Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution at the Grand Gathering of the People of Yazd

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 progeny, especially the Awaited One of God on earth.

I am very happy and I thank the Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to be present among the sincere, pure-hearted, and faithful people of Yazd, to fulfill a duty that I have felt for a long time to visit you, dear people.

Your city and province - dear brothers and sisters of Yazd! - is a center of knowledge, a center of art, a center of work, effort, and innovation, a center of faith and religious belief. The dear people of Yazd have always been seen as talented, noble, full of faith and religious belief, rich in labor and innovation, and ready in all the arenas that have been expected of the Iranian nation throughout our contemporary history. We witnessed this both before the Revolution and after the victory of the Revolution; the people of Yazd shone in the fields of sacred defense, in defending the identity of the Islamic Revolution, and after the end of the sacred defense, even until today, in defending the values that have been attacked politically and culturally by the enemy. In all these fields, we have observed and experienced the dear people of Yazd as steadfast, ready to work, determined, and resolute.

I do not forget those days when the Iranian nation had not yet tasted the sweetness of victory; the people of various cities in this country, each to the extent of their ability and effort, were working to bring this great movement to fruition. I came to Yazd. The situation I saw in Yazd was astonishing to me. That fiery revolutionary spirit alongside order, discipline, calmness, and dignity. In this city, I observed the late Ayatollah martyr Sadoughi - not just as a prominent cleric in a city but as a complete revolutionary, political, and cultural leader; a revolutionary leader in this city of Yazd and in cities throughout the province - and I felt it. I spent a few days in Yazd, saw the state of the city. I had come from exile, had seen other cities, and then I saw; but the state of Yazd, without exaggeration, was exceptional. Regarding the virtues of the dear people of Yazd, it is necessary for someone like me, who sees, knows, and feels, to sincerely share what is necessary with you, the people of Yazd and the Iranian nation.

I have always emphasized in all the cities of this country when I encountered the people that our people - these people with deep historical, scientific, cultural, and political roots - must accurately and carefully recognize their identity, their city; they must appreciate themselves. When we speak of the virtues of Yazd and the people of Yazd and the province of Yazd, it is for this reason.

My dear ones! For decades, the enemies of this nation have tried to tear apart our historical identities, to annihilate them, to destroy them. They mistook us for a rootless nation; they treated us poorly, confusing us with nations that have neither history nor a legacy of civilization, nor a long list of scholars, scientists, and artists throughout history. Unfortunately, some among us were deceived and accepted the enemy's judgment about the Iranian nation and the Iranian people.

As I mentioned, Yazd is a city of knowledge. Mentioning the scholars of Yazd in various fields of science, especially religious sciences, would take hours just to name them and recall a brief account of them. This is not only related to the past. In our own time, during our religious studies, during our social activities, in this very province, there were prominent scholars, distinguished personalities, and brilliant figures. Today, when we look, we see that Yazd province has provided the highest acceptance rate in universities over the past fourteen consecutive years compared to participants in the nationwide entrance exam. This is no small feat; it indicates that the scientific talent, the talent for becoming scholars, the talent for becoming elites, the talent for becoming capable arms and thinking minds that can shake this nation and lead it towards the future that the Islamic Revolution has envisioned is abundant in this province. The youth of Yazd, both men and women, the clerics of Yazd, the intellectuals of Yazd, the professors of Yazd must appreciate this talent. And everyone must know that gratitude for this blessing lies in recognizing it, utilizing it, and activating it.

The experience of the people of Yazd and Yazd province in the sacred defense was also a successful experience. The people of Yazd did not sit at home just to pray for the victory of the warriors; they entered the battlefield. I do not forget that in the battlefield, the Al-Ghadir Brigade and the Al-Ghadir Barracks of the Yazdis were among the best, strongest, most risk-taking, and disciplined military units we saw in the battlefield. Your distinguished martyrs, your disabled veterans, your proud freed captives, and their patient families are all true witnesses to this courageous presence of the people of Yazd in the field of danger when they were needed.

You excel in universities, you excel in the battlefield, you excel in industry, and even in agriculture, despite the natural dryness of this region and climate, you excel. A Yazdi, if they find a spring of water that yields a small bucket of water for an hour, appreciates this water, directs it; with it, they create a field, a farm, a garden, and from its blessings, they benefit themselves and others. These are very valuable; hard work.

Fifty years ago, I saw orchards in Iraq between Karbala and Najaf; all the people of Iraq - those we saw - knew that these were the work of the Yazdis. They said the Yazdis from Iran came and created these orchards between Karbala and Najaf in an area where work and effort have little meaning. Wherever they went throughout the country, this hard work showed itself; hard work accompanied by contentment.

