Statements in Meeting with System Officials

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen family, the infallible guides, especially the remaining one of God among the people.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, esteemed officials, and distinguished managers of the country. First, I would like to express my gratitude for the remarks of Mr. Raisi, the esteemed President; he provided good explanations. We hope, God willing, that God grants him reward, assistance, strength, and success to continue on this path.

I would like to say a few words about the month of Ramadan — there are only a few days left, and we must appreciate this month — and then I will address one or two matters related to the current issues of the country.

Ramadan is, in every sense of the word, a blessed month. The expression "blessed month" is not merely a courteous phrase; this month is truly blessed; it means that in various aspects, this month enhances and elevates the spiritual capacities within humans. It raises individuals in their humanity and divinity. The elevation of individuals in society leads to the elevation of society itself; there is no doubt about this. When we say from various aspects, we mean from the aspect of fasting, from the aspect of reciting the Quran — which is emphasized in this month, and people are encouraged with multiplied rewards for recitation — from the aspect of supplication and prayers that are recommended during this month, from the aspect of Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree), which is an extraordinarily important opportunity that is "better than a thousand months," and from various other aspects. For example, from the aspect of fasting; the fast of Ramadan enhances a person's self-control against carnal desires; this is very important. Human carnal desires are insatiable and endless; the more one responds to these desires, the greater the expectation and demand of the self becomes. There must be a capacity to restrain these desires within a person, and fasting provides this capacity; it is a means of strengthening willpower, enhancing the spirit, and controlling the endless desires of the self. This is one means of elevation.

Reciting the Quran for those who reflect upon it means connecting to the boundless sea of Islamic knowledge. Our constant need is to strengthen divine knowledge in our hearts and elevate our understanding and insight. This "to Him ascend the good word" is a major part of this "good word" that comes into existence within the self from the Quran. The supplications that are recommended during Ramadan — at the dawn of Ramadan, during the nights of Ramadan, on the days of Ramadan, on special occasions like the first day of Ramadan and similar days — immerse the heart in the remembrance of God; if one engages with these supplications attentively, it creates a desirable focus on God within the individual. "And the remembrance of God is greater"; the main characteristic of prayer, according to this noble verse, is divine remembrance, the remembrance of God, which is the source of happiness, progress, elevation, and distance from sin.

Laylat al-Qadr is the night of destiny. In Ramadan, a person can influence their destiny by aligning with the rhythm of Laylat al-Qadr; this is not a trivial matter, it is very important, if there is genuine desire; in these nights, what is necessary is a state of yearning, a pain of yearning. Of course, Laylat al-Qadr is an exception among all the nights of the year; the other nights of Ramadan also have this characteristic to some extent.

These are things that cultivate both the mind and the heart of a person, making them prosperous and polished. When these qualities arise within an individual, they impact society. The collective identity of society is influenced by the identity of individuals and their impacts on society. When we manage to reform ourselves, our influence in society also increases accordingly; strengthening the self works this way.

Well, these aspects were initially individual and indirectly social; however, beyond this, Ramadan is a social month, a month of helping others, a month of kindness, a month of iftar (breaking the fast); it has been emphasized that one should provide iftar meals; it has not been said to give only to the needy. The very act of connection, providing assistance, becoming one with others, and doing good are characteristics of the month of Ramadan.

Thus, Ramadan is an extraordinary opportunity for healing. Throughout the year, we suffer wounds in our souls and spirits. Every sin creates a wound; like physical wounds, it creates a spiritual injury, a disease; Ramadan — which is the month of seeking forgiveness — is the month for healing these annual wounds. We must be able, God willing, to exit this month with a healthy spirit: "If You have not forgiven us for what has passed of the month of Ramadan, then forgive us for what remains of it," for it is the month of seeking forgiveness.

This issue of seeking forgiveness and repentance in Islamic teachings is a very important truth; it is not limited to personal matters; personal repentance for individual sins is one category, while repentance for social sins is another. In the Quran, it states, "So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill yourselves"; this refers to social sin. It means that those in society or those who are influential in producing this sin and in creating the situation must seek forgiveness, they must repent. Naturally, this seeking forgiveness and repentance heals; it means it heals both the individual and society. And in every aspect, this seeking forgiveness and return must be accompanied by reform. We may have made mistakes in cultural issues, political issues, or military actions — either out of negligence or sometimes due to laziness, inattentiveness, or failing to do what is required of us — when a social wound arises in this way, seeking forgiveness means we must repent, return, and correct. In the Quran, it states: "Except for those who repent and reform." In several places in the Quran, after "repent," it is stated, "and reform"; now after "reform," in one place it says "and clarify" and in another place "and hold fast"; it means that repentance and return must be accompanied by reform. When a wrong is committed, when we return, seek forgiveness, and ask God for pardon, we must strive to eliminate the effects and consequences of that error. The meaning of error is not just a legal error against intent; it means a bad act, a wrong act; for example, backbiting, lying, and slandering are errors; when we repent, we must compensate, correct, and eliminate the effects and consequences of that error; the consequences that have arisen from this error must be removed. The same applies to social issues.

And then the Quran states: "Seek forgiveness from your Lord, then turn to Him; He will send down upon you abundant rain and increase you in strength upon your strength." Do you not say we want a strong country? Do you not say we want to be strong? Very well, "He will increase you in strength upon your strength"; seeking forgiveness and repentance strengthens you; it means returning from error. Error leads to weakness, returning from error leads to strength; "He will increase you in strength upon your strength." This is the case in every matter; it is the same in personal matters and in social matters. In personal matters, the spirit of a person becomes strong through seeking forgiveness; in social matters, society becomes strong through seeking forgiveness. We are the officials of society — you are the managers of the country — our issues, our behaviors, our actions, our words, our positions, all affect the state of the country; if an error occurs, the solution is the same; the solution is seeking forgiveness.

Of course, seeking forgiveness is not merely verbal; this is evident; it must be clear that it is not just that we say "I seek forgiveness from God, my Lord, and I repent to Him" during Laylat al-Qadr or at other times or during night prayers; it is not just that. We must recognize the error and know that we have erred; when we do not know we have erred, naturally, seeking forgiveness in the true sense, repentance in the true sense does not occur. We must recognize the error; we must decide that this is an error and resolve to return from this error and be dissatisfied with the error we committed; this is seeking forgiveness; otherwise, if this is not the case, seeking forgiveness has no meaning. As the poet says:

"Prayer beads in hand, repentance on the lips, heart full of the desire for sin Sin laughs at our seeking forgiveness."

Well, this is my first point. I believe that we, as the officials of the country, need these considerations more; all of us, in whatever position we are in, need to pay attention, not to err, not to make mistakes, and to understand that the impacts of our errors differ from those of ordinary people.

What I have noted regarding the issues of the country to present to dear brothers, sisters, and attendees is, first, the issue of the economy and the slogan of the year. Well, Mr. President provided good explanations, and thanks be to God, very good and concentrated efforts are being made; truly, one can see this, and work is being done in the real sense of the word. However, at the same time, the needs for work are greater than this; we must work much harder to reach a desirable level or at least close to it.

The realities of the economy in the country are not all the same; there are both bitter and sweet realities. The bitter aspects related to the economy include rising prices, market instability, depreciation of the national currency, and class disparity; these are the bitter parts of the issue.

The sweet aspects related to the economy include the extensive infrastructural activities that are being carried out, the results of which will appear in the medium and not too distant future; such as the revival of a significant number of semi-closed or closed enterprises, achieving production, achieving employment; as I have been informed, perhaps more than eight thousand production units and enterprises that were either closed or semi-closed have been revived; these are sweet realities. The existence of thousands of young groups in the form of knowledge-based companies is a very desirable phenomenon that has increased; that is, thousands of motivated, enthusiastic, and hopeful young groups are working in these knowledge-based companies, striving; they are both providing new products and offering new services; these are the sweet realities of the economy. These will gradually have their effects on the state of the country.

The formation of capable enterprises in the public and private sectors, one example of which we observed in the exhibition held here last February. Truly, strong, efficient, and innovative enterprises have been formed, and their impacts on the advancement of the country's production and the growth of gross production are significant, and naturally, these will gradually affect the lives of the people, which I will explain further in this regard. These are sweet realities. Of course, as we have mentioned, expectations are higher than this, and God willing, the current government can resolve many of these knots with their efforts.

