our enemies that despite the sanctions, Iran can produce advanced weapons in significant quantities. Yes! Yes, it can. It can even do more than this and better than this. God willing, it can make even more advancements than this, and not just in the field of weapons. Now, Iran has shown its weapons in one place, but it's the same in many other fields as well.
Today, despite all the challenges that exist and despite the sanctions, we are among the front-runners in the fields of medicine and health. In the field of medicine, we are perhaps unparalleled in the region and we have gained prominence worldwide. The same can be said about our achievements in the industrial sector and various engineering disciplines. In some areas, of course, we are behind. If we put in the effort, we can advance in all fields.
Now the enemy imposes sanctions on us under the pretext of terrorism and such things. These sanctions are gradually losing their impact. They have imposed sanctions on us for several years and have seen that it is useless. Reliable international sources say, for example, that Iran's gross domestic product is higher this year compared to last year. Well, why is it higher? Because they [the Iranian nation] work more. They work better. The sanctions do not bring them to their knees. They do not rely on help from outside the country and beyond our borders. This is the case. This must be strengthened. This morale should be fostered in the country.
Don’t listen to this talk when they say, “You support terrorism!” They call the Resistance Front terrorism! They question why we support Palestine. Now the entire world is supporting Palestine today. In the streets of Europe, and in the streets of Washington and New York, people march and chant mottos in support of Palestine. This isn’t something particular to just us. They question why we support Lebanon’s Hezbollah. I saw a picture of someone holding up Hezbollah’s flag in one of the streets of a city in the US. The people of the world are supporting them [the Resistance Front]. This is resistance, this is devoutness, and this is standing against oppression.
The Palestinians are defending their homes, homes that were taken from them by force. A settler comes with the backing of the Zionist regime’s malevolent police force. The Palestinian’s lands, farm, and the house he is living in are flattened with a bulldozer so they can build a settlement there. The Palestinian is defending his/her own home. Is he/she a terrorist? Are those in the Resistance Front terrorists? The terrorists are those who are bombing these people and creating such a tragedy. Of course, they [the Zionists] haven’t achieved anything, and they won’t achieve anything either.
Anyway, the people of Iran should know — and they do know — that the reason for the enmity that exists toward the Iranian nation is not the lies that they claim. Their enmity is due to the fact that Iran is an independent country that refuses to give in to their demands. It will not accept their coercion, nor is it prepared to follow the policies of this and that country, especially policies that have failed. Today, these so-called leading world powers are admitting that they have failed.
I read a news article in an American magazine two or three days ago that stated the credibility the US has built over 200 years is and has rapidly eroded in just 20 years. This statement was made by a reputable US magazine. They are saying this themselves, not us. Now, these outdated, failed policies that go against all human and divine values are expected to be followed by an independent nation like Iran. It is a nation with a rich history and deep roots, and it is civilized. It is clear that this will not happen.
The Iranian nation is standing strongly and firmly. This strength must be demonstrated through our actions, work, and our pursuit of knowledge, research, and national unity. If this happens, the solutions to the problems and hardships will become opened up to us. The imposed hardships that the enemies inflict, hold opportunities and relief within themselves, provided that we are not lazy or negligent. Praise God, the Iranian nation is thriving, and it can thrive even more than this. If, by the will of God, we continue moving forward in the same direction, the bright horizon in the future will be easily accessible, and, God willing, the Iranian nation will reach it.
I pray that God will protect you, the nation of Iran, and all the believing working community. I pray that He will grant you victory over your enemies and make the souls of the martyrs satisfied with us.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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