Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, met Friday /morning with pilgrims at Imam's Ridha's (a.s.) shrine in the holy city of Mashhad. Speaking at the meeting, His Eminence illustrated the different dimensions of this year's slogan "The Year of Economy and Culture with National Determination and Jihadi Management", reiterating: "We should strengthen ourselves in a way that global bullies and blackmailers cannot violate any right of the Iranian people."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the lofty steps and successful experiences of the people of Iran and the enormous capacities of the country as the reasons for naming this year "The Year of Economy and Culture with National Determination and Jihadi Management", further adding: "The glorious path of national power will be taken at a faster rate with the officials' and the people's focus on this slogan."
Referring to the policies on the economy of resistance, His Eminence said, "The economy of resistance is a knowledge-based paradigm which is in line with the needs of the country. Many other countries too have turned to the economy of resistance in order to reduce the possibility of being influenced by social and economic fluctuations. They have done this according to their own specific conditions".
He stressed: "Unfortunately, some pens and tongues try to block the path of making the economy of the country resistant. These people try to block the path of the happiness of the people. This is while the economy of resistance will have a proper interaction with the global community."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that culture plays a very significant role in making the economy of the country resistant. He stated: "This issue is even more important than economy".
Ayatollah Khamenei added: "Culture is like the air that we breathe. You have to breathe air, whether you like it or not. If this air is clean, it will have certain effects on your body. If it is dirty, it will have certain other effects. The culture of a country is like the air that we breathe".
His Eminence stressed that the focus of the enemies on culture shows the great significance of this issue, saying: "The officials in charge of cultural issues should take care of very dangerous cultural rifts with sensitivity and vigilance. They should carry out theirresponsibilities in this regard."
He described freedom as one of the main slogans of the Revolution and one of the most important bases of the Islamic Republic, reiterating: "The sensitivity of officials about cultural rifts and deviations does not contradict freedom at all because freedom as a great divine blessing is different from decadence, indifference and self-indulgence."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution highlighted the fact that boundless freedom is meaningless. He mentioned that those westerners who claim to support freedom are very committed to their own red lines, adding: "In Europe, no one dares to express doubts about the holocaust. This is while it is not clear what the truth behind this issue is. Despite this, they expect us to ignore the red lines of the Revolution and Islam."
Ayatollah Khamenei added: "If someone wants to ridicule the spirit of national independence, theoretically justify dependence, insult moral and religious principles, attack the main slogans of the Revolution, humiliate the Persian language and national customs and aim at the spirit of Iranian youth's national dignity by promoting decadence, then should we be indifferent towards their destructive activities?"
His Eminence referred to westerners' intolerance in the face of issues such as hijab and their blind prejudice against the people of some countries, reiterating: "These are signs of westerners' intolerance. Some people encourage the noble and culturally advanced people of Iran to assimilate into this culture.
He described the two great events of the eleventh presidential elections and the rallies on the 22nd of Bahman as comprehensive and expressive media for speaking the truth about Iran and the people of Iran in the face of the cultural invasions of global networks, further stressing: "The important point about elections in the Islamic Republic is that the people's turnout in the elections has not decreased from the beginning of the Revolution until today. In the eleventh presidential elections too, a high turnout was witnessed as 72 percent of the people participated in the elections."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: "During the nuclear negotiations, American politicians tried in a rude manner to show that the people of Iran have changed their minds about their slogans and principles. This is while the people became more motivated to show their presence on the scene with their sensitivity and commitment. They showed that they are committed, with all their heart, to the Islamic Republic and the hoisted flag of Islam and the Islamic government."
At the end of his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the frustration of America in different countries such as Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, stressing: "Global events do not move forward according to the wishes of America".