Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with Workers and Teachers on the Eve of Labor Day and Teacher's Day

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

I welcome all of you dear brothers and sisters, teachers and workers, and the esteemed gathering present here. I hope this day, which simultaneously celebrates two very valuable groups in our society and coincides with the beginning of Muharram al-Haram - the first month of the lunar Hijri calendar - and the days of remembrance of the dignity and greatness of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) and his call for justice, will be a blessed day for all of you and, God willing, a source of divine blessings.

I also thank the dear youth who sang these anthems - especially the teachers' anthem, which was very good and effective. I must say that one of the hardest moments for me is when I see people praising this weak and humble servant. I do not consider myself worthy of such praises and feel embarrassed. I hope that the Almighty God treats you according to your good opinion of Him and, God willing, places us in the same regard as your good opinion.

The working class, which is one of the two prominent groups today, has a tremendous social and divine status because it fulfills the duty of working - a human obligation from the Creator. It is essential to pay attention to the fact that the act of working itself is a duty. Those who fulfill this duty and engage in work are respected, cherished, and rewarded by God.

Some believe that a person has a reward before the Creator only when they have no intention other than obeying God's command in their work. In my opinion, those who work to make a living are also rewarded by the Almighty God; because the act of working is noble and significant and determines the fate of a person. Therefore, first and foremost, our dear workers, when you are engaged in work - any constructive work - you should feel that you are doing something that pleases God and is a human duty.

Now that we understand that the act of working - any type of work - is a duty and that idleness is prohibited and considered contrary to duty, we must recognize that today, the Iranian worker has two additional ways to earn God's pleasure through their work:

One is that through their work, people, compatriots, the country, the nation, and Muslims benefit. Whatever work you do, be aware that the faithful and Muslim people benefit from it, either directly or indirectly. Suppose the product of your work is exported abroad and the income returns to the country. Certainly, the people, the Islamic system, and the beloved country benefit from it. This is one title for reward and the intention of drawing closer to God.

The other title is that the work you do makes the country independent from foreigners - many of whom are not just strangers but also enemies. In my opinion, one of the greatest crimes and sins of the Mohammad Reza Pahlavi regime was that it kept the country dependent in technical, industrial, and economic terms and made it even more dependent. It tied the fate of a country to its bread, its wheat, its silos, its means of grinding wheat, its food materials, and everything to the outside! If you take away these food materials and bread, everything else, Iran became dependent on foreign countries; so much so that if the enemies decide, they can deprive this nation of everything. Anyone who creates and manages a country in this way and brings it to this point has committed a betrayal that cannot be compared to any other betrayal at this level.

Today, with the active work you do - as the honorable minister reported, there is innovation, invention, and creativity in the work, which is very important - you are saving the country from dependency. Therefore, dear workers, be aware that in addition to the fact that work itself is worship, duty, and reward, the work you do has two other aspects for drawing closer to God: one is the benefit to the people, and the other is the people's independence from foreigners. So, intend for God and know that this work you do and this movement you undertake, with this intention and purpose, brings you closer to God.

The truth is that in our country and in our system, being a worker should be considered an honor. From the beginning of the revolution, there were many attempts to cut the hands of workers from work, to sever them, to create turmoil in the work environment; but you resisted. In the face of the enemies' conspiracies, the Muslim and faithful worker stood firm for the good of his country and, thanks be to God, everything that has emerged in any production and industrial scene, advancements, inventions, and innovations is due to this steadfastness.

Of course, the authorities must raise the level of work and improve the quality of work so that Iranian work has an advantage in a world that deals with various works. When it is said that this product has come from Iran, everyone should know that this product is of good, strong, and durable quality. The rank of work must rise and improve; just as the relevant organizations must seriously and compassionately address the issues and problems of workers, which I know the authorities in our labor sector are truly compassionate and concerned about the working class; they consider themselves one with them, regard them as their own, and make their efforts. This is a great blessing that a person can draw closer to the Almighty God through their work.

Regarding teachers, I say that a teacher is also a worker, with a type of cultural and spiritual work that is indeed very valuable. There is one point about teachers, and that is that all individuals in an advanced society and an Islamic society owe their existence to teachers. Today, look at this country! Anyone who has reached a position and has been able to do great work and provide significant service - these great ones, these commanders, these martyrs, these scholars, these distinguished and wise individuals, and high-ranking officials, up to the great Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) - all owe their existence to the teacher; because the teacher has educated them. The teacher of their childhood has nurtured them and shaped their personalities.

How precious are these teachers! How valuable is the profession of teaching! How high and exalted is the rank of teaching, that all wise and great individuals, wherever they may be, consider themselves nurtured by the teacher's hands and feel the teacher's shadow over them! Greetings to you, O teachers of our youth and childhood! What a great right you have over us! What a great work you have done for us! For all individuals who are engaged in work and effort, service, and movement, what a distinguished work you have done! This is the status of the teacher.

A teacher who is teaching in the farthest point in a village, in an elementary class, must know that they are doing the greatest work and creating human beings. The most precious product of the universe is a good and pure human being. If this human is poorly educated, they are worse than the worst of creation, worse than a predatory animal, worse than a savage, and lower than a lifeless object. A teacher is someone who shapes a human being in such a way that their essence and luminosity shine and reveal themselves. See how great and valuable this profession is!