I have spoken many times about extravagance with my dear people; I mentioned the same issue in the last prayer (1), asking the people. One of the places that can serve as a model for avoiding extravagance is your city and province. Of course, let me add in parentheses; this is the natural disposition of these people, provided that the affliction of elitism does not impose itself. Elitism is like a disease. Wherever it enters, it overshadows many commendable and desirable traits, gradually weakens them, and may even destroy them. We must not fall victim to elitism, we the people of Iran.

The natural disposition of Yazdis is contentment; it is hard work. Alongside that - with the talent I described in various fields - is their knowledge and art. These architectural works, this very beautiful architectural complex that we are in now, this Amir Chakhmaq complex, the Grand Mosque, and other centers that exist in this city and province, reflect the artistic taste that has endured throughout history; it is indigenous; it is the indigenous heritage of a city and a province.

Well, I want to extract one point from all of this and use it as the basis for a brief discussion I want to have with you, and that is self-confidence. One of the characteristics of the Yazdis is this: they have self-confidence. This is what you see in a foreign land, in a strange country, in the deserts between Karbala and Najaf, in any other point of this country, when a Yazdi can firmly establish their foothold there, they begin to produce and create wealth, along with the same positive traits mentioned; this stems from self-confidence.

Today, I want to tell you and all the Iranian nation that one of the very necessary and effective medicines that our nation needs - a spiritual and intellectual medicine - and must develop and promote among themselves is the medicine of self-confidence. The Iranian nation must maintain the self-confidence that was gained through the blessings of the Revolution and through steadfastness in the perilous field of the Revolution, which was then strengthened in the field of sacred defense amidst all those difficulties; this self-confidence must be preserved. This self-confidence gives the Iranian nation the courage, the determination, and the ability to traverse this long path towards the ideals envisioned for the Islamic society; without it, it cannot be done. Without self-confidence, this path cannot be traveled.

My dear brothers and sisters! Our Revolution was not merely about one government going away and another government taking power in its place. That was not the issue. If that were the case, why would the nation enter the field with such sacrifice? Well, two groups compete; one comes against the other. Just as you see in other countries; they enter the field, they hit or are hit, or they win or lose. The fact that a nation, with all its existence, with all its body and soul, with all its ability, with its youth, with its wealth, enters the field means that this movement that is happening is not merely a transfer of power between two groups; it is a great transformation directed towards a series of popular and national ideals; that is its meaning.

Our Revolution outlined certain ideals. Our faithful people, when they looked to the guidance of their religion, saw that these ideals were exactly what they needed. Therefore, they moved towards it; they sacrificed their youth, their lives, their wealth, and stood firm. We want to reach these ideals. What are these ideals? If we were to summarize these ideals in one sentence, it is the "Islamic society." Today, we are moving towards the Islamic society.

The Islamic society is that society in which justice is fully established; Islamic ethics are widely present among the people; the people attain the standard that the divine prophets wanted to establish in the Islamic society; powerful, courageous, dignified, enjoying the blessings of life, and at the same time, servants of God; submissive to the will of the Lord. True freedom for a nation and for a human being is to exert their will, their determination, their strength for their own prosperity and to see that prosperity in the servitude of God and in being a servant of God. This is what we are seeking.

Today, the great void of the Western liberal democracy world is precisely this. They have increased factories, increased spinning wheels, expanded the realm of knowledge; however, they have not been able to ensure social justice. Human ethics have deteriorated; this is not something I am saying here. Can one say anything contrary to what the people of those countries feel in a global podium where these words are reflected today? This is what they themselves say.

Today, the moral crisis is gripping Western liberal democracy. Today, the sexual crisis, the economic crisis, the moral crisis, the family crisis, are the predicaments of those countries that have dazzled the eyes of history with their advancements.

The happiness of humanity does not lie in the advancement of knowledge - knowledge is a tool for happiness - the happiness of humanity lies in the peace of thought, in the peace of the soul, in a life free of worries, in a life accompanied by moral, spiritual, and material security, in the feeling of justice in society. The West does not have this; not only does it not have it, but it is also moving further away from it day by day. We have outlined this to show the world as our ideal; we did not do it, God did. The Iranian nation, in accordance with its faith, embarked on this path.

My dear brothers and sisters! Dear people of Yazd! Dear Iranian nation! If we want to reach that ideal, it requires self-confidence. We must say we can; just as we have been able to accomplish the tasks that the national will has committed to until today. Was it a joke to overthrow the most corrupt governments in a country that is under the pressure of global arrogance and colonialism, where the most corrupt governments in the world rule, and where the East and West of the world see their interests in the rule of that accursed dynasty, to completely dismantle the flimsy foundation of the hereditary monarchy; to establish a popular system based on the votes of the people, based on the emotions of the people, in such a long-oppressed country throughout centuries? Is this a joke?! The Iranian nation did this. Today, in this region, no country can match the Islamic Republic in terms of reliance on the votes and emotions of the people.

One feels sorrow that some, for political considerations - I must say factional considerations - speak in such a way that it seems there is no democracy, no popular sovereignty in this country. This is unfair. For twenty-eight years, this nation has had an average of one election every year; free elections, rational elections, with the widespread participation of the people, with fluctuations, with the presence of various tendencies. Why should we repeat their words for the sake of our enemies who try to deny the existence of democracy under Islam and constantly engage in negative propaganda?

The Iranian nation established this blessed foundation with its self-confidence; it was able to create popular sovereignty, and that too in a new and unprecedented manner; religious democracy. In all parts of the world, democracies are framed within a framework. There is nowhere that a democracy exists without being guided by a specific framework and goal; either it is through parties, or through judicial bodies, or through bodies outside the judicial and executive apparatus. This is the case everywhere in the world. We established Islam as this framework; because the Iranian nation is a Muslim nation; because the Iranian nation is a faithful nation. This became religious democracy, Islamic democracy.

The reason why Muslim nations look at the Iranian nation with admiration is that the Iranian nation, firstly, had the courage to enter the field, and the governing system had the courage to give the people a chance, and then it presented a specific meaning, a specific form, a specific formula of democracy that the world did not recognize; it took it like a flag in its hand.

Everywhere in the world, nations and governments are influenced by the propaganda games of their enemies; the Iranian nation did not fall under the influence of propaganda games. In the issue of religious democracy, in many other issues, in the matter of women, in our usual methods in foreign policy, in our relations with the poles of global power, in none of these did the Iranian nation become passive due to the propaganda games; it did not change its path, and it will continue to be so. I say this self-confidence must be preserved by the Iranian nation.

One of the signs of this self-confidence is the Iranian nation's stepping into high-level scientific discoveries; one of them is the issue of nuclear energy, which is now on the lips of all our people; but it is not just this; in very sensitive, very precise, very new fields, our youth, our scientists, our elites have entered the field, accomplished great works; the same issue of stem cells, the discovery of new and unprecedented drugs for some difficult-to-treat diseases - which they announced, and God willing, they will announce again - in various matters. The Iranian has brought their talent to the field and demonstrated self-confidence and progressed, and we will continue to progress.

The distance between us and the world in terms of science has increased over the past decades, which were years of growth in knowledge in the world; but by God's grace, we will reduce this distance, and we will not be satisfied with knowledge alone; spirituality, ethics, and construction; we must consider this as a duty for ourselves. Let me say a word about the elections, and one word about your province and city.

The issue of elections is the important issue of this year for the Iranian nation. Of course, we have had important issues, but perhaps the most important issue of the country that will occur this year is the parliamentary elections. Of course, we still have time until then, and there is still time for speaking and saying, and I have remarks that God willing, I will express at the appropriate time. What I want to tell you today is that the Iranian nation should value the elections. Elections are an exhibition to demonstrate the determination and national growth of the Iranian nation, the resilience of the Iranian nation, the knowledge and awareness of the Iranian nation, and the commitment of the Iranian nation to the system of religious democracy.

What I have emphasized in all elections, I emphasize today as well, is the people's presence and the people's appreciation of the elections. Let me tell you - of course, I will say this briefly - there has been an effort in this country to close the door to elections so that the enemies can say that the Islamic Republic is not a popular system; efforts were made for this, but God Almighty did not allow it; divine will prevailed over the will of the malevolent; the hearts of the people were attracted to the elections in multiple periods and various sections; despite the enemy, the people participated in the elections. This election is the same.

What I am saying is that the people's presence is of primary importance. Secondly, which is also very important, is finding the most qualified representative. Those who are announced by the Guardian Council as qualified mean that they possess at least the minimum required qualifications. Among those announced, there are individuals with higher qualifications and individuals with lower qualifications. The art of the Iranian nation and the people of cities and electoral districts is to be careful, to look, to recognize the most qualified, to choose the best; the best in terms of faith, the best in terms of sincerity and trustworthiness, the best in terms of religiosity and readiness to be present in the fields of the Revolution; to choose the most aware and compassionate towards the needs of the people. These are opportunities that our dear people everywhere in the country - this is not specific to Yazd province - must strive to identify and confirm with their votes and form the parliament - the parliament that our current society needs.

Of course, the people must pay attention that colorful and diverse propaganda is not the criterion; impractical promises are not the criterion. When I encountered the honorable representatives in various periods, I told them: Gentlemen and ladies representatives! The duty of a representative is not to promise developmental projects and such works in their electoral district to the people; these are executive tasks, the work of the government. The duty of a representative is to be able to find the laws needed by the country, to enact that law. When a law is made - meaning a rule is established - the executive and judicial bodies are obliged to act according to the law and they will act. Making impractical promises, making grand promises, these are not the criteria; the people must pay attention; sometimes they are also a negative sign. From the supporters of various electoral candidates, electoral misconducts are not worthy of our nation; slandering believers, those who are immune from an Islamic and religious perspective; exposing them to disgrace in pamphlets, in newspapers, in internet sites, etc., is not at all advisable. I earnestly request all those who have an interest in various candidates, I insist that you show your interest not through the destruction of others, the insult to others, or accusing others. Whatever you want, praise your favorite candidate, define them; but do not destroy others. This is a bad sign. In some places in the world, it is common to expose each other's family secrets, to take hidden photos of each other, to disclose them. Well, those are the same ones who, when they go to parliament - you have seen on television - fall upon each other over an issue, behaving with fists and kicks! This is not an advantage for a representative. What must be remembered regarding the elections by our dear people is preparing for a comprehensive and widespread presence in the elections and striving to identify the most qualified and observing electoral behaviors, which we have mentioned.

Regarding Yazd; both Yazd province and Yazd city. Of course, our Yazdi friends have always complained to me over the years that my visits to Yazd have been delayed. I acknowledge this. Well, thanks be to God, there are provincial trips by government officials; they travel, assess the needs. I still have provinces that I have not visited; Fars province, which is neighboring you, I have not visited yet; Kurdistan province, Kermanshah province; these are provinces that have not yet been included in my visits, God willing, if I have life, I will visit them in the future. We thank God for this opportunity. What is important is that for the development of the province, for the progress of the province, both the government with all its agencies and non-governmental organizations, individuals, non-governmental economic and cultural institutions, etc., must cooperate.

The government must fully implement the resolutions made regarding this province during its visit to this province, God willing. Of course, this movement of the government - traveling to provinces - is a very good and blessed movement. I appreciate this movement of the government that goes to cities, goes to remote roads, adopts a popular approach; these are valuable. They meet with all cities from near and far. Some cities have people who have never been able to see a director general, now they see the president, the minister, close to them, they talk to them; these are valuable. We must appreciate these things. The resolutions that are passed in the provinces, even if some of these resolutions are not implemented, what is implemented is valuable and precious for the provinces. They must strive.

They referred to the issue of water. I know that the important issue of Yazd province is the issue of water. Of course, in the people's surveys, the issues of employment, inflation, are among the issues that concern you. All officials; whether those who must legislate, those who must execute, or those who must pursue the offenders - meaning the three branches - have a duty to work in these areas. We have also recommended, emphasized, and will continue to emphasize; however, advancing work, facing problems, grappling with obstacles - which officials at various levels face - is not easy; they are striving. This effort they are making is valuable. What is important is that the trust of our nation in its officials is a deep trust, and we must maintain this trust.

Of course, the enemy tries to weaken the emotional and heartfelt connection between officials and the people. Whenever they weaken a part of the Islamic Republic's apparatus, they accuse it; one day the executive branch, one day the legislative branch, one day the judiciary, one day various other institutions of the system; this is the enemy's work, to confuse and bewilder the people. Fortunately, our people are vigilant; they are insightful, they calculate issues and calculate them correctly. Therefore, the relationship between the people, the relationship between officials and the people, is a warm and strong relationship. God willing, this relationship will strengthen day by day, and the people will see and practically feel that the officials care for them; and the officials are ready to work and have efficiency and can advance the work.

I find it necessary to thank you, dear people, for your kindness, your qualities, your gatherings on this cold day, in this square and in the streets where we visited you. I pray for your success from the Almighty God, and God willing, during the days I am in this province, there are other matters that I will gradually present.

O Lord! Bestow Your mercy, blessings, and favors upon these dear people. O Lord! As their hearts and souls are humble and submissive before You, illuminate their hearts and souls with the lights of Your grace. O Lord! Unite the dear martyrs of this gathering and this province with the martyrs of the early Islam. O Lord! Elevate the ranks of the great scholars, the prominent religious leaders we have seen throughout these years - the late martyr Sadoughi, the late Ayatollah Khatami, the late Ayatollah A'arafi from Meybod, and other great scholars we have seen closely, and felt their importance and presence - elevate their ranks. O Lord! Include the good youth, the good and faithful parents in this province among Your guidance and success; increase the material and spiritual progress and elevation of these people day by day; unite the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), who is the driving force of this great movement and has a right over all the Iranian nation, with the pure souls of the prophets and saints.

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