The Following is the full text of the speech delivered on March 29, 2010 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Republic at a car factory in Tehran.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I hope the New Year will be auspicious for all you dear people - the managers of the industrial sector and the people who make intellectual and physical effort in this crucial sector. I hope Allah the Exalted will give you the opportunity to help your country and your nation make progress and achieve glory through your effort, innovation and faithful enthusiasm in this sector, which has a crucial role in the progress of the country.
This sector is a significant sector, but today's visit has a symbolic meaning as well. What I am trying to say is that we should pay attention to the important role of industry in the progress of the country. By industry, I mean the kind of industry that is rooted in your own thoughts, innovation and faith. I believe that industry plays a very central role in the progress of the country. That is to say, industrial progress is the main factor that defines the progress of a country and its facilities - of course under certain conditions that are related to the thoughts, beliefs and religious faith of our people.
One dangerous illusion that had been instilled into the minds of our people - and maybe this illusion is still present in the minds of certain people - was that a rational lifestyle and development are inconsistent with a spiritual and moral lifestyle. Some people believed that if a society wanted to be rational, pragmatic and progressive, it had no choice but to get away from morality, spirituality, religion and God. According to this illusion, if we think about moral integrity, rely on spirituality and take religious and moral rules and limitations into consideration, then we will have to forget about progress of the country and rationality. This illusion has been around. There are clear historical reasons behind this faulty assumption. There are some sociological reasons as well.
What I want to stress is that the Islamic Republic and the establishment of Islamic rule in Iran have shattered this illusion. We can live a rational life, benefit from science and achieve progress, and at the same time we can adhere to our moral values and religious faith and carry out our religious obligations. We may also be able to go further in the latter direction.
Islam is the religion of spirituality. It is also the religion of knowledge. In the fourth and fifth centuries of the Hijri calendar, the Islamic community was the most advanced human community of its time. Our scholarly luminaries who lived in that era are still considered outstanding figures in the world of knowledge after the passage of one thousand years. Yet we were suffering from a decline for certain reasons.
Today our movement is progressive and accelerated, and this is how it should be - both in scientific matters and in spiritual and moral areas. Industry can be advanced, and at the same time, it can observe religious, moral and human obligations in a perfect manner. We want the industrialists of the country and the mangers of our industry to be the embodiment of this truth. We want you to be committed to religion and to fast industrial progress at the same time.
As far as industry is concerned, we are not satisfied with what we have achieved so far. Of course this is not to say that I do not appreciate what we have achieved so far and that I do not value the efforts that have been made to accomplish these achievements. No, our past achievements are very valuable, but this is only the beginning of our path.
We have suffered long-lasting backwardness in the car industry. You have managed to make up for this backwardness through your efforts. That is to say, you have managed to awaken the country from the sleep that has lasted for almost thirty years after the introduction of the car industry into the country. After the car industry was introduced into the country in the 1340s, we remained stagnant for about thirty years. We did not go beyond the stage of mere imitation. We cannot blame the government officials of the 1360s because that decade was the decade in which the Revolution and the Sacred Defense took place. As one of the honorable officials said, this hall used to be a place for arming our soldiers. All Iranian families contributed to the war in one way or another. We cannot blame the officials of that decade. But the officials who used to serve in governmental organizations before the 1360s should be blamed and held responsible.
It only took 4-5 years for the countries that wanted to become car manufacturers to grow out of imitation. Why did it take so long here? This situation was caused by those who were not concerned about the country's interests, those who did not really care about national glory and those who did not care about the country's material resources going to waste. But you started your efforts within the framework of the Islamic Republic since the 1370s, and you have made good progress. Today this national engine that has been manufactured through Iranian art, skill, thought and effort is the symbol of glory for our country. This is very significant. It is not just that we have managed to build a car engine in the country. The importance of this issue is far more than this.
Today there is a race in the world for building different kinds of motors, and car engines - as common and ubiquitous means in our daily life - are one of the most significant things in this regard. In this competitive world, you managed to show the art of Iranian craftsmen when you built this engine. This is very valuable. Your heart is filled with sorrow when you remember that the cars we have been using in the country - both the cars that were imported and the cars that were apparently manufactured inside the country - were powered by engines that were built entirely by foreigners. The engines of our cars were manufactured by others, by the laborers of other countries. Instead of creating job opportunities for our own laborers and making use of their skill, and instead of benefiting our laborers and helping our country make progress, we were in fact helping foreigners. Today you have thankfully prepared the ground for this to happen. You have provided the necessary means. This is very valuable. I appreciate this good work. However, as I said, this is the first step.
Industrial independence is one of the requirements for the development of a country. We must be able to stand on our feet in industrial areas. We must be able to rely on our own thought. We must make use of our own capabilities. Of course the world is based on exchange, but bilateral exchange - that is to say, giving something and getting something else in return. In the market of industrial exchange, you will have something to say only when you are able to stand on your own feet in industrial areas. This is what we want. We need to do this. With this historical background, with this great civilization, with this public movement, with this level of preparedness that our youth enjoy and with so many talents, Islamic Iran deserves this. We need this industrial independence. We must try to be considered as a raised flag of industrial progress in the world of Islam. And the world of Islam will welcome this. The world of Islam will happily look at the Islamic Republic and see that the Iranian nation has been able to make this level of progress in this area, relying on its own vigilance and capabilities. Later on I will speak about the issue of exports, which is one of our crucial issues.
There are a few points in this regard that I would like to speak about. One of the points that I would like to mention is that if you care about our domestic industry - in the area of manufacturing cars, which is of immediate concern in this meeting, or in other areas - we must adopt policies to regulate our trade in this regard. That is to say, excessive imports will undoubtedly harm us. The organizations that are responsible for policy-making and those who formulate executive policies should pay attention to this point. It is very good if supply is more than demand, but the growth of domestic industry is more important and beneficial than that. Strengthening our domestic industry is more important. It is not right to import excessively under various pretexts. I have repeatedly told our government officials in different sectors that if your logic for increasing and facilitating the import of industrial products is to improve the quality of domestic products, then you should just make our manufacturers improve the quality of their products. There are certain policies that can help us force our manufacturers to improve the quality of their products. The worst way to improve the quality of domestic products is to facilitate excessive import of foreign products. This is the worst option. There are better options to increase quality.
Another point that is important is the issue of research - research and development of technology. Today all industries of the world, including the car industry, are based on knowledge. They are thinking, working and conducting research all the time in order to improve a certain product or make it more beautiful, less energy-consuming and cheaper. It is not possible to do so except through scientific progress, thinking, careful attention and research. The door should be open for research. Different organizations, industrial factories, industrial managers and government officials should make a lot of efforts regarding the issue of research. This helps our industry to survive in difficult competitive conditions and not be overwhelmed by their rivals. It is possible to do so through research.
The issue of exports is another important point that is related to our industries, including our car industry. Different governmental organizations should try to contribute to the export market. This is one of those highly sensitive tasks that are based on a variety of collaborative efforts. Some of our neighboring countries earn billions of dollars annually out of exporting cars. This is very important. That is to say, increasing exports should be the goal of our car manufacturers - I am referring to the car industry as an example, and the same is true of all our industries. That is to say, they should keep this goal in mind all the time, and our governmental organizations should consider finding export markets as one of their goals.
The issue of environment is the next point that I would like to speak about. I heard in the reports that the issue of environment receives some attention, and I would like to stress this issue. That is to say, environmental concerns must be one of the crucial factors that should be taken into consideration when manufacturing engines and all other industrial products. Destroying the environment is one of the things that harm an entire nation, an entire region and sometimes the entire world - and the consequences become tangible only when they are irreversible. The issue of environment is a very important issue. Islam has paid a lot of attention to the issue of environment. The importance of protecting the environment has been recognized in the modern world. Preserving the environment is among our Islamic teachings. This is a very important point which has to be taken into consideration.
To summarize everything that I have in mind about the work of you dear brothers in one single sentence, I would say your innovation, cleverness, efforts and persistence are the factors that guarantee the future of this country. These factors ensure the future prosperity of this nation. You should not become tired of making efforts. You should not become tired of persistence and making efforts. I know certain countries that entered this arena after we did, but they are currently ahead of us. This was because of their persistence and tireless efforts. This was because their managers were determined not to abandon their efforts. Failing to pursue what they start is one of the flaws that I have noticed in certain administrations. This occurs while providing financial, bureaucratic and managerial support, and when encouraging people, considering their problems and removing obstacles in their way. Sometimes a small obstacle thwarts a great project for a long time. I have learnt this through experience. I have seen great projects being thwarted. And when I investigated the issue, I sometimes found out that there was a small problem that had not been resolved due to lack of determined efforts. Fortunately the current administration is active, persistent and determined. This administration is truly conscientious and caring, and the honorable Minister [of industry] is young, dynamic and motivated. I hope you will carry out your responsibilities in the best possible way.
Agriculture, which is very important to us, depends on industry. I believe agriculture is one of the most essential foundations of the strength and survival of our country. The progress of agriculture is not possible except through industrial progress. That is to say, my emphasis on industry should not be interpreted as rejection of the agricultural sector. In fact industry is a kind of support for general progress of the country, including the agricultural sector. I insist that the industrial sector should make progress, and this progress is possible through the use of the intellectual capabilities of you dear youth. This progress is possible through research and Iranian skill.
I have precise information that many of the countries which are currently famous for their industrial advances and are among the top countries in the world enjoy far lower levels of intelligence on the average than our people. But they have managed to make progress through hard work. Talent and high levels of intelligence are one of the crucial requirements that we already enjoy. We should try to combine this factor with the second factor - namely, persistent and tireless efforts. If this happens, you should know that the country will, by Allah's favor, take a quantum leap and make great achievements - just as we see our country among the top 8 or 10 countries in the world in certain areas. One of the gentlemen said that we are among the top 6 countries in the world in a certain area. These are very important points. Our country was far away from industrial work, innovation and action before the Revolution, and it did not have either the hope or the self-confidence to achieve what it has achieved now. This is a very important point. Therefore, you have the opportunity to make progress, and there are enormous capacities for a quantum leap. I pray to Allah the Exalted to bestow success and assistance on you.
The issue of cooperation between the industrial sector and our universities, which was mentioned by one of the gentlemen, is also very important. I have been advising our universities - our state universities - to form a strong relationship between industry and university. We need to create special scientific associations for different industrial sectors so that they can support industrial activities. For example, we can create a special association for the car industry.
I hope Allah the Exalted will bestow success on all of you. I hope you will benefit from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake). I hope the immaculate souls of our martyrs and our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) will be satisfied with you. Today was a great day for me. I enjoyed meeting this hard-working group, and I am thankful to God for this. By Allah's grace, I will pray for you.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings