Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this morning with the enthusiastic and faithful people of Bijar, Kurdistan. In this meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei said that unity, awareness, and active presence are three factors which ensure the progress and grandeur of the Iranian nation.
His Eminence stressed that the Iranian nation should actively participate in the upcoming presidential elections and added that the Iranian people should vote for those who follow the principles established by Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and consider standing up to global bullying powers as a value.
Ayatollah Khamenei further stated that national unity was one of the factors which led to the victory of the Islamic Revolution and said: "Unity between the Iranian nation and people from other religions and ethnicities and the leadership of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) led to the creation of a new trend in global political ideology. The positive effects of this trend are noticeable in the issue of Palestine and Lebanon. And this trend has started to awaken nations from North Africa to East Asia."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the active participation of the people is the second important factor in ensuring the progress and grandeur of the Iranian nation and urged the Iranian people to actively participate in the upcoming presidential elections. He further reiterated that the Iranian people should maintain their active presence on the economic and the construction fronts.
Ayatollah Khamenei further stressed the importance of awareness, and touched upon the outcome of the nation's awareness. He said: "If the Iranian people had not consciously supported Imam Khomeini (r.a.) during the early stages of the Islamic Revolution, those who were not committed to the ideals of the nation would have remained in power and surrendered to the global bullying powers for fear of the US. And this would have resulted in lack of progress and grandeur for the Islamic Republic."
"After the presidential elections, some individuals may come to power in different political and economic centers of the country who may try to secure a position for Iran by flattering the western arrogant powers instead of treading the path of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and promoting the principles of the Revolution. If this happens, the Iranian nation will face a disaster," His Eminence noted.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the Pahlavi regime's general indifference to various ethnic groups of the country and reiterated: "Thanks to following Islam and the Revolution, each member of the Iranian nation, living in different parts of this great country, enjoys an independent identity and set of values. These independent values and identities have come together to form a great nation, and the exemplary resistance of this nation has helped it become a model for other nations."
Elsewhere in his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the migration of the people of Bijar to other parts of the country is an obstacle to the progress of this city. He added: "Government officials as well as the local officials of Kurdistan province are aware of the problems of Bijar, and they have developed comprehensive and efficient plans to address these problems. Therefore, you should appreciate this city and its fertile plains, and try to accelerate the development rate of this province by helping the local officials."