On the 5th day of his trip to Kurdistan province, Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met with the enthusiastic and faithful people of Marivan. Speaking at the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei said that national grandeur is an important factor in ensuring a bright future for the Iranian nation, further adding: "This bright future belongs to the Iranian youth, and can be achieved through reliance on Islamic, national, and domestic models of progress and avoidance of imitation."
Ayatollah Khamenei said standing up to the foreign powers who are trying to humiliate the nation prepares the ground for national grandeur and stated: "The enemies of the country do not see the progress and grandeur of the Islamic Republic as beneficial to their interests. Therefore, any type of dependence on foreigners is against our national interests and harmful to the independence, grandeur, and progress of the country."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the inability of western capitalism to deal with economic crises is clearly indicative of the weaknesses of western management systems. He further added that the nation and the officials, particularly the youth and intellectuals, should take this fact into consideration.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the progress of the nation and the Islamic Republic should be based on pure Islamic principles.
He further stated: "We never advise anyone to follow a fanatic and dogmatic version of Islam. Rather, we believe that the type of Islam which calls on human beings to engage in contemplation is the cure for all pains, ensures progress in the country, and can cause historic and glorious movements, such as the Islamic Republic, in the country."
Elsewhere, Ayatollah Khamenei criticized those who try to attract public attention by saying the same things as western countries at different times, such as election times, and added: "Such remarks are not considered a privilege. Rather, they are against the Islamic and Iranian identity and thought."
Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to his trip to Marivan and Dezli region in the year 1359, at the peak of Saddam Hussein's attack against Iran, and added that those who are against the progress of the nation were trying to create an atmosphere of distrust among the people of this region by relying on the enemies' agents and mercenaries.
He further stated: "It was the faithful and loyal people of Kurdistan who managed to foil this plot, and the youth of the country and this region should become familiar with these facts."
His Eminence described the 20-Year Strategic Plan as a set of genuine guidelines for the officials of the three government branches, further adding: "All government officials and the people have to shoulder a great responsibility in order to achieve the goals of this important plan. And we must make sure those who are opposed to our country's progress do not direct our attention to trivial issues."
Ayatollah Khamenei expressed his appreciation for the efforts of government officials to overcome the problems and shortcomings. He referred to last night's meeting with cabinet members and added: "Having a detailed knowledge of the situation, our government officials have made appropriate decisions for different parts of Kurdistan, especially Marivan, and I hope these decisions are carried out meticulously."
The Leader stressed the need for investment in industrial and agricultural sectors of Kurdistan province and said that such investment will prepare the ground for creation of job opportunities. "Unfortunately, due to unemployment problems, the youth of this region are sometimes forced to earn their livelihood through illegal activities, especially smuggling, leaving our economy to grapple with the dangerous consequences," he noted.
"The unemployment problems of this region must be solved through the efforts of government officials, cooperation of the people, and the necessary investments so that the faithful youth of Kurdistan are not forced to resort to illegal activities."
Ayatollah Khamenei decried security as a prerequisite for investment, creation of wealth, and progress, further adding: "The enemies of the nation try to prevent investment in the region through creating insecurity. However, the competent forces of the Islamic Republic will crack down on the efforts to create insecurity and by Allah's favor, they will not give the enemies any opportunity to create security problems."
His Eminence said that turning the attention of the people of other parts of the country to Kurdistan province and expanding the relationships between different ethnic groups are the goals of the trip and added: "Kurds, Azeris, Lors, Baluchis, and other ethnic groups of this historical land have come together to form the unified Iranian nation."