Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met today with thousands of exemplary laborers from across the country. During the meeting, His Eminence stated that making progress is dependant on knowledge as well as knowledge-based production and reiterated: "And it is necessary to make intensified efforts in order to realize these potentials."
The meeting was held on the occasion of Laborers' Week. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution explained Islamic perspectives regarding laborers and stated: "Contrary to the materialistic view which considers workers as only a tool, Islam considers laborers as a group of people who carry out jihad on the path of God and whose efforts are rewarded by God."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that maintaining the dignity of laborers is very important in Islam and added that laborers have emerged victorious out of the tests they were put to since the victory of the Revolution.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the efforts made by the enemies since the beginning of the Revolution to make use of laborers as a tool for mounting pressure on the Islamic Republic and stated: "This is a plot which has been on the enemies' agenda during the past thirty years. But the laborers have managed to foil this plot during the past thirty years."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the close bond between laborers and the Islamic Republic is rooted in the strong religious foundations of the Islamic Republic and added that the country's movement towards production which is led by laborers and producers will continue on the basis of these foundations. He also added that ill-wishers will not be able to hinder this movement.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the materialistic progress of the country is based on knowledge and production and said: "During the rule of taghut, production and knowledge-based production were not considered as important. Therefore, the Iranian nation suffered from backwardness for many consecutive years. And making up for such backwardness requires paying more attention to knowledge and production."
His Eminence said that pursuing knowledge through modern and innovative methods is of utmost importance in scientific and research centers and added: "By Allah's favor, scientific progress is being made in the country, but the rate of progress has to be doubled because we are still at the beginning of the way."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that implementing the polices mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution plays an important role in the process of promoting knowledge-based production and stated that everyone should be careful so that implementing the policies mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution does not enable law experts to bend the law.
His Eminence further added that some people circumvent the law and buy certain factories just to pocket billions later on by selling the production equipment and the land. "At the end, the workers of the factories lose their jobs."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also touched on the relationship between labor and management and reiterated: "Within an Islamic system, the relationship between labor and management is based on compassion, cooperation, and common goals. And all policy-makers must move in this direction."
Ayatollah Khamenei added: "We are not like socialists who reject management altogether or capitalists who consider management as having complete control. Rather, we believe that the country will make progress through the cooperation between labor and management as defined according to Islamic and humanitarian rules."
His Eminence said that the country has made amazing achievements compared with the era before the Revolution. He stated that Iran is currently exporting technical services, manufacturing dams and power plants, and establishing production lines in various countries. "In spite of all these advances, we are far away from the position that is appropriate for Iran and its historical background. And we should compensate for the backwardness through intensified labor."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: "Intensified labor means making efforts in order to reach the peak, and this goal cannot be realized through debate or praise. Rather, it necessitates entering the arena of labor and innovation in a serious manner."
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the capacity of the country for progress and intensified work is far more. "The Iranian nation is like a talented youth. It enjoys many capacities, and if enough efforts are made, it will undoubtedly reach the peak."
His Eminence reiterated that the Iranian nation showed part of its capabilities and capacities in action during the past years. "While being under sanctions and without getting help from any other country, the Iranian nation managed to manufacture the second and third generation centrifuges. It astonished all the countries that enjoy nuclear technology," he added.
"In the area of biosciences, the talented Iranian youth managed to clone animals from stem cells. Iran is currently among the few countries that enjoy this technology. And the children of this nation are manufacturing advanced missiles and rockets in spite of thirty years of sanctions."
He reiterated: "These are only one part of the capabilities of the Iranian nation. Therefore, we should use all the human, scientific, and natural capacities of the country. And it is necessary to make intensified efforts in order to realize these potentials."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the arrogant powers cannot tolerate the progress of the Iranian nation and added: "These advances are outside the rules determined by the arrogant powers. For this reason, they deploy their forces against the Iranian nation and are hostile towards it. But their efforts will fail in the future, just as they have failed during the past thirty years."
His Eminence said that the Iranian nation relies on divine grace, religious faith, and righteous deeds. He reiterated: "As Allah the Exalted has promised, religious faith and righteous deeds will bring about success and dignity in this world and salvation in the hereafter."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that genuine national progress depends on the continuation of the path of religious faith and righteous deeds.