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, and upon his pure, immaculate and chosen household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth
You are very welcome dear brothers and dear sisters. In my opinion, our annual meeting with laborers is an important meeting, even more so this year because this year is the year of boosting production and production is dependent on the existence of laborers, labor and their efforts. Fortunately, the present gathering spiritualized the environment by reciting these beautiful and spiritual poems. You imbued the environment with spirituality, with supplication before God and with the remembrance of the month of Sha’ban and the holy existence of the Holy Prophet. In my opinion, the meeting is enjoying a spiritual environment and this is important to us.
In the poem that you recited, you mentioned spring. In your poem, you spoke of spring. I will tell you that labor works like spring. Spring cultivates underground and natural resources and talents. In spring, trees bear fruits and provide shelter. In spring, nature is revived and it shows its inner talents. Labor is the same. Labor prepares the ground for the display of all inner and true talents. If there is science without any implementation, what is the use? If individuals benefit from creativeness and inner talents without using them, this talent will not be of any use to anyone. It is labor and work that helps human resources show their talents, capacities and existing realities. Well, this is the significance of labor.
One of the great responsibilities of Islamic society and of officials is to clarify the value of labor for public opinion. Labor should turn into a value, not a mere need. Of course, labor is needed: society, individuals and life need labor. There is a psychological and mental need for labor. Labor satisfies a psychological and mental need as well. However, it is not merely a need. Labor is a lofty value in society. We should turn this into a public understanding and fact. If this idea is clarified in the true sense of the word, then the value of laborers will increase as well. Laborers should be described as valuable in society. And it does not make a difference in which areas: laborers are valuable in all areas – including the areas that were mentioned in the meeting which are represented by you friends. Wherever labor, dynamism and production exist, it is appreciated.
Boosting production depends on certain requirements one of which is labor. This kind of labor should be extraordinary and jihadi so that production can be boosted. If production is boosted, it will provide one of the main basis of the economy of resistance. When the economy of resistance is achieved, this means that society will not be worried about what decisions such and such American and Zionist thug will make for our oil, our economy and other such areas. This is the reason why I stress the issue of boosting production and more importantly, boosting the economy of resistance and why others in the country stress Iranian products and labor dynamism. Our nation needs dignity and independence from foreigners. Every nation defines dignity as one of its most fundamental needs. Nations do not like being under the influence of those decision-makers who are not their friends and who are their enemies.
Today, many of these global decision-makers in the area of the economy are the enemies of the Iranian people. Of course, they say that they are only the enemies of the Islamic Republic, but they are actually the enemies of the Iranian people. This is because the Islamic Republic is thriving only with the help and assistance of the Iranian people. Without the assistance of the Iranian people, there would be no republic and no Islam.
The enemy has become disappointed with other methods. Thankfully, you are wise. Many of you are among individuals whose minds are productive, constructive, innovative and well-informed in different areas. You know that from the beginning of the Revolution until today, the enemy has been working on all those areas which can possibly draw the country towards chaos and disorder, including on the issue of labor and laborers: perhaps, it has even worked more on this area. However, in all these areas, the laborers of the country have slapped the enemy across the face, making him disappointed.
This is not something that is only occurring in the present time. It is 40 years now that this has been the case. The society of laborers has been one of the most loyal societies to the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic and it continues to be so. Therefore, the enemy has really worked hard on this matter. The officials of the country, decision-makers, policy-makers, politicians and executives should be very careful and they should appreciate the value of this.
The points that Mr. Minister raised are completely correct. However, they are addressed to the officials of the country themselves, not only to the Ministry of Labor, rather to different divisions and organizations. The issue of job security, respect for laborers and laborers’ wages are fundamental issues and they should attend to them. There are some people who are after taking personal advantage. I mentioned this in my speech on new year: Such people buy factories from the administration which are already working and thriving. Now at what price they buy them- this is another issue. Then, they close them down, sell the machinery, dismiss laborers and turn the land into a skyscraper. They should be prevented from doing so! These are the basic responsibilities of the Islamic government!
By government, I do not only mean the administration: the executive branch, the judiciary branch and the legislative branch are all included. All of them should be involved. Supporting labor means this. Supporting laborers means this!
The issue of imports which they mentioned is another very important issue. There has been so much emphasis and many strict executive regulations have been imposed. Such regulations should be observed in practice. Fortunately, in the present time – I mean recently: of course, last year too, we used to receive such news – there are some people who look for domestic products. However, salespeople present their foreign counterparts, falsely saying that they are Iranian. They lie and sometimes, this happens.
Well, what is produced inside is better than foreign counterparts in terms of quality and they are also cheaper than the foreign ones. We should not let domestic producers face difficult problems with unnecessary imports and with some wrong policies. When they have serious problems, production will slacken, laborers will be unemployed and the country will remain dependent.
Well-intentioned personalities have said many times and I myself have stressed that sanctions are to the advantage of the country in many cases. They are to the advantage of the Iranian nation. This has been mentioned by well-intentioned, enthusiastic and well-informed personalities. Of course, sanctions create certain problems. Imposing sanctions on banking transactions, on oil and on other areas might create certain problems, but they are eventually to the advantage of the country. One of the officials of the country quoted a foreign politician – they had gathered together in a meeting - as saying, “During the time of sanctions, you have managed to build so many modern weapons. You have many capabilities. Despite the sanctions, you have accomplished these great feats. What would happen if the sanctions were not imposed?” and our official responded, “If they had not imposed sanctions on us, none of these tasks would have been carried out” [Supreme Leader and audience laugh]! He was right. Sanctions help us rely on ourselves so that we pursue production and satisfy our needs from the inside. They help us identify our capabilities.
I will tell you – as you are top-tier labors who have graduated at higher-education levels – that you should appreciate the possibility of production and innovation. Officials should appreciate this as well. Officials too should appreciate the value of this.
Well, the enemies are working in different ways against the Iranian nation, our great Revolution and our Islamic Republic which has let out the cry of justice throughout the world and which has attracted the attention of other nations. They want to bring it to its knees. They have worked in different ways, but they have failed. Now, they are working on economic matters, saying that they want to exert economic pressures to bring Iran to its knees. They should know that the Iranian nation will not kneel to them. The same is true of the recent move made by the US.
First of all, the efforts in the area of oil will come to no avail. We will be able to export our oil as much as we need and as much as we wish. They foolishly think that they are blocking our path, but if our active people and our vigilant and wise officials show determination, they will be able to break many dead ends. This is one of the dead ends which will definitely be broken by them. Therefore, their effort will not produce any result. This is one point.
Secondly, they are showing enmity, but they should know that their enmity will be reciprocated. They will receive the response to their enmity. The Iranian nation is not a nation that sits idle watching others plotting and working against it.
Thirdly, as I said, we appreciate our increasing independence from selling oil like this. This will be much better for us. The important point is that we should get familiar with our inner gems, knowing that the manpower and human resources in our country and our society are much more capable than what is being shown today.
Our youth can come up with many innovations. We have shown this in the course of the past years including in social, political and economic areas because the enemies have focused on our economic matters since the beginning of the Revolution. All these various achievements, these constructions and these numerous efforts have been made in response to the enemy’s move. The Iranian nation has many capabilities. We should promote the culture of work, production and diligence. This state of sitting idle and expecting wealth overnight should disappear. We should not promote this.
Different organizations, the IRIB and others should notice that they should not promote measures and phenomena such as lottery and similar phenomena. The ayahs that the honorable qari recited in a good tone teach us this lesson, “That man can have nothing but what he strives for” [The Holy Quran, 53: 39]. Your true and real accomplishment is what comes from your effort and endeavor. This is your real achievement. If they serve you cooked food or if they are kind enough to put it in your mouth, this will get you nowhere. When your mind, intellect, body and determination work efficiently, this will help you and society to grow. The societies which grew in the world in material terms, did so as a result of their effort. Allah the Exalted has even promised those who only work for materialistic goals and who do not pursue spirituality and otherworldly bliss that He will help them in their ways. Therefore, one should work hard.
However, we are not entirely focused on materialistic goals. We are after the welfare and the scientific, materialistic and technological growth of society, but we also pursue spirituality, ethics, dignity and moral growth for the sake of society. We are after these things as well. We are not satisfied with material progress only and this requires diligence. And it is possible. It is quite possible to achieve this diligence and it has thankfully begun.
When I look at different groups of people throughout the country – who are mostly young, educated and spiritually motivated – I see that this movement has thankfully begun. When I spoke about the second step [of the Revolution], this means that the same motivation, movement and lofty determination which managed to liberate this country, after many years, from the scourge of colonialists and arrogant powers – this endeavor required a lofty determination, but the people of Iran managed to show it with the leadership of our magnanimous Imam – exists today as well.
And the goal was to launch a great movement. By Allah’s favor, this great movement will lead to a bright future for the people of Iran and by Allah’s grace, the Iranian nation will reach that peak of transcendence and dignity in worldly and otherworldly terms. And this is the duty of you youth. This is the duty of our youth. Thankfully, today, our youth are capable and motivated enough to do this. They have the necessary mental growth, maturity and determination to accomplish this. Of course, the enemy is angry and upset with this.
Fortunately, our nation is a united nation. Notice that in the recent floods, no one invited the people to help in an insistent manner. Sometimes, we insist on certain issues and we invite the people to do certain things, but this time, there was no need. The people themselves “flooded” the flood-stricken areas to help. The incident that has occurred in the country today in the face of this natural calamity – the recent floods were a natural calamity – is a great and important event, one that is more significant than the floods themselves. Youth from all corners of the country set out for those areas and cooperated with the locals and with local youth.
The financial and physical assistance that they donated and provided are very important things. These incidents exist in the country, all of which promise a good future. The enemies, of course, cannot stand seeing this and they are doing their best. The other day, I said that these endeavors by the enemy are in fact his last breaths on the path of enmity [Supreme leader’s speech in an assembly with the participants of the 36th Quran Competitions, delivered on April 15, 2019]. Today too, I would like to confirm this. The enemy will get tired of showing enmity, but by Allah’s favor, the Iranian nation will not become tired.
May Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy on our magnanimous Imam who opened this path to us. God’s mercy be upon our dear martyrs who managed to bring us this security and independence
God’s mercy be upon martyrs from among the society of laborers – a society which has always participated in an active way in all arenas whether during the Sacred Defense Era, in subsequent eras or in the present time
And God’s mercy, greetings and blessings be upon all you dear ones. Send salaams on my behalf, to all other dear brother and sister laborers.
Greetings be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings
