The following is the full text of the speech delivered on March 21, 2010 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to a large number of ordinary citizens in the city of Mashhad.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all sentient beings, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate and infallible household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
I am deeply thankful to Allah the Exalted who once again gave me the opportunity to spend the first day of the year among you dear brothers and sisters who have come to this holy city to be close to Imam Reza's (a.s.) holy shrine. I am thankful to God who gave me the opportunity to benefit from the blessings of this pilgrimage and the opportunity for a meeting with you dear brothers and sisters. First of all, I wish to congratulate the entire Iranian nation as well as you dear brothers and sisters on Norouz, the arrival of the New Year. And I would like to say a few things in this regard.
Thirty one years have passed since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, and thus, as the first point, I would like to discuss the Quranic definition of Islamic rule. The establishment of religious faith is the basis of Islamic rule and the criterion for it. Faith in God, faith in the teachings of the prophets, and faith in treading the path that was shown to people by the prophets of God - these are the foundations of Islamic rule. Throughout history prophets were sent by God to guide human beings and religious communities were established with the primary purpose of achieving this goal. Therefore, the Holy Quran says, "Surely We have sent you as a witness and as a bearer of good news and as a warner in order that you may believe in God and His Messenger and may aid him and revere him, and (that) you may declare His glory, morning and evening." [The Holy Quran, 48: 8-9] According to these verses, faith in God and developing emotional ties with Allah the Exalted, His path, and religious teachings were the purpose of sending the divine prophets.
In the holy Sura "al-Ahzab", God says, "O Prophet, surely We have sent you as a witness, and as a bearer of good news and as a warner, and as one inviting to Allah." [The Holy Quran, 33: 45-46] Prophets had a divine duty to call the people to God. This is the foundation of everything. This point is the most important criterion that distinguishes Islamic government and communities from all other human communities. It is all a matter of faith in God, ghaib [the unseen], and the path Allah the Exalted has specified for the prosperity of man in this world and the hereafter. Religious faith is the main criterion in the Islamic Republic, and this is why the Islamic Republic has something new to present to various other types of government in the world. This criterion is the reason why the Islamic Republic has a new concept with which it can challenge its materialistic rivals. Lack of religious faith has caused humanity to be sucked into various cesspits of worldly life.
Therefore, religious faith is the main criterion. The purpose of faith in God, His path, and the path of His prophets is not mere spiritual transcendence. Of course spiritual transcendence and moral perfection are the main purpose of this faith, but they are not the only purpose of religious faith. This is because in the hereafter we will only reap what we sow in this world. It is our material life that will enable us to go through the stages of spiritual transcendence. Therefore, even our material life depends on faith in God. Not only does faith in Allah the Exalted provide man with spiritual salvation, but it also helps man to achieve material prosperity. Faith in Allah the Exalted enables man to achieve whatever he needs. "And if they had kept up the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed to them from their Lord, they would certainly have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet." [The Holy Quran, 5: 66] If human beings practice their religion and if people practice Islamic teachings in society, they will achieve such prosperity that none of their needs will be left unfulfilled.
Religious faith plays a prominent role in one's spiritual and psychological welfare and in achieving a sense of peace and security. According to the Holy Quran, "Indeed, there has come to you light and a clear Book from Allah. With it Allah guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety." [5: 15-16] The Holy Quran has shown us the ways in which we can achieve psychological health and spiritual peace and security - the same shortcomings that have filled the modern world with agitation. The modern world has already achieved material, scientific, and technological progress as well as huge sources of material wealth, but it lacks spiritual peace. This is due to the lack of an essential element in human life - that is, religious faith. This is an essential Quranic concept, and all of us, all our youth, and all generations that want to build a prosperous future for themselves, their country, and their children need to pay attention to this concept. In the Islamic Republic religious faith is the foundation of everything, and we need to achieve this religious faith - not just in our hearts, but also in our actions and plans.
This year is the 32nd year of the Islamic Republic's life. That is to say, this year is the second year of "The Decade of Progress and Justice ". This is a pivotal slogan. It is an essential concept and a need. At this stage of the Revolution, progress and justice should be the main goal of our dear nation and government officials. Progress and justice are two of the main human demands. Progress means that the material needs of society should be fulfilled to an acceptable level. And justice means that there should be no discrimination and oppression among human beings. Both of these demands are among the earliest and the most basic demands of humanity. Justice and progress have been among the main demands of humanity since the beginning of time. It is easy to shout such slogans, but the question is, when can we put them into practice? I came to the conclusion that the fourth decade of the Revolution was an appropriate time for practicing these slogans. It is possible to achieve genuine progress. Considering the advances that our society has made, the awareness and insight that our people have thankfully achieved, the knowledge they have gained of the obstacles and the goals, and their ability to distinguish between our friends and enemies, if a government official is after progress, he or she can prepare the ground for perfect administration of justice in our society. Of course this is not a short-term goal. It will take a long time. Therefore, we will consider this decade as "The Decade of Progress and Justice". Justice and progress should be taken into consideration whenever an action is taken and a plan is made. Every action and plan should be in line with progress and justice.
Our country has a lot of capacities. Dear people, our country has made progress in all areas. The ground is now prepared for a great movement, the effect of which will be tangible in the daily lives of the people. We have made a lot of progress in economic infrastructures. Great achievements have been made in transport infrastructures. In scientific and technological areas, we have been making accelerated progress. As you know, in scientific areas the youth, academics, and prominent figures of the country can now accomplish achievements that are extraordinary for a country that has been away from knowledge, research, technology, and scientific innovation for a long time.
Dear youth, today there are quite a few areas in which Iran is considered to be among the top 8-10 countries in the world. In various areas such as biosciences, nanotechnology, and space sciences, you see that the scientists of the country - mostly enthusiastic and dynamic youth - have helped the country achieve such a high level of progress that Iran is considered among the top 8-10 countries in the world. This means that our country has made a lot of progress and that it has achieved an important position.
As far as regional and international prestige and power are concerned, today our Islamic system has gained such prominence and power that even our enemies admit that the Islamic Republic enjoys the greatest international prestige among the countries that are at its level as well as among the countries that can play a significant role in the world. We can say that in terms of its international and political prestige the Islamic Republic is first in the region. Sometimes you hear certain individuals - who can be best described as short-sighted and imperceptive - say that the prestige of the Islamic Republic has been compromised just because a particular president, foreign minister, or international representative has said some bad things about Iran. This is a mistake. Today the Islamic Republic is highly prestigious and powerful in the eyes of different nations and governments as well as its enemies. The Islamic Republic is an influential government. The Islamic Republic is playing a tangible role in global issues, and its role is not comparable with the role of other countries that are at the same level in terms of their economic conditions and national wealth. That is to say, in terms of its role in regional policies, Iran is ahead of all the countries that are at the same economic level or higher.
These are the areas. And today the officials of the Islamic Republic have 30 years of experience in serving and managing the country. The continuation of the Islamic Republic's movement and stability has resulted in this great outcome, and a wealth of experience has been gained as a result of dealing with internal, regional, and international issues. This is a very important area as well - a significant infrastructure.
Bright prospects have been specified in the Islamic Republic's 20-Year Strategic Plan, which is a valuable plan. The administrations that are voted into office by the people one after the other can determine their goals on the basis of this strategic plan. Each administration should do its share of the work specified in the 20-Year Strategic Plan and leave the rest to the next administration. The 20-Year Strategic Plan is one of the valuable advantages that the Islamic Republic enjoys.
Another great advantage of this government is our motivated, dynamic, and educated young generation. Our youth are educated and motivated, and they are making efforts in various areas to acquire knowledge in different areas. They are self-confident. I think the level of self-confidence that our youth enjoy today did not exist in the past, and I believe this level of self-confidence can be observed in very few other countries. Whenever you discuss various economic, technical, political, and social issues with the youth, you hear them confidently say, "We can do it." They do not feel that they are incapable of doing any of these things. They feel they can do everything. This self-confidence is a valuable asset for a nation. This is because for many years they were trying to make us believe that we cannot do anything. They used tell our people, "You do not have what it takes." Our politicians and the oppressive rulers who had our country under their yoke and who were often working hand in glove with the enemies of this nation - these people made constant efforts to make our youth believe that they did not have the capability and that there was no point in trying. They were in fact saying, "Just stand aside and let the others do research and make progress, and then you can go and beg for what they achieve." They used to tell us that we could not do anything by ourselves. This was what they were trying to instill in our people and youth, and in fact our nation believed them.
When I was young, there was a common belief in society that Iranians were unable to do anything. Our people believed that only Europeans and Americans could make progress and that we had to follow in their footsteps and try to learn from them. Our nation could not even imagine that it had the ability to open up a new path, start a new movement, and excel in an important area of life. Today everything has been reversed. There are no important areas in which the Iranian youth feel incompetent. As I said, in scientific, technical, and political matters when our research communities - which are mostly made up of youth - hear about various advances, they feel that they can achieve the same things. This self-confidence is very important. This self-confidence in our scientific communities originates from our national self-confidence. I said several years ago that our nation should achieve national self-confidence - that is to say, it should feel that it is possible to make great achievements by taking action and relying on its willpower. There is nothing that we cannot do. These are the factors that can help us make progress.
I named this year "The Year of Intensified Effort and Labor". Intensified and multiplied effort is an ideal. We would not be satisfied with our efforts even if they were increased by 10 times. But if we failed to double our efforts in a certain area, we would not stop trying. The important point is that we should make more efforts compared to the past, and we should work harder than before. This is the slogan of this year. The slogan is not just for show. This slogan will not solve all our problems this year, and it would be wrong to think otherwise. The slogan was not just a ceremonial move. It was not for show. It shows us the path we should tread.
I named last year "The Year of Reforming the Norms of Consumption ". Last year I said in this place that reforming the norms of consumption is not something that can be done in one year. Therefore, I said that in the year 1388 people and government officials should work towards reforming the norms of consumption. A movement was started in this direction. I cannot say that the norms of consumption were totally reformed because that was not the case. We are far away from that goal. As long as we do not reform the norms of consumption and as long as we do not know how to use water, electricity, bread, and money in an appropriate manner, we will have to deal with the same problems. We have to keep reforming the norms of consumption. In the year 1388 government officials adopted some measures, made some plans, and did some research, but they must not stop their efforts. The name of the year showed us the path. It became clear that in the year 1388 reforming the norms of consumption was an essential issue and that it had to be pursued. The same is true of this year. I said that this year we need to make intensified efforts. Intensified work is not limited to this year only. We should see this name as an arrow that shows us the path we should tread. We must spare no effort. We need to make great achievements. There are lofty goals ahead of us. We need to make intensified efforts in order to reach those goals. We should work harder. In order to reach those goals we must make concerted efforts.
Of course last year was an important year for our country. As I told the Iranian nation in my New Year message, I believe the year 1388 was the year of the Iranian nation. It was full of success for the Iranian nation. It was the year of the Iranian nation's prominent presence in great arenas of life. On one occasion, 40 million people went to the ballot boxes on the 22nd of Khordad [June 12 presidential elections]. That is to say, there was an 85 percent voter turnout in that election. This is a very important matter. Undoubtedly, the presence of the people plays a role in the legitimacy of their government. There is no such voter turnout even in the western countries that attribute their legitimacy to the presence of the people and nothing else. At the same time as our presidential elections last year, an election was held in England in which only 30 percent of the eligible voters participated. There is a big difference between 85 percent and 30 percent. This public movement and presence is very important. International political analysts will not pass over such things easily. They may decide not to reflect this in their press. Their politicians may not speak about this or they may deny it altogether, but deep down in their heart they are aware of this reality.
This nation is standing firm. This was a great movement by our nation. After the passage of 30 years since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, the Iranian people showed that they are strongly committed to the foundations of this system by taking part in the election with so much enthusiasm. The Islamic Republic was founded on inseparable Islamic and republican aspects, and those who try to separate these two aspects from one another do not know the Islamic Republic. That was a great public movement, and it went down in the history of this country. The enemies of the Iranian nation had their own plans to counter that movement, and they started to implement these plans. If an overwhelming number people had not taken part in the presidential election last year and if, for example, instead of 40 million, only 30 million people had participated in the election, the enemies would have probably succeeded. They had prepared their plots before the election.
I am not accusing anyone, but I know how the enemies act. I can see their presence. I can detect their activities. I cannot deny their presence. The enemies were acting in a specific way. They have done similar things in other countries as well. When arrogant powers of the world are dissatisfied with a certain government, they typically wait for an election. And if they do not like those who are voted into power in that election, they stage an apparently public movement and try to reverse the situation. They try to attract certain groups of people into the arena through some slogans, and they use street protests as a lever to violently change a situation that is the result of enforcing the law. This is a well-known plot. This is why the people as well as independent, honest, and perceptive political analysts attribute the post-election events to foreign agents. Even if you do not know what is going on behind the scene or you do not have access to the intelligence obtained by the people who are in the know, when you just look at the way they act, you realize that it is foreigners and the enemies of the nation who are doing this. An election was held according to the law, and a certain result was obtained, but they tried to change this result through violence - by attracting certain people into the arena. They were prepared to engage in violence and set banks and buses on fire if necessary just to change the result that had been obtained through legal channels. This was both illegal and religiously prohibited. It is obvious that such a movement must have been masterminded by foreigners. That was what they were trying to achieve in the country.
It was a great test for the country. It was an important test, and it taught us many lessons. The Iranian nation emerged victorious out of this test. After the election they wanted to divide the people into a minority and a majority. They wanted to divine the people into winners and losers and pitch them against one another. They were planning to divide the nation into two groups. They were hoping that a group of rioters will enter the arena, and that they will manage to create a civil war in this way. But our nation was vigilant. You saw that on the election day the people were divided into one group of 13-14 million people and another group of 24 million people, but after some time these two groups came together to stand up against the rioters, hooligans, and vandals. That was when the nation showed that it was vigilant. They were planning to create riots in the country. The ill-wishers who have done everything in their power to harm this Revolution and this nation also tried to make the best of the opportunity, and they entered the arena with their negative propaganda. There was nothing more they could do to harm us. If the Americans, the English, and the Zionists could have brought their men into the streets of Tehran, they would undoubtedly have done so. If it had been possible for them to take control of the situation through the presence of their agents and mercenaries, they would have done it. But they knew that they would have been harmed in the end. Supporting the rioters in their propaganda and political rhetoric was the only thing they could do. The presidents of the arrogant powers started to do this. They referred to the rioters and vandals as Iranian people - the rioters who were trying to prove their existence by setting public properties on fire. They did this in the vain hope that they would manage to mislead internal and international public opinion. But they failed.
Our nation gave them the final and the most powerful blow on the 9th of Dey and the 22nd of Bahman last year [December 30, 2009 and February 11, 2010]. What the Iranian nation did on the 22nd of Bahman was a great thing. The same is true of the 9th of Dey. The nation revealed its unanimity. When the people who had voted for different candidates saw the enemy was involved and when they realized what evil goals the enemy was pursuing, they revised their opinion about the individuals who they used to trust. They recognized the path of the Revolution and the right path. Last year on the 22nd of Bahman the people entered the arena shouting the same slogan. The enemies made a lot of efforts, hoping that they would manage to divide the nation. But they failed. The Iranian nation stood firm. That was a victory for the nation. From the 22nd of Khordad to the 22nd of Bahman - for eight months - the Iranian nation went through a glorious and highly instructional phase. The people gained a new insight, which turned a new page for them. This gave rise to a very important opportunity, and we need to move forward on the basis of this opportunity.
Intensified effort and labor should be based on this foundation. There are various arenas. We must not waste time. Each and every day of the revolutionary era is valuable. We must not let any of them pass us by. It is possible that the individuals who were involved in the fitna managed to preoccupy the minds of certain people for about 8 months last year, and certain things were left unfinished. We have to make up for that period of time. It is necessary to take swift action and move forward. There are various arenas in this regard. First and foremost, our universities and research centers have to intensify their efforts to acquire knowledge and carry out research in various areas - including the humanities, experimental sciences, and any other area that is needed in the country. They should aim for higher goals. They should make more serious efforts.
As I said, our youth should try to make their country an authoritative source of reference for scientists of the entire world in a couple of decades, and this is the meaning of intensified effort and labor in the arena of knowledge and research.
Intensified effort should also be made in order to make optimal use of the resources of the country and the existing facilities. We should make the best of everything that can be used to reconstruct the country in the future or improve public welfare - and reforming the norms of consumption is a prerequisite for this. We need to make optimal use of the water resources in the country. Today we are not using water in an optimal way. Last year when I proposed the issue of reforming the norms of consumption, our researchers carried out a study and told me that 90 percent of our water resources are being used up by the agricultural sector in an extravagant and wasteful manner. Only 10 percent is being used for other purposes, including household and industrial purposes. That is to say, if we spend 10 percent less water in the agricultural sector, we will have twice as much water for household and industrial purposes. This shows the importance of the issue. It is also important to pay attention to the consumption of electricity and other energy carriers such as gas and diesel oil. The Subsidy Redistribution Bill which has been proposed by the government is about the same issue. It is a very important bill.
I would like to use this opportunity and advise both the legislative and the executive branch to cooperate with each other in this regard. They should help each other to implement the bill. The executive branch of the government is expected to take action. The administration is shouldering the responsibility for action. Therefore, all other organs of the country, including the legislative branch, should help the administration. On the other hand, the administration should act on the basis of the laws passed by the Majlis. Therefore, the executive and legislative branches of the government should work shoulder to shoulder in this regard. They should stick together and help each other. If people work together, God will help them. Therefore, it is important to make optimal use of the existing facilities and resources of the country. We need to increase productivity. Unfortunately, many of our resources are being used in a wrong and extravagant manner.
We should also make intensified efforts to improve the quality of domestic products. This is one of the essential things that should be done. Today we have many domestic products both in industrial and agricultural areas. We should pay attention to the quality of these products. We should improve their quality. The consumers of the products that are developed by our laborers should feel confident that what they are paying for is either better than the products developed by another country or, at least, equally good.
We should make intensified efforts in the health sector as well. The issue of health should receive special attention both in the fifth development plan and in various other executive plans made by different organizations of the country. Health care can be partially ensured by paying attention to the issue of sports activities. I have stressed this point many times before, and I would like to stress again that sports activities is a necessity for everyone. Sports activities can help ensure vitality and physical fitness. It can help people feel fresh at work.
We need to intensify our efforts to promote entrepreneurship and attract investments. Many of the people who are earning massive amounts of money do not know how to spend their wealth. This, too, points to the necessity of reforming the norms of consumption. Instead of spending their money in production sectors, they spend their money on luxury. Fruitless and extravagant trips abroad that may lead to moral corruption and changing household items under various pretexts - these are some extravagant ways of spending one's money. Instead of doing this, one can invest the money. Today the ground has been prepared for this. One can now invest in the stock markets of the country. Everybody can play a role in this regard by investing their money.
Acquiring knowledge, reading books, and raising public awareness are another area that requires intensified effort and labor. I suggested that free debates should be held in our universities and Islamic seminaries. These debates can initiate a very valuable flow of thought in society.
Most importantly, we need to make intensified efforts to fight poverty, corruption, and injustice. These are what we must do in the future. The people, the government, and the officials should make efforts in this regard.
Of course there are challenges and obstacles on our path. We are not one of those nations that do not have any enemies. In fact the nations that do not have any enemies do not have any existential value. Any nation that has a goal and makes efforts to achieve its goal will naturally make enemies. Of course there are different types of enemies. For example, the American government has a lot of enemies throughout the world, but who are those enemies? It is peoples who detest the American government. Why? Because the American government has been attacking different countries since 50-60 years ago. The American government has launched nearly 60 military attacks against different countries in a matter of 50 years. This is no joke. So the American government has enemies, just like the Islamic Republic. But who are the enemies of the Islamic Republic? The arrogant powers, Zionist capitalists, enemies of humanity, and oppressive and cruel espionage organizations. Therefore, we have enemies, and these enemies are making constant efforts.
Our nation and government officials must be vigilant. They should carefully consider these hostilities. They should act wisely and courageously in the face of these hostilities. We need to have both acumen and courage. In the absence of courage, one may be disheartened by the power and the grimace of the arrogant governments, in which case one will definitely be defeated. Making loud threats against other countries is one of the things that the arrogant governments do. They twist their face in anger and make right look like wrong. If our government officials do not have courage and are disheartened by such theatrical, hostile, and arrogant moves, they will have no chance of success. Not only will they be defeated, but they will also make the nation accept defeat. Therefore, it is necessary to have courage.
It is equally necessary to have acumen - that is to say, we need to be aware of the enemy's plans and make appropriate and timely decisions to counter them. The enemies may appear in various forms. For example, today the Zionists and the American government are against the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic. Sometimes they appear in wolf's clothing, and sometimes in fox's clothing. Sometimes they look violent and hostile, and other times they engage in deception. We need to be vigilant.
Last year, on the first day of the year, I told the esteemed people who had gathered in this place that in response to the US President's statements and "extended hand", we would carefully watch them to see whether his hand had been extended in friendship. I said that we would watch carefully to see whether they really had friendly intentions or their deceptive words were simply an attempt to disguise their hostile intentions. This is very important to us. I said last year that if the hand they had extended to us was an iron hand covered with a velvet glove, we would not extend our hand in response and we would not accept their friendship. I said we would be watching to see if they were hiding a dagger behind their smile. Unfortunately, what happened was exactly what we suspected. In spite of all their claimed interest in fair and appropriate relations, the new American President and his administration did the opposite in practice. They wrote letters and sent messages. They said publicly and in their private meetings that they wanted to normalize their relationship with the Islamic Republic, but they did the opposite in practice.
After the post-election events they adopted the worst position. The American President referred to actions of the rioters and vandals as a civil movement. Setting banks and buses on fire, beating up unsuspecting and innocent pedestrians, beating up the sister and mother of a war martyr just because they were wearing a chador, setting the motorcycle of young men on fire just because they were wearing a beard - are these things a civil movement? You are claiming to support human rights and democracy, but you ignored the great movement of the Iranian people in the election. You ignored their presence on the scene. Why did you support a group of rioters? Why did you call their actions a civil movement? Do you not feel ashamed? You claim that you support human rights and that you feel responsible in this regard, but you are in no position to talk about human rights. Which one of your actions has changed during the past few years? Have you reduced the killings in Afghanistan? Have you decreased your interference in the internal affairs of Iraq? Did you refuse to support the tragic massacre of the civilians and children in Gaza? And now you are claiming to support human rights?
I would like to announce once again that the governments which adopt an arrogant attitude towards the Iranian people and officials should know that the people of Iran and the officials of the Islamic Republic consider them unacceptable and condemn them. You cannot claim to support peace and friendship and at the same time hatch plots and create a fitna, hoping that you will manage to harm the Islamic Republic.
Our nation and officials are vigilant. Acumen requires that one carefully consider the behavior of the enemies and see what they are trying to do. The actions of the enemies - whether they are wearing wolf's or fox's clothing - should not be ignored by the Iranian nation. The people should not fail to detect their actions. The Iranian nation should act vigilantly. And by Allah's favor, we government officials will act vigilantly as well. We will never abandon the interests of our nation because of the enemies' threats and grimaces. We will do whatever is necessary for the progress of this country. We are confident that the Iranian nation will be triumphant, as it has been during the past 30 years. Our enemies failed in all of their attempts against the Iranian nation. They could not harm the Islamic Republic in any way. They could not drive a wedge between the people and the Islamic Republic. And they will fail in the future as well. By Allah's grace, the Iranian nation will continue wining victories and making progress, and the enemies of the Iranian nation will be doomed to defeat and backwardness.
Dear God, help us tread the path of faith in God, the Quran, and the holy Islamic teachings in a steadfast manner. Dear God, do not let us fail to remember You. Do not deprive us of the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake). Bestow Your grace and blessings on this country, on the youth, and on the enthusiastic hearts of the people. Dear God, strengthen on a daily basis the bonds of brotherhood between this nation and other Muslim nations. Dear God, foil the plots of the enemies.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings