President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and members of his Cabinet met the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, August 30.
In an address to the audience, the Leader referred to the most important duties of the new government, especially with regard to the administration of justice. He emphasized that dispensing justice is contingent on rationality and spirituality, and that no ideal and objective should dilute efforts on the part of the new government to administer justice, remove discrimination and raise the living standard of underprivileged strata.
The meeting was held on the 24th martyrdom anniversary of President Mohammad-Ali Rajaee and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar, who lost their lives in a bomb blast masterminded by the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq organization.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the two honorable martyrs as symbolizing and representative of committed and dedicated government officials. He expressed hopes that all the officials and executives of the Islamic system would be successful in continuing the path of these two venerated martyrs and serve the public in the best possible manner.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic stressed that the major duty of the new Cabinet is to make efforts to achieve the objectives foreseen in the country's 20-Year Perspective Document. He noted that the new government should make the most of every single day of its four-year term of office and try to serve the country and nation in an optimal manner with complete coordination and solidarity.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that among the good election slogans of President Ahmadinejad was the formation of an Islamic government.
"What we mean by an Islamic government is not only the Executive Branch, but all the officials, executives and organs of the Islamic system," he noted.
The Leader further stated, "Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of an Islamic system, which was accomplished through the vigilance and perseverance of the Iranian nation and late Imam Khomeini, the formation of an Islamic government, which prepares the groundwork for the creation of an Islamic country, has always been the main objective pursued by the officials of the Islamic system, and some steps have been taken in this direction."
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that an Islamic government will be materialized only when all the executives of the Islamic system act in conformity with Islamic principles and ideals of the revolution.
"The new government, which has taken office with the auspicious slogan of materializing an Islamic government, should seriously adhere to this slogan in its domestic and international affairs and, especially, in its interaction with the people so that a major stride may be taken toward the creation of an Islamic country," the Leader told the audience.
Ayatollah Khamenei also stated, "If the words and deeds of government officials are not in line with principles of the Islamic system, then they should not blame the people for not adhering to Islamic principles. Indeed, if the officials and executives of the Islamic Republic act upon Islam in its real sense, the people will also act in an Islamic manner and, as a result, the country will become Islamic."
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader noted that raising the issue of justice by President Ahmadinejad prevented this fundamental principle from falling into oblivion. Pointing to the fact that the Iranian people warmly welcomed the issue of justice, which is capable of bringing about great changes in society, he called on the new government to fully comply with justice and its requirements in its performance.
Ayatollah Khamenei further touched on the considerable measures that have already been taken in the country to eliminate deprivation.
"The issue of justice has always been among the slogans of our governments in the post-revolution era. But justice has mostly tended to be overshadowed by other worthy causes such as progress and development, liberty and democracy. Nevertheless, it should be noted that no ideal and objective should dilute efforts on the part of the new government to administer justice and raise the living standard of underprivileged strata," he told the gathering.
The Leader of the Islamic Republic also pointed out that justice is totally associated with wisdom and spirituality. He added that if wisdom is not used in defining and finding ways to dispense justice, undoubtedly justice will not be administered.
"Wisdom and rationality is quite different from conservatism, which means inclination to maintain the existing condition and reluctance to make any changes. However, wisdom has often given rise to great changes and developments like our Islamic Revolution," he noted.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the changes that have so far taken place in the Islamic system have been the result of a rational and scientific attitude toward the domestic situation and world conditions. He called on government officials to avoid adopting a passive approach to the political and economic hegemony existing in the world and try to bring about changes in the status quo through rationality.
Further in his statements, the Leader made it clear that spirituality is another prerequisite for the administration of justice.
"Making attempts to administer justice without heeding spirituality will result in hypocrisy, deviation and a parody of justice. Also, spirituality without justice and without commitment to counter oppression and domination is not acceptable either," the Leader remarked.
Criticizing those who describe justice as the distribution of poverty, Ayatollah Khamenei stated that justice means a fair and prudent distribution of existing resources and facilities among all the people as well as making efforts to increase those facilities.
"Those who hold the view that efforts should first be made to increase public wealth and then administer justice are in practice ignoring justice, and they are presenting certain models and paradigms which exist in capitalist states. The outcome of these paradigms is that a group of people are quite rich and affluent, the majority of people barely manage to make ends meet and a group of people live in abject poverty and destitution," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience.
The Leader of the Islamic Republic stated that justice should be the pivot of the plans and programs of all ministries. He also stressed that the Management and Planning Organization and financial, economic and service sectors shoulder heavier duties in this respect.
Elsewhere in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei called on the new government to make every effort to promote scientific knowledge, broad-mindedness and freedom of expression in society. He also noted that among other duties of the new government is to counter corruption, uphold national pride and honor and confront various aspects of the global hegemonic system in a wise, valorous and dexterous manner.
"This government has external enemies like arrogant and expansionist powers, those advocating secularism and world capitalists, and the government should deal with each of them in an appropriate manner. But more significant than these external enemies are the internal enemies, which government officials should be very careful about so that they may not deviate from their present right path and direction," Ayatollah Khamenei told government officials.
The Leader pointed out that raising religious slogans without deep religious commitment is among the internal enemies.
"It is necessary to emphasize religious mottos and raise religious slogans, but more efforts should be made to heed the content of Islam and observe Islamic principles in practice. Otherwise, raising Islamic slogans and disregarding the content of Islam will also foment hypocrisy among the public," the Leader noted.
Ayatollah Khamenei advised the officials of the new government to disregard the critical remarks terming them reactionaries.
"It is quite clear that the Islamic system is basically opposed to a reactionary attitude, since reactionaries are extremely bigoted and dogmatic and opposed to wisdom and rationality. Besides, those leveling such accusations against the officials of the new government act very similar to reactionaries themselves, because they hold a strongly dogmatic attitude in favor of those Western thoughts and ideas that have already been discarded," Ayatollah Khamenei stated.
Further in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Republic called on government officials to serve the public in a tangible and distinct manner and try to bring about a real change in the accountability of the government.
"All members of the Cabinet and officials and directors of ministries should be accountable for flaws and shortcomings and also for failure to take necessary action, since not taking measures that are needed is also an offence," Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
In conclusion, the Leader described balanced and coordinated government performance as vital and significant. He also advised the officials of the new government to lead a simple life, persevere in carrying out their duties and try to consolidate their ties with Almighty Allah.
At the end of the meeting, the president and members of his Cabinet said their noon and afternoon prayers, which were led by Ayatollah Khamenei. After the prayers, the participants in the meeting had lunch with the Leader of the Islamic Republic