One point that should always be considered by officials in economic matters is that the people's expectation is that the decisions and actions taken by the officials of the country in economic matters should have a tangible and noticeable effect on their lives; this is the people's expectation. Let us work to fulfill this expectation; it is a justified expectation. When we say "it is a justified expectation," it is because of the same point that the President also referred to: "the extraordinary capacities of the country" which I have noted several cases of and according to the statistics provided to me, I believe they are noteworthy; both natural capacities and human resource capacities.

In terms of natural capacities, our country's population is approximately one-hundredth of the world's total population, yet our share of natural resources is about seven percent of the world's total; that is, our natural resources are seven times more than our population in the world overall; this is a very important opportunity; aside from oil and gas — which are among the important natural resources, but not limited to oil and gas — there are 64 types of minerals such as copper, lead, zinc, coal, and others in the country that are available and are abundant resources. Sometimes we receive interesting and prominent reports about some of these resources that various officials in the country are working on.

In terms of agricultural issues, as I have been informed, there are about 37 million hectares of arable land in the country. 37 million hectares of arable land is a lot! Sometimes it is said that water is scarce in the country; it is true, we are not a water-rich country, but there are methods — which have been tested — that can utilize the available water to meet all the agricultural needs of the country, to irrigate, and to truly promote and advance agriculture. The issue of agriculture is also very important in the country.

Even now, we rank high in the world in the production of certain products — in cement production, in steel production — while there are so many global pressures, sanctions, and restrictions. With these restrictions, those who have imposed sanctions on the country expected that the country's production would either sleep or be similar to sleeping. This has not happened; today, our steel production is at a very high level, ranking below ten, and cement is the same, as are some other industrial products. These are related to the natural capacities of the country, which are very abundant.

In my opinion, human capacities are even more important than these; that is, we are in a good position in terms of human capacities. One aspect is the general intelligence of the Iranian nation, which I have repeatedly stated and is based on credible documents: the average intelligence of Iranians is significantly higher than the world average; our youth's talents and abilities are high. This is what astonishes the world in various fields — for example, in military productions — that despite all these difficulties, suppose there are sanctions, there are restrictions, they can produce such defensive products — now, for example, suppose in the field of defense, which the world is sensitive about — they can produce. One aspect is this high average of human intelligence. There are 36 million young people between the ages of 15 and 40 in the country, which is a great blessing; provided that we do not neglect this opportunity to maintain the number of young people; of course, in past years, we have neglected a bit. We must not neglect, we must not allow the country's population to age; we must maintain the presence of young people who are the driving force, the source of movement in the country. There are 14 million individuals with higher education in the country; more than 100,000 faculty members; at the beginning of the revolution, there were about 5,000. At the beginning of the revolution, the number of faculty members in the country's universities was that much; now there are more than 100,000. There are more than 150,000 specialized doctors, more than 3 million students currently studying; this is apart from the seminarians and scholars of the religious seminaries, which is another extensive story; young scholars who sometimes we see their works, truly thank God; in some areas, in certain fields, they are thinking, they are working. Well, these are human resources. Now, these are the natural and human capacities.

Geographical capacities; the geographical position of the country, the climatic conditions of the country, the climatic diversity that exists in the country, these are important capacities. Therefore, the expectations expressed in economic matters are not unreasonable; with these resources, our economic situation should improve.

Of course, there are obstacles; we must consider these obstacles. Some of the obstacles are external; such as these sanctions, threats, and numerous restrictions that exist, serious constraints in our trade, in obtaining the necessary resources for our production; there are indeed serious constraints. I once said that a special organization is being created to monitor where Iran wants to invest, with whom it is trading, to prevent it; that is, such actions have been taking place for several years. These obstacles exist. Of course, some of these obstacles can be reduced, and their effects can be mitigated. Some of these obstacles, alongside their negative impacts, have also had positive effects.

Producers and entrepreneurs of the country came here, met with me in the Hosseiniyeh; some of them — ten or fifteen people — spoke; some of them explicitly said that if it were not for these sanctions, we could not have achieved this progress; they said this explicitly here; because our hands were tied from the outside, we pressed our own capabilities, and we reached this point; thus, sometimes these obstacles also provide positive effects and help the country.

However, some of the obstacles are indeed our own internal obstacles; we have shortcomings, for example, we have some carelessness and show a lack of motivation; sometimes we fall into personal pitfalls, we fall into spiritual pitfalls. If a manager is concerned about popularity, about appearing in the eyes of others, and does not consider the importance of work, well, this causes damage; these things take away the blessings of work. Or if they are thinking about future positions. Today, we are in a position, and we act in such a way that we prepare ourselves for a higher position; well, this causes damage. Thinking this way, working this way, moving this way, causes damage; it takes away the blessings of work; these are also among the obstacles to our work.

We must pay attention to the fact that every moment of work we do, if it is for the people, for the welfare of the people, for the advancement of the country, this work is divine work, this intention is a divine intention. When we say your intention should be for God, one meaning of this is that you intend to do this work to alleviate the burdens of the people; this becomes a divine intention; then God will bless this work; God will reward this work. The reward that God grants is incomparable to the profit we might gain from a superficial appearance.

Well, one of the obstacles that I want to briefly mention, which is also related to the slogan of the year, is the government and state interventions in economic matters. We have been raising this issue for years. This year, I placed the issue of "people's participation" in the slogan of the year, so that more attention is paid to the capabilities of people's participation and that people genuinely enter the economic arena. People mean the capabilities of the people; financial capabilities, intellectual and mental capabilities, and innovative capabilities; the innovations of the people should enter the field. We benefit.

There is a perception that if people enter the economic arena, if we give management to the people, this binds the hands of the government and the state officials; this idea is incorrect. Responsibilities must be divided between state officials, government officials, and the people. Now, when we say government, it is not just the government, but various semi-governmental sectors are like the government; it does not matter. We must distinguish; some responsibilities are assigned to the government, and some responsibilities are assigned to the people.

There was a phrase in a report written to me, which is not a bad expression: "the strategic aspect and the operational aspect." The government should act strategically in economic matters; it should guide; in the matter of land use, in the type of economic activity that should be carried out in each place, it should supervise and ensure that no violations occur. The people should be the ones to carry out the economic actions; that is, there should be a distinction between the responsibilities of the government and the responsibilities of the people. The way for people to enter economic fields must be opened; this strengthens the country and stabilizes the economy. Of course, the policies of Article 44 are part of this issue, which were announced years ago and are derived from the Constitution itself. It should not be thought that this violates the Constitution; no, these policies have been derived from the Constitution and announced. Well, they must be implemented; in the past, there have been many weaknesses in this regard.

One point is that economic experts say that an eight percent growth is possible, which is also mentioned in the seventh development plan. Some doubt whether this is feasible or not; economic experts say that an eight percent growth can be achieved, and if this growth is sustained — not just one year of growth followed by a decline — it will certainly lead to a favorable and good improvement in the lives of the people. Of course, economic growth alone is not sufficient; that is, for a transformation in the lives of the people and the livelihoods of the poor classes, mere economic growth is not enough, but other things are also necessary: equality of opportunities for access to resources; this is among the very important tasks; for participation, resources must be distributed correctly and fairly at various levels. Of course, these are not easy tasks; they are difficult tasks; training must be provided, skills must be imparted. Many of our young people want to work and need skills. There should be a section dedicated to skill enhancement for young people, which senior managers can plan for and work on.

And the ways for participation must be shown to the people. We say "people should participate in the economy"; well, how should they participate? The ways of participation should be shown. Some people should sit down and think about the possible methods for the participation of various segments of the people, one example of which is these knowledge-based companies, which provide a way for some young people to participate economically. Some people can sit down and think. In my opinion, the government and the parliament need a group of skilled thinkers and intellectuals to sit down, think creatively, and show the various ways for people's participation. These are challenging tasks, but they are entirely feasible, so that even with small investments, they can enter the field of participation.

One point related to the seventh plan. Well, six five-year plans have passed; that is, six five-year plans have passed, one of which was extended. Now this year is the first year of the seventh plan; I strongly recommend that attention be paid to this plan, that it be carefully considered, and that it be implemented.

As I have been informed, the average performance of past plans is about 35 percent; that is, a lot of effort has gone into preparing the plan, converting it into law, and announcing it, but over the years, the plans have not been fully implemented; well, this is a loss for the country. Efforts should be made to ensure that the plan is fully operational. Fortunately, the government is an active government; that is, the friends in the government are truly busy, working, thinking, and striving to ensure that this plan can be operational. The plan is a guide for action; it is a good guide for action and a good framework for acting; not just for the economy, but for all sectors, this plan is a plan for action.

One important point is the issue of time. Dear brothers and sisters, managers of various sectors! Time passes quickly, it goes by and is lost; do not neglect time. Today's work should not be postponed until tomorrow; even one day is important, sometimes even one hour is important. In spending this immense capital called the capital of time, great sensitivity must be exercised; do not let time pass. When you approve various programs and plans of different sectors, schedule them, and stand firm on these schedules that a certain program must be completed by a certain date; that is, have this kind of sensitivity and meticulousness regarding time.

Of course, it should also be noted that in economic matters, the element of diplomacy and the performance of foreign policy are very important and effective; we have numerous neighbors around our country and are part of several global treaties, and we can utilize these; an extraordinary diplomatic movement in economic matters is necessary. My remarks regarding economic matters have concluded.

I want to raise another issue, and that is the imposed challenge of the issue of "hijab" in the country. The issue of hijab has become a challenge and has been imposed on our country; this has been imposed. Some have sat down, plotted, and planned for hijab to become an issue in our country; while such an issue did not exist; people were living in various forms. I express my firm opinion on this matter: it must be viewed from both a jurisprudential and legal perspective, as well as from some ancillary issues and considerations. Well, from a religious perspective, hijab is a definite religious command; that is, for women, covering other than the face and two hands — the face and the palms — is obligatory; this is something that cannot be overlooked. Our people are Muslims, committed, and our women are committed; they must observe this; it is a religious command. One perspective is the legal perspective; the law is obligatory to obey, and there is a legal ruling in this regard; observing the law is obligatory for everyone, whether those who believe in the religious command or even those who do not believe in it, must observe the law.

In terms of ancillary issues and considerations, one issue is the issue-making of foreigners. In this matter that is currently raised in the country — the issue of hijab — foreign interference was evident, clear. From the outside, in these media and various types of outlets, this issue was blown up. Now, some inside have also helped, but primarily, this work was directed and pursued from the outside; this must be noted. Our own women, our wise and understanding women must pay attention to the fact that this issue is being pursued by the enemy from the outside. According to reliable reports we have received, some have been hired to come and create norm-breaking in society, to break the sanctity of hijab. Well, our women and those who think and speak about this issue must pay attention to these points. When we see the hand of the foreigner acting in an issue, we must adjust our positions accordingly so as not to assist that foreigner.

One of the ancillary issues of this matter is that I mentioned that I am confident that our women, even those who have been somewhat negligent regarding hijab, are attached to Islam, are attached to the system; we have said this many times. This is how we must view our women. However, they must observe the hijab; everyone must observe it.

I believe that in the government, in the judiciary, in various sectors, there is a responsibility that must be fulfilled regarding their legal and religious responsibilities. Our own women have the greatest responsibility in this regard; they must observe the Islamic hijab.

The last issue is the issue of Gaza. The issue of Gaza is one of those matters that must not be allowed to fall from the priority of public opinion around the world. This matter is very important! The crime being committed in Gaza — as far as we know from the history of the late periods; now, I do not know the distant past well — is unprecedented; this kind of crime, this kind of mass killing, genocide, attacks on women, attacks on children, attacks on the sick, attacks on hospitals, these atrocities that have occurred in hospitals are truly astonishing. It has reached a point where those raised in Western culture, in Europe and in the United States, come out with cries of protest; while many of the news do not reach them well, but as much as they know, they protest. The crime is that severe. Well, this matter is very important from this perspective.

From another perspective, it is also very important that the Zionist regime has suffered two major defeats in this Gaza incident. The first defeat was on the fifteenth of Mehr — the defeat of Operation Al-Aqsa — which I said at that time that this defeat is irreparable. It truly is; until now, it has not been repaired and will not be repaired. A regime that relies on precise intelligence, on military development and military dominance, which claims that every bird that flies is under its watch, has suffered a defeat of such magnitude in intelligence by a resistance group with limited capabilities! This was the first defeat of the Zionist regime. This defeat has not been repaired and will not be repaired. The reputation of the Zionist regime has been tarnished.

The second defeat is this six-month period. From the very first day they entered the field to compensate for that first defeat, they announced objectives, none of which have been achieved in this six-month period. Six months of fighting with various weapons and capabilities and with the unwavering support of the United States, which has provided military, financial, and political assistance, has vetoed resolutions several times — this recent resolution could not be vetoed for various reasons, they say it is not binding! This is a complete lie and it is not acted upon — with all this help from the United States and their own capabilities, they have not been able to achieve anything; not even one of the objectives they mentioned has been attained. They wanted to destroy the resistance and specifically the Hamas group, to annihilate them, to incapacitate them, and they have not been able to; both Hamas and Jihad — the entire resistance of Gaza — endure all these difficulties with strength and capability and continue to strive, and they also strike back.

The very fact that the Zionist regime attacks women and children is because it is unable to confront the resistance fighters; because there it feels helpless, it becomes agitated and attacks the innocent and defenseless women and children, killing over thirty thousand of them, most of whom are women and children. This defeat will certainly continue; these desperate efforts, like the actions they committed in Syria — which, of course, they will pay for — will not help them and will not solve their problems. They have fallen into a trap of their own making, a trap from which there is no escape, and day by day, this regime will become weaker and, God willing, closer to destruction; and we hope that our youth today will witness the day when the holy Quds is in the hands of Muslims and they will pray there, and the Islamic world will, God willing, celebrate the destruction of Israel.

We ask God Almighty to grant us success in fulfilling our important duties, to empower us, and to enable us to carry out the tasks that are upon us. With the Islamic Revolution, a great opportunity has arisen in the Islamic world; the establishment of the sacred Islamic Republic has created a great opportunity for the Islamic world; many benefits have been derived from this opportunity until today; and God willing, we will continue to utilize this opportunity for the benefit of Islam and Muslims. The Islamic system will, God willing, become stronger day by day, and its enemies will become weaker day by day; and the regional calculations, after this incident of Operation Al-Aqsa, have changed and will change; those previous calculations no longer exist. Both the decisions of the resistance front and the decisions of the opposing front will inevitably change; just as they have changed, the situation of resistance in the region has changed and will continue to change, and the enemies of Islam, the enemies of resistance, and the enemies of the Islamic Republic must and will have to accept these changes and realize that they cannot rule over the Muslim community in this region.

We ask God Almighty to grant us the ability to make the most of the remaining days of this blessed month of Ramadan.

This year's Quds Day will be an international outcry against the usurping Zionist regime. I mean, if in previous years, Quds Day was only held by Islamic countries, this year, it is highly likely that Quds Day will, God willing, be held magnificently in non-Islamic countries as well. We hope that the Iranian nation, as in all cases, will shine on this day, for the sake of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.

O Lord! If You have not forgiven us until this moment, forgive us from this moment. O Lord! Grant us the ability to serve the country, the people, the system, Islam, and the Islamic nation. O Lord! Do not make the Iranian nation a source of joy for the enemy; grant the Iranian nation complete success. O Lord! Unite the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), who opened this path, who initiated this great movement in the world, with the Prophet and His saints. O Lord! Unite the pure souls of our dear martyrs with the martyrs of early Islam, with Your saints, with Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. O Lord! Unite the pure souls of the recent martyrs of the Syrian incident with Your saints; make the holy heart of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him) pleased and satisfied with us; make us among the soldiers of that great one throughout all the moments of our lives; grant us Your blessings; make our end a desirable Islamic end; and conclude our lives with goodness.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.