The following is the full text of the speech delivered on April 27, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with laborers and people who are active in production sectors on the occasion of Labor Day.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I welcome you dear brothers and sisters, you who are valuable people at the service of the blossoming and progress of the country. You are noble and committed people who have undertaken a responsibility in one of the most difficult sectors of the country in order to help it make progress. You are carrying the difficult part of the job on your shoulders in the way of the happiness of this nation. May God reward your efforts and, by Allah's favor, all of you will receive divine rewards.
On Labor Day, it is customary for writers and orators to speak about the characteristics of laborers. Of course, this is a good thing to do. Apart from the fact that writing and speaking can play a very significant and valuable role in raising the position of laborers, the main and fundamental characteristic of the workforce is that a laborer provides progress and tranquility for the country and the people with his body, with his life and with his mind. Although certain other factors, such as the power of capital and management, play a role in this arena - and we should appreciate their value as well - the laborer does this with his body. This has an enormous value.
If manpower does not exist in a country, if it is weak or unskilled, if its mind is engaged in thinking about different political orientations, that country will be paralyzed. You laborers are the spinal cords of the country. For the most part, it is you who prevent the country from being paralyzed. This should be known. Everybody should know and understand this. Both in the cultural arena, the people should know the value of this and in the practical arena, lawmakers and executive officials should constantly pay attention to these factors. If in a country laborers have hopes, welfare and job security, the movement of this country towards progress will be easier. This is a fact. All of us should understand this.
I believe that the importance of laborers in our country is even higher than this. What has been said is true in any location, is true in all countries. But there is something more in this country which is the fact that besides doing their jobs, laborers carried out their responsibilities towards the Revolution and the country in a good way. Both in the beginning of the Revolution and during the Sacred Defense Era, the movement of laborers - such as laborers of the [national] oil company and many other laborers - was one of the key factors in the victory of the Revolution. In the war, wherever we looked, young and middle-aged laborers had filled the gaps. During different political events, laborers did not give in to the temptations of the people who wanted to pit laborers against the Revolution and the Islamic Republic. These are not minor achievements. Of course, many people do not know these facts. We witnessed these things up close.
During the early days of the victory of the Revolution, I myself went to a certain organization of laborers in the west of Tehran. I saw what the enemies of Islam and the Revolution were doing and what plots and plans they had. Just in the beginning of the Revolution and when the first rays of the Revolution had just begun to filter through the country, the enemies - who were dependent on a number of powers - hatched a plot to exert their political influence over the country by using laborers. I saw this up close. But our religious laborers stood up against them with great courage and outspokenness- thanks to their faith and their trust in our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) and the clergy. This was repeated during many years. Today, 34 years have passed since those days. Many people made great efforts and spent a lot of money so that they could pit laborers against the Islamic Revolution. But laborers stood up against them. This is very important. These show us the value of laborers, their human and revolutionary values and their values in terms of the things that they have done for civilization. This should become a culture. Everybody should know and understand these things. And you laborers should be proud of them.
Well, last year I spoke about supporting Iranian labor and capital. This is not done just in one year. Now, our friends and officials have presented reports that these things have been done. May God bestow His blessings on each thing which is done with good intentions. But, this work should be done in a serious and fundamental way. This is the responsibility of all the people. An important part of developing this culture is related to this.
I spoke about national production and supporting Iranian labor and capital. This means that the flashiness of foreign names should not attract our eyes. Everybody should know that the product which they buy can make an Iranian laborer prosperous or poor. Of course, we love all humanity. But the Iranian laborer is making efforts for the glory of this country. He is one of the valuable and precious elements of this country. He should be accepted and strengthened. Some people do not understand and realize this. They either do not make a difference between Iranian and foreign brands or, on the contrary, they look for foreign brands instead of looking for Iranian brands. This is a deviation. This is wrong. These statements are addressed to everybody.
I stress, insist and request that all the people of Iran move towards using domestically produced products. This is not of little importance. This is a great thing. Of course, governmental and executive organizations - executive in the general sense of the word - have a heavier responsibility in this regard. Such and such a ministry or organization should not use foreign products at all when they want to obtain their supplies. They should use domestically produced products. Of course, on the other hand, I ask domestic producers - including managers, laborers and investors - to provide the people with good and high-quality products. I stress that they should do it. Islam, our sacred religion, has ordered us to do both of these things. God has asked us to develop labor. God has asked us to respect the laborer. God has asked us to provide him with welfare and job security. God has also asked us to ensure the safety of capital.
If these things had been considered together, the extreme measures which were adopted throughout the world under different names would not have been adopted. These measures were implemented under a socialist and a so-called liberal outlook on economy. It was liberal for the capitalist. For underprivileged and poor classes, there was prison, confinement and pressure. Today, you can see the consequences of these measures in Europe.
Today, the events that take place in Europe and - of a different kind - in America is the strongest reason why the so-called liberal economy is wrong. In practice, capitalism was proved to be wrong and frustrated. It is not even to the advantage of those classes for which this kind of economy was created, let alone laborers who have been trampled underfoot for many years in such a system. It is not even to the advantage of capitalists, owners of banks, cartels and trusts. And this is only the beginning. It will be worse after this. They constantly promise that they will make it right. But they will not manage to make it right. This path is the path of downfall. They are going down.
This is one part of the weakening of the wrong and materialistic western civilization. Their moral, ideological and intellectual incapability is the other part which has a different story. These are good experiences for us. As for socialism and other such systems, they were proven to be incapable and frustrated many years earlier than this.
Islam has a moderate, humanitarian and justice-based outlook in all arenas such as this arena. It acknowledges the rights of both this side and that side. It wants them to have a feeling of brotherhood, not hostility, towards one another. It wants everybody to pay attention to their divine responsibilities and to the fact that Allah the Exalted sees everything and He is omnipresent. This should become the culture of our lives. We should act like this.
I spoke about political and economic valor. Economic valor is not only in the hands of the government. Of course, the government's plans can play a role. Valor means creating a jihad-like and enthusiastic event. The people of Iran and officials should pay attention to this.
They should remove the weak points and fill the gaps. First, they should identify them. In all plans, the lives of underprivileged classes should receive careful attention. Then, they should formulate plans for them. This is valor. Whether in the process of consumption or production - production sectors, consumption sectors and service sectors should do it in different ways - all the people should know that making a quantum leap and achieving valor are necessary for making progress. Then, the country will move forward and it will have stability. Political and economic deeds of valor are closely intertwined and each of them preserves and strengthens the other.
When we spoke about political and economic valor in the beginning of the year, we knew what we were saying. The enemy also knew what we were saying. The enemy tried to make the people leave the arena by imposing sanctions and exerting different kinds of economic pressures. They say that they are not the enemies of the people. They lie easily and shamelessly. Most pressures are exerted to make the people unhappy, make them experience hardships and put them under pressures. They are doing this so that they may pit the people against the Islamic Republic. The goal is to exert pressures on the people. If this great economic movement, this economic leap and these proper plans receive careful attention in legislative, executive and different other sectors, then the effect of all these pressures will be countered. The people of Iran and the officials of the country should frustrate the enemy with their firm determination.
The same is true of political valor. Political valor means the vigilant presence of the people in political and managerial areas. A clear example of political valor is the upcoming elections which, by Allah's favor, will be held in due time and with the enthusiastic presence and participation of the people. Because they understood what the goal of political and economic valor is, now they have already started to create obstacles. Today, there are different kinds of propaganda tools for frustrating the people in economic arenas. There are also different kinds of propaganda tools for reducing the people's incentive to participate in political arenas, particularly the arena of elections.
They have not understood and known the people of Iran. The great movement of the Iranian nation in different arenas, has not managed to bring arrogant plotters and politicians - who are acting behind the scenes - out of their ignorance. They do not know who they are opposing. Over the past thirty-something years, our nation stood up against them despite all kinds of hostile moves. If officials put up a resistance on a certain issue in the past, this was because of the support of the people. The first well done is for the people. The greatest praise should be given to the people. It was they who encouraged and supported the officials so that they could stand up against the bullying, pressures and greed of the enemies and arrogant powers. Today, it is the same and, by Allah's favor, it will be the same in the future.
The issue of elections is an important issue. In any country, the arena of elections is the arena of the manifestation of national power. A nation which is lively and dynamic, which relies on the will of God and which is confident about divine assistance will be victorious in all arenas. The same is true of the arena of elections.
I said that all the people with different opinions and everybody who feels he has enough capabilities can enter the arena. The masses of the people, comprised of tens of millions, will - by Allah's favor - enter the arena. But those who run for elections should not make a mistake in their calculations. They should know what executive management means in our country. They should neither make a mistake in the evaluation of the need of the country for a powerful executive official nor in the evaluation of their own capabilities. If they carry out a proper evaluation, they can enter the arena. And the people will look at them and they will choose.
The structure of elections in our country is solid and firm. That some people make certain complaints here and there is really unreasonable and inappropriate. The inclusion of the Guardian Council in the Constitution - which was constantly stressed by Imam (r.a.) - is really an auspicious inclusion. The decision of the Guardian Council on the issue of vetting is one which is made by a number of just, impartial and wise people. This is an auspicious thing for us and for all the people of Iran. After the Guardian Council makes its decision, the people will take a look at the individuals who have been considered as righteous. They will inquire about these individuals, ask reliable people about them and look at their background, slogans and statements. Then they will make a decision.
First, candidates should have faith in God and they should believe in the people and the Constitution. Second, they should have the spirit of resistance. Our nation has lofty goals. It has great things to do. It does not surrender. No one can speak to such a nation in a bullying tone. Those who occupy the highest positions in the executive branch should be the people who put up a resistance against the pressures of the enemies. They should not be intimidated easily. They should not quickly leave the arena. This is one of the necessary conditions. Third, they should be astute and wise. I spoke about the importance of dignity, wisdom and acumen in the arena of foreign policy. The same is true of the management of the country. The same is true of domestic issues. The same is true of economic issues. Candidates should adopt a comprehensive and long-term outlook which is accompanied by proper plans, wisdom and acumen. And they should look at things and enter the arena with a proper calculation.
Adopting a routine outlook on economic issues is harmful. Constantly changing economic policies is harmful. Relying on inexpert opinions in all sectors, particularly in economic sectors, is harmful. Trusting the imposed economic theories of the west and the east is harmful. Economic policies should be based on economy of resistance. A resistant economy should be the kind of economy whose infrastructures are resistant. It should be able to resist. It should not waver in line with different changes in different corners of the world. These things are necessary. A president who wants to manage this great country, who wants to tread this glorious path with the help of the people and for the people should have such characteristics. Fourth, he should have moral purity. He should not involve himself in any kind of turmoil.
These things are necessary. I have always recommended that all administrations do this. As you know, I have always supported presidents and administrations during past years. However, I have simultaneously given them a number of recommendations and asked them to answer certain questions in many cases. I have always stressed that they should not impose unnecessary expenses on the people, they should not create problems for the people and they should not make them distressed and nervous. Of course, they should not make false and hollow promises. They should not make irrational claims either. They should move forward by relying on Allah the Exalted and by adopting a rational, sensible and realistic outlook.
What we learned from the long experience that we have gained since the victory of the Revolution is that, with His kindness and guidance, Allah the Exalted will help our nation achieve a victory over all its enemies. The enemies themselves will confirm this as they are confirming it today. Anyone who confronts this nation, this great movement and the deep motivation of these people - which is based on faith - will be definitely destroyed.
I ask Allah the Exalted to improve - on a daily basis - the future of our dear nation and country compared to its past and help you dear people achieve successive victories. By Allah's favor, laborers and great labor organizations will be able to increase the glories that they have achieved so far. By Allah's favor, our people will become familiar, more than before, with the bright characteristics of our workforce and laborers.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings