In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad, upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
I am truly thankful to Allah the Exalted who provided me with another opportunity to come to your city and be among you hardworking and spirited people of Bam.
What makes this trip different from other trips is that I realized - both in this meeting and during the few hours I spent in the city visiting different parts of it - that the faces of the honorable people and youth of this city exude dynamism, hope and determination. On my previous trips, the people of this city were sad and depressed as a result of the disaster that had taken place. This new spirit is very important as far as the human aspect of the city of Bam is concerned. As a person who deeply loves and respects the pious and friendly people of this region and this city, I personally feel greatly encouraged when I see your happy faces.
There are certain demands which are legitimate for the most part. These demands were mentioned by the esteemed Friday prayer leader and I deem it necessary to thank him for all the efforts he has made. Also, the honorable officials of this city and the province mentioned some of the demands. Besides, I was informed of the demands in the reports that are prepared by ordinary citizens and sent to my office before my trip.
For me, one of the important issues is that one can adopt two different attitudes and lines of action when faced with a natural disaster. One attitude is to surrender and to passively let the results of the disaster determine one's course of life. This is a negative attitude. With this kind of attitude, the natural disaster will not benefit the society it has stricken and it is only the harmful effects that will remain for the people. Another attitude and line of action is to adopt an active stance and a positive perspective, to deal with the disaster despite its massive scale and magnitude and try to improve the conditions. This is the right and fruitful line of action. The truth is that the disaster has already happened and there is nothing we can do to reverse it. The only thing we can do is to learn a lesson from the disaster and build a future in which we would be immune to the effects of similar disasters. We should also try our best to eliminate the problems that have resulted from the disaster and to make new achievements that would have been impossible if the disaster had not happened. This is the positive Islamic attitude.
I see that the dear people of Bam and Baravat have chosen the second line of action, thanks to their determination, religious faith and noble souls. What has been done so far is not at all sufficient. I express my appreciation and praise for the efforts that government officials have made in different areas. Their efforts truly deserve appreciation and praise. Although I appreciate the efforts made by the foundation in charge of reconstructing Bam and surrounding villages, I am not satisfied with the construction work that has been done, the conditions of the city, the housing and the business centers. Certain governmental organizations and certain revolutionary foundations have worked very hard. I do not want to mention the names of those who have worked very hard or those whose work has had certain flaws. Of course, I will tell themselves whether their work has been satisfactory or not. Some of them have worked well and deserve praise and appreciation. Some others have not worked as hard as they should have. However, what we see in general is indicative of a broad outlook and accurate and careful planning.
Of course, the government official who came to Bam and who has promised to build a new school every week, I would love it if he kept his promise, but unfortunately this has not been the case. Similarly, if some people have proposed a plan and promised that they would build the city of Bam in a certain period of time, I would love it if they implemented their plan. We have witnessed that certain people have promised such things and they themselves admit that it was not right to make all those promises. These are my complaints and demands.
However, judging by the existing problems and the reports that I receive through different channels, my assessment is that the plans that have been prepared for Bam are good in general. These plans should be supported by our government officials, our banks and the organizations that are in some way involved in the reconstruction of Bam.
I was told that reconstruction of the villages around Bam will be complete by the end of the year 1384. I was also told that hopefully the city of Bam will be fully reconstructed by the end of the year 1385. I do not believe this is a firm promise and I do not want to describe it as such. However, if they manage to implement these plans, they will have made a great and outstanding achievement. I will pray for their success.
The issues of the city of Bam are not limited to reconstruction, which is of course an important issue for Bam. The issues that were discussed by the honorable, energetic and wise Friday prayer leader are among the things that need attention. Security is among the important issues of this city, which is not related to reconstruction. The issue of local businesses is another important issue. Improving the conditions of the teachers and students of this region - which was discussed yesterday by an honorable teacher from Bam - is an important issue. Lack of employment opportunities for young people, which was among the issues that existed in Bam before the earthquake and it has been exacerbated as a result of the earthquake, is another issue. Dynamism and liveliness of youth depend on their employment. Young people must have employment opportunities. A young person who works is dynamic and lively and he also benefits others through his work, just like a palm tree that bears dates. That is to say, a young man who works is happy himself and he benefits others as well. When a young man cannot find a job, his dynamism will decline or disappear and other people will not be able to benefit from his work.
Of course, the issue of creating employment opportunities is not particular to this region. It is an important issue throughout the country. Over the past two, three years, there have been extensive and concerted efforts in order to create employment opportunities and these efforts should continue. In the next government, whoever comes to power and takes charge of the executive branch, creating employment opportunities should be one of his fundamental goals.
Besides participating in the presidential elections, you people of Bam will vote in the parliamentary elections as well. Carefully look for somebody who can meet your expectations and vote for him. For a while, we were kept busy with political and partisan issues and with hollow and senseless words, which play absolutely no role in the lives of the people. What our country needs is labor, production and material and spiritual progress accompanied by justice and free from discrimination, corruption and illegal demands. Standing up against these untreatable maladies is the most important goal of the executive, judiciary and legislative branches of government. These maladies are more dangerous to the country than disasters such as earthquakes. This is because these maladies are epidemic.
There is something that I would like to discuss in this city. Dear people of Bam, you were stricken by a tragic disaster. The earthquake was truly tragic and devastating. How is it possible to console the ones who saw their beloved ones, their children, their grandchildren, their husbands and wives and their parents buried under the debris? On my previous trips to the city of Bam, I met many such people in person. Such tragic memories will remain on one's mind forever and there is no doubt in this regard. But the same tragic event that scarred your hearts taught a lesson to our country, to our dear Iran, to our government officials. And if we learn from that experience, we will be able to prevent similar tragedies to a great extent.
One of the lessons that we learnt is the need for buildings that would withstand earthquakes. After my previous trip to Bam, I told our government officials that they must not let the tragedy sink into oblivion. One reason is that the tragedy that took place in Bam might happen in any other part of the country as well. Similar tragedies might happen in this province and in different other places throughout the country. You saw that a similar tragedy happened in Zarand. According to the reports I have received, Kerman province is located on eight fault lines. Massive earthquakes are expected to happen at the intersection of these fault lines and each of these earthquakes might result in extensive damage. It is necessary to prepare appropriate plans in this regard. As I said, it is necessary to establish a foundation that is responsible for dealing with crises that result from natural disasters. I would like to take this opportunity to address our government officials from the center of one of the most important natural disasters that have afflicted us and tell them that they must not delay the establishment of this foundation anymore. Our government officials must be ready for action. It is very important to construct buildings throughout the country that can withstand earthquakes. Also, it is important to be prepared to deal with the consequences of such events. This is because the first few hours after the occurrence of a disaster are extremely important. Taking action during the first few hours might save the lives of many people. This requires preparation. We already knew many of these things, but the earthquake and the tragedy that you suffered refreshed these lessons in our minds and it made many of our government officials think.
If we learn from these tragic events, we will be rewarded for the sufferings we have endured. Of course, the tragedy that happened in Bam was not tragic only for the people of Bam. It caused grief throughout the country. All Iranian people living across the country grieved with you.
For those who visit Bam, what is important is the spirit of dignity and determination that exists among the people of Bam. Try to strengthen this spirit as much as you can. You are dignified and patient people. The title "the land of patient people" - which I heard today on several occasions - is very appropriate for this place. You truly showed patience and forbearance in the face of such a great tragedy.
It is necessary to analyze tragedies and extract divine blessings out of them. We need to adopt a different perspective on tragedies so that we can see natural disasters as divine blessings. Despite their tragic nature, such heavy casualties and massive destruction which result from such events will be divine blessings if they revive the spirit of reliance on God, refresh one's relationship with Him, revitalize the spirit of determined efforts and highlight the necessity of learning lessons and having foresight.
By Allah's favor and thanks to determined efforts of our government officials and their plans - which I believe are good, acceptable and comprehensive - Bam will be rebuilt into a beautiful city with solid buildings in the short period of time that our government officials announced. You should make efforts as well. Our government officials must keep their promises. If they have promised to give loans, they must do so. Ordinary citizens must make efforts and cooperate with governmental organizations. And governmental organizations must fulfill their responsibilities so that a beautiful city is built in place of these ruins to represent your determination, willpower and creativity and your needs are fulfilled. Of course, the other things that must be done and the needs of this county must also be taken care of.
In different arenas, people of the world are watching us to see how we will do. And I would tell you that in the case of the tragedy that happened in Bam, the Iranian people and their caring government officials were praised by international centers. A people who had suffered heavy casualties managed to tolerate the hardships and stood up in a completely firm, determined and vibrant way in revolutionary arenas and worked hard within the framework of the Islamic Republic. They proved their determination both in word and in action and they are praised by international observers. It is true that many countries and international centers did not keep their promises, but we are standing firm. Our government officials reported that many countries and international centers failed to keep their promises. However, they definitely praise our people from the bottom of their hearts for the determination and willpower our people showed and for the way they managed the situation after the disaster.
I always loved the city of Bam. Before the Revolution, when I was returning from Jiroft, I stayed in Bam for a few days and became familiar with its people. After the Revolution, I did not have a chance to visit Bam. I really wanted to come and visit you people, but unfortunately I did not find an opportunity to do so before the earthquake. After I arrived in Bam, one of my old friends who lives in Bam came up to me and started crying. He said, "We wanted you to come and visit Bam, but not in such conditions." I also wanted to come and visit Bam when its people were happy and lively and there were no natural disasters and tragedies, but unfortunately I could not. At the same time, I am thankful to Allah the Exalted that I can see vibrancy and dynamism among you people, the kind of vibrancy and dynamism that did not exist before the Revolution. The youth, women and men are vibrant. Wherever I went in the city and the camps for temporary accommodation, I felt that there is dynamism and vibrancy among the people. I am thankful to Allah the Exalted for this.
I pray to God to bestow another opportunity on me to visit your city at a time when you are completely happy and healthy, at a time when you are satisfied with the way things are going, at a time when a new Bam has been built by our own hands. By Allah's favor, I will live long enough to see that day. I am very happy with this meeting. I express my gratitude to you for standing in the sun and listening to my statements.
Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his household (a.s.), bestow Your mercy, grace and blessings on the people of this city. Dear God, give our government officials the opportunity to serve these honorable and noble people. Dear God, out of Your grace and bounty, make up for the sufferings that these people have gone through. Dear God, help us appreciate the value of these people.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings