Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution attended a friendly meeting with hundreds of Kurdish elites in Kurdistan province. At this meeting, the elites discussed their views of different issues in the presence of the Leader.
At the end of this discussion, which lasted two and a half hours, Ayatollah Khamenei described the meeting as very pleasant and stressed: "The useful points that were raised in this meeting must be utilized in decision-making."
His Eminence referred to his close familiarity with a number of the luminaries in Kurdistan province and added: "I became familiar with some prominent Kurdish figures by reading their works and translations, and I gained a clear understanding of the cultural characteristics of Kurdish people. However, today's meeting helped me gain a better understanding of the enormous capacities of Kurdistan's elite manpower."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the bravery of the people of Kurdistan as their prominent characteristic and added: "To be fair, there are more prominent beauties that the people of this region enjoy. Faith, good manners, kindness, broad-mindedness, and great poetry and literature are some of these characteristics."
Ayatollah Khamenei also stressed that it is the duty of government officials to appreciate the cultural and spiritual values of the people of Kurdistan and all other parts of Iran.
The Leader described ethnic diversity in Iran as a genuine opportunity, further reiterating: "The Islamic Republic does not view any part of Iran from a biased and ethnocentric perspective. On the contrary, the Islamic Republic bases its judgments on Islam and Iranian citizenship, and our elites need to clarify this indisputable reality to the people."
His Eminence also touched upon the efforts on the part of the enemies of Islam and Iran during the early stages of the Islamic Revolution to provoke ethnic and religious conflict and cause security problems in Kurdistan province. "The Islamic Republic has managed to overcome this enmity by relying on the public, but it is necessary that all people, especially the elites, remain vigilant in the face of foreigners' continued evil activities," he stated.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the plots which were hatched during the early stages of the Islamic Revolution made Kurdistan a backward province and reiterated that everyone should make serious efforts to make up for such backwardness and help the province reach the position it deserves.
Ayatollah Khamenei further referred to the reasons behind the enmity of the global domineering powers towards the Iranian nation and added: "Being independent and not pursuing the policies of the bullying powers is the reason behind the enmity of the arrogant powers towards the Iranian nation. And the Islamic Republic has no other alternative but to protect itself against such hostility."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also said that the enemies would change their hostile attitude towards Iran if the Islamic Republic was not independent or surrendered to the oppression and humiliating policies of the domineering powers. He further added: "Giving in to the oppression and degrading policies of the domineering powers will lead to stagnation and loss of grandeur and pride in Iranian culture and civilization, as was the case during the Pahlavi era."
Ayatollah Khamenei further referred to memoirs of former Pahlavi officials and said that the bitter facts about the feeling of inferiority and the great dependence of the Pahlavi regime on foreigners are utterly embarrassing for all Iranians.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the victory of the Islamic Revolution put an end to all forms of dependence and humiliation and added: "The Islamic Republic turned a new page and presented the nation with a clear, valuable, and novel fact. And this fundamental fact has to be taken into consideration in all analyses and calculations."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution further stressed the need for providing the necessary budget and facilities for young elites, and said that elites shoulder a responsibility in preparing the ground for the growth of elites in the country. He further stated: "Of course, part of the duty lies on the shoulders of government organizations, and these organization have to carry out this duty in a serious manner."
At the end of his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei said the unity, power, progress, and great achievements of the Iranian nation have worried the global oppressive powers.
He further stated: "The enemies will fail to achieve their goals and impede the progress of the Iranian nation thanks to the unity of the nation and vigilant presence of officials and elites."