Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a Sunday live televised speech while reflecting on the forthcoming presidential election, saying that nobody should dissuade people from taking part in the election in high numbers.
Calling for a massive turnout in the upcoming election, the Leader said, “When people take part in elections [in multitudes], no power can harm the country.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also warned against efforts made to discourage people by casting doubts on various aspects of elections, including the governing bodies.
The Leader noted that despite some efforts made in a number of past elections to influence the voting process and the poll results, none of those efforts were important enough to affect the final result of the polls.
Ayatollah Khamenei added that those who want to run for the election must believe in the basic principles of the Islamic establishment and do not cast doubt on them.
The Leader noted that unfortunately, some remarks made by certain officials in the run-up to the presidential election reflected previous statements made by enemies of the Islamic Republic, especially those statements, which were made to undermine Iran’s Quds Force and its former commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Quds Force has been the main force preventing Iran’s diplomatic apparatus from following a passive diplomacy in the West Asia region.
The Leader said enemies of Iran do not want the Islamic Republic to boost its ties with the world and this is why “when we want to expand relations with Russia or China,” they complain and they even complain “when we want to expand relations with our own neighbors.”
The Leader said nowhere in the world the foreign ministry sets a country’s foreign policy outlines, but there are higher authorities that set the main lines of a country’s foreign policy and the foreign ministry just carries out those policies.
“We must not talk in a way as if we do not accept the country’s policies and in doing so, make our enemies happy,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei also advised hopefuls running for the election to avoid of giving promises they cannot keep.
At the beginning of his Sunday speech, Ayatollah Khamenei first elaborated on the spiritual status of Imam Ali, the first infallible Shia Imam, whose martyrdom anniversary is just a few days away, noting that the most important characteristics of the Imam included strict justice, courage, wisdom, as well as taking care of the oppressed people who are usually wronged by the society.
The Leader noted that those who proclaim to be true followers of Imam Ali must get as close as possible to his spiritual characteristics, especially his zeal to administer justice.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that Imam Ali was martyred while praying at mosque, noting that there have been many people in our time, in the Islamic Republic, who also followed suit with their Imam and sought martyrdom.
The Leader mentioned Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the former commander if the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Quds Forces, as one of the true followers of Imam Ali, saying that when enemies threatened to kill him, he reacted by saying “they are threatening me with something that I am seeking.”
General Soleimani was martyred — along with Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and a number of their comrades — when his vehicle was hit on January 3, 2020 by a drone strike ordered by ex-US president Donald Trump.
The Leader also talked about the National Teachers’ Day, which marks the martyrdom anniversary of Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari, who was killed by anti-Iran terrorist Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) soon after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The Leader noted that Motahhari, as one of the main thinkers of the Islamic Revolution, spent his time on studying all schools of thought, and tried to give answers to questions posed by his young audience, both at the university and at the seminary of Qom.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the most important task of teachers of to transfer their trove of knowledge to the next generations and also pay attention that they must safeguard the thought and ideas of their young audience.
“Therefore, we can say that teachers are the officers of the country’s progressive forces,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that teachers are now playing a more prominent role, because there have been few junctures in history when “our young people have been exposed to such relentless cultural invasion.”
The Leader emphasized that teachers, along with workers, enjoy a lofty and important status in the society and the society and people should recognize this, adding that in addition to recognizing their lofty status, efforts must be made to solve the livelihood problems with which teachers are facing, especially under conditions created by of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Reflecting on the Workers’ Day, the Leader noted that workers enjoy a lofty status in Islam, which prompted the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) to kiss their hand.
“One of the most important roles in an independent economy is played by workers... because an independent economy depends on domestic production, which in turn depends on workers,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader noted that the Islamic Republic’s enemies did their best to pit workers against the Islamic establishment, but they never stopped backing the Islamic Republic and played their prominent role in this regard.
The Leader added that one of the most important ways to support the country’s domestic production is to support the labor force.
“We must note that supporting workers is actually supporting the national wealth, because if workers are supported, they promote national wealth, which will make any country proud,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader noted that special attention should be also paid not only to the livelihood and economic problems of workers but also to their professional training.
“The issue of job security is a form of labor support, meaning that workers should not be concerned that they would lose their job ... and they should enjoy job security and know that their employment is guaranteed.”
Provision of housing for workers and establishing equitable relationship between the labor force, employers and government was another point on which the Leader laid special emphasis.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that various administrations should take advantage of all available potentialities to create new jobs, both because of its economic outcomes and social effects, including boosting vibrancy of people in the society.
Ayatollah Khamenei also warned against efforts made to shut down Iranian factories, noting that those who shut down a factory for their own personal benefits, are knowingly or knowingly doing an act of treason against the country’s independence and production.
He exhorted executive officials and relevant ministries to take necessary action to deal with those who want to shut down production units and factories on any grounds.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the best way to thwart sanctions imposed on Iran by Western countries, especially the United States, is to boost domestic production in true sense of the word, noting that this will first render sanctions inefficient and then will make enemies to remove sanctions.