Teachers themselves must pay attention to the greatness of the work they have and thank God for this profession, and all people must recognize the value of teachers with this perspective. The teacher holds a very high and exalted status. The greater this responsibility is, the higher this status, the more elevated this dignity, and the sense of responsibility must also be correspondingly higher.

Today, this great and stormy revolution that was able to shake the palaces of oppression in the world - our great Islamic revolution - has reached a level of growth that has seriously frightened the system of global arrogance to its core. From the beginning, they were afraid of this revolution; but they comforted themselves and said this revolution will not last and will be destroyed; experience after experience! At first, when the revolution triumphed, they said it would not last more than six months. Then they said it would not last more than two years. After the imposed war began, they said the war would not last long enough to bring the revolution to its knees. After eight years, with all their might and from all sides, they helped the aggressors against this country, they saw that the Islamic Iran stood firm and steadfast like a mountain and repelled the aggressors without them gaining any ground in Iran, proudly maintaining its borders strong and secure. This is no joke.

After the war, they again comforted themselves and said that at that time there was war, there were emotions and feelings, we could not do anything; but in the reconstruction period, we will make them dependent on us. We will do something that in the reconstruction period, we will turn them away from that side and make them alienated and averse to the revolution. Eight years of reconstruction passed. The builders, the faithful and interested individuals who were able to work for the country during these eight years - who were also considered commanders in this vast field - did solid and powerful work without relying on foreigners. As a result, even in the reconstruction period, they could not make this country dependent. They tried and tested from all sides; but they were defeated from all sides!

Today, the system of global arrogance is truly frightened and trembling before the grandeur and might of this great revolution and this great nation. A nation of such greatness; this very nation that has resisted for nineteen years against all these hardships, you saw how magnificently they celebrated the anniversary of the revolution on the twenty-second of Bahman! You saw how this nation honors the manifestations of the revolution! You saw how, despite all the efforts of the enemies, our youth, our students, our workers, and various segments of the people, how they hold the manifestations of religion, faith, and devotion in high regard! The enemy also saw these. The enemy also saw the students' retreat in the university mosque; the mosques filled with retreatants, most of whom were young people. The enemy trembles at these.

All these are various dimensions of the greatness of this revolution, the greatness of that message, and the greatness of that Imam.

Today, there remains only one way for the enemy - this is something that both you teachers, you workers, the authorities, and all people should pay attention to - that way is the siege of propaganda. This is the only way the enemy wants to test with all its strength and power. Of course, until now, hundreds of radios, newspapers, magazines, and televisions, and various means of communication have been launched against this revolution and the concepts of this revolution all over the world and have spread inside Iran - there is no doubt about this - but they want to multiply this and they are doing so and are currently engaged in it. What is the goal? The goal is to shake people's faith in this solid foundation of belief; of course, it is important.

My dear ones! In the battlefield, when a soldier turns his back to the enemy, the reason for his defeat is an internal defeat. As long as someone does not suffer a defeat in their heart and soul, their body does not suffer defeat in the field. How does the spirit and heart suffer defeat? When they become shaky in their faith. This great nation of ours, which has stood firm in all fields until today, has done so because it has had a solid faith. The youth had faith, the teenagers had faith - and, thanks be to God, they still do - fathers and mothers and various segments had faith. Yes; some remnants of the filthy Pahlavi era, who had nothing to do with faith and religion and were immersed in corruption, themselves and some of their descendants have no faith. Most of what you have seen and heard in opposition has been from such individuals; but in the hearts of our people, there is solid faith.

The target of these advertisements and this propaganda siege is this very faith. They want to shake and distort this faith. How? With false propaganda, with incorrect statements, with malicious and deceptive teachings about religion, the revolution, and personalities, distorting the truths and feeding the people, especially the youth, with incorrect analyses. Today's program is this. This is not a guess; this is knowledge and certainty.

I am aware of the things that are happening behind the scenes in the world. Thanks be to God, our news agencies are equipped and strong, and we can understand what is happening in the world. This is what is happening in the world. Of course, some of it they have announced themselves and informed us that we want to do this and that, which under their words, their true intentions are clear.

Your duty, teachers, becomes very heavy here. You are facing the dearest, most vulnerable, and most effective segments. You are facing the vast multitude of the youth and teenagers of this country. Education and training in this section has a double responsibility. We must ensure that this teenager and youth, who is living in this sensitive, important, and decisive period of the revolution and system, who has not seen the Imam, has not seen the war, has not seen the revolution, grows up with a faith that can stand firm like a mountain against the ambitions of the enemies, against the invasions of foreigners, against the arrogance of America, against the imperialist devices that have plundered this country and this nation for a lifetime and made it a plaything of their own. This is the important duty of this time. The duty of the media in its place is the same. The duty of the press in its place is the same.

My dear ones! What can today strengthen the front of faith and the front of truth is adherence to the unity of word under the shadow of Islam, under the shadow of Hussein ibn Ali, under the shadow of the lofty teachings of Islam that personalities like Martyr Motahhari - whom our nation remembers these days - have elucidated in their books for the people. Adhering to unity under these radiant suns, by God's grace, will help this country pass through this stage just as it has in the past and will thwart the enemy. God willing, the future of this country and this nation, thanks to the steadfastness of the Iranian people and the steadfastness of our youth and their deep and firm faith, will be a future that will thwart the enemies, will bring joy to friends, and, by God's grace, will guide nations towards this model.

We hope that, God willing, all of you will witness this bright and near day and put forth your utmost efforts to realize it.

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