March 5, 2005

The Second Mother Language Congress at the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran, March 3, 2005.

The Second Mother Language Congress was held on Thursday evening, March 3, 2005, at the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran. The congress was organized by the Azerbaijani University Students’ Association, the Azertopraq Youth Association, and the Işıq Cultural Association.

Hundreds of advocates and lovers of the mother tongue attended the four-and-a-half-hour ceremony and enjoyed its various programs, demonstrating their interest in their mother tongue and homeland while far from Azerbaijan.

The ceremony began with a recitation from the Qur’an, followed by the national anthem of Iran. The program’s host, Farzad Samadlı, then explained that the event coincided with the anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy. He asked the participants to stand and recite a Fatiha in remembrance of its victims.

Next, Taymaz Nazmi came to the microphone, welcomed the guests, and spoke about how preparations for the congress had been conducted.

Afterward, the elder statesman of our nation and the Dede Qorqud of our time, Professor Javad Heyat, took the stage amid sustained applause and enriched the gathering with his remarks.

The host then explained why February 21 had been designated International Mother Language Day and respectfully commemorated the Bengali language martyrs. Afterward, Ms. Rudabeh Alif read a welcome address in English acknowledging the presence of a representative from the Embassy of Bangladesh. At this point, a commemorative plaque prepared by the Azerbaijani University Students’ Association was presented to the embassy representative.

Ms. Aylin Durnama then read the UNESCO Director-General’s message, which had been translated into Turkish. It should also be noted that Ms. Farahani, the person responsible for the Cultural Committee of UNESCO’s office in Iran, attended the ceremony.

Mr. Mohammadi subsequently recited a poem he had written about the mother tongue. Following his performance, a message sent from Tabriz by Dr. Ali Daşqın was read aloud.

After Dr. Daşqın’s message, Dr. Hoseyn Soltani, secretary-general of the Azerbaijani University Students’ Association, took the stage. He welcomed the guests and spoke about mother languages and new forms of colonialism. Describing these practices as “modern genocide,” he called upon the younger generation to recognize and understand these dangers and explain them to the nation.

Referring to the approaching presidential election, Dr. Soltani emphasized the need to remain vigilant, act wisely, and resist every form of political exploitation. He regarded this as the responsibility of all like-minded individuals.

A young boy named Elşən Parsa then recited a poem about the mother tongue, deeply moving the congress participants. This was followed by the reading of a message sent from Sweden by Master Mohammad-Ali Farzaneh.

After Farzaneh’s message, Yousef Azizi Bani-Torof, an Arab journalist and writer, came to the microphone. He thanked the organizers and expressed a long-standing wish:

I wish that I, too, knew the beautiful and sweet Turkish language and could speak with you in this language.

In a compelling speech, Mr. Bani-Torof discussed why the constitutional articles concerning Iran’s ethnic and national communities had not been implemented.

At this stage of the program, Dr. Heyat was honoured with a commemorative plaque. A message of solidarity from the Arabs of Khuzestan was then read aloud.

The program continued with a message sent from Toronto by Dr. Reza Baraheni, followed by the performance of the play “Solmaz Is at School.”

Refreshments were served to the guests, after which a message from Professor Sabri was read.

Engineer Aydın Sadeqi, director of the Research Centre of the Azerbaijani University Students’ Association (ABTAM), then spoke about the “Mother Tongue–Child’s Sentiment” competition and other ABTAM initiatives, including the Azerbaijan Book of the Year Festival.

He also conveyed a message from the organizers of the Second Mother Language Congress whose event had been prevented in Tabriz. He condemned the fact that people in Tabriz—the heart of the homeland—were left longing to hold a mother-language congress. Referring to the presidential election, Engineer Sadeqi called on people to be more vigilant and to approach serious issues with greater determination.

A young girl named Saray then recited her poem about the mother tongue.

At the end of the program, 21 successful participants in the “Mother Tongue–Child’s Sentiment” competition received gold Mother Tongue medals. The other 120 participants in the competition were also honoured with awards.

Finally, Mr. Majid Hosseini read the resolution of the Second Mother Language Congress.

On the Sidelines

An impressive exhibition of books and periodicals was organized outside the event hall and received considerable interest from attendees.
A “Name Changing” competition was also held alongside the congress. Nearly one hundred people converted their names into Turkish forms, and three participants were selected by lottery to receive prizes.

Final Declaration of the Participants in the Second Congress Commemorating the Mother Language

February 21, International Mother Language Day, is a profoundly auspicious and hopeful occasion for all people whose mother languages, for various reasons, do not receive the recognition, respect, protection, and support they deserve. Although this day has been commemorated in Iran for only a little more than two years, the existence of approximately 50 million people deprived of the most basic cultural and human rights—reading, writing, and receiving an education in their mother languages—has caused this occasion to become rapidly engraved in their collective memory and to give them hope for a future that will undoubtedly come.

Language, as the most important marker distinguishing an individual’s cultural identity, has throughout history held immense importance for its speakers. Contrary to the mistaken assumptions of certain pseudo-intellectuals who regard language merely as a means of communication, language carries within it the history, folklore, customs, traditions, intellectual life, ideas, and culture of a nation or ethnic community. For this reason, both past and present colonial powers have made language a primary target in their efforts to assimilate nations and ethnic communities. They pursue their inhumane objectives through various means, particularly by artificially cultivating feelings of inferiority among the targeted populations.

Iran is home to numerous nations and ethnic communities—including Turks, Persians, Arabs, Kurds, Baluch, Gilaks, Lors, and others—each possessing its own distinct mother language. Iran is therefore like an immense and rich collection embodying the physical, intellectual, and creative endeavours of millions of people who have lived throughout history in this land and its neighbouring regions.

Unfortunately, however, the Pahlavi government’s chauvinistic policies aimed at culturally assimilating non-Persian nations and ethnic communities. These policies were pursued as part of a modern Iranian nation-building project based on Persian and Aryan language, identity, and history. Consequently, millions of people—constituting approximately 70 percent of Iran’s population—were deprived of their most fundamental human rights.

Although the intensity of these policies and restrictions diminished to some extent following the victory of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, the prevailing conceptions of identity, national interests, and security in Iran persisted. Even the limited rights recognized under Articles 15, 19, and 48 of the Constitution were never implemented.

In recent years, a new wave of identity-based activism among Iran’s nations and ethnic communities has emerged. Drawing on past experiences and new national and international circumstances, this movement has adopted civil and peaceful methods and has undoubtedly challenged the country’s rulers and officials. Relying on the considerable potential of university students and intellectuals, this new civic approach has sounded the call of national and ethnic awakening for a generation lulled to sleep by chauvinistic slogans. It has also attracted the support of fair-minded and conscientious people throughout the country—regardless of their official position, social status, clothing, ethnicity, or nationality.

We, the participants in the Second Congress Commemorating International Mother Language Day, respectfully honour the exalted memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in defence of their mother languages, especially the revered Bengali language martyrs. We express our gratitude to everyone who has endured hardship and suffering in the struggle to elevate and advance their mother language. We also thank the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for designating February 21 as International Mother Language Day.

We condemn the obstruction of the Second Congress Commemorating International Mother Language Day in Tabriz. Reaffirming the demands presented at the First Congress Commemorating International Mother Language Day, we declare the following:

Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran explicitly affirms the equality of all people, ethnic communities, and nations residing in Iran, regardless of their language or race. Nevertheless, no adequate practical measures—particularly in the cultural sphere—have been taken in recent years to implement this principle. We therefore call upon the country’s authorities, especially the members of Parliament, to take meaningful practical steps toward providing instruction and education in the mother languages of the approximately 70 percent of Iran’s population who are non-Persian, and toward preserving and strengthening their cultures.
Supporting ethnic cultures and identities is impossible unless these matters are incorporated into the country’s political, social, economic, and cultural structures. In our view, these principles must be codified in law through a decentralized system of governance, and the administration of the country must be reorganized accordingly.
Both before and after the Islamic Revolution, the names of many regions, cities, and villages inhabited by Iran’s nations and ethnic communities were changed as a result of either deliberately biased or uninformed policies. These places must be restored to their original names.
The Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights is a global charter containing highly valuable and progressive principles, provisions, and demands. We accept all of its provisions as an international charter and covenant. We therefore call upon the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to formally declare its adherence to the Declaration and commit itself to implementing its provisions.
More than 70 percent of the duties, taxes, and subterranean wealth of this country are generated in regions inhabited by non-Persian nations and ethnic communities. Using these revenues exclusively to promote and strengthen the Persian language and culture constitutes blatant and unjust discrimination. Such discrimination is unacceptable under Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights and is incompatible with moral and religious teachings. We therefore demand the appropriate and equitable distribution of public resources to preserve, develop, and strengthen all the languages and cultures of the country.
Despite official claims to the contrary, parents belonging to Iran’s non-Persian nations and ethnic communities are either denied the freedom to give their newborn children national and ethnic names in their mother languages or encounter severe obstacles and restrictions when attempting to do so. In our view, this situation contradicts all relevant international conventions, religious principles, standards of human morality, and Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights. It is unacceptable and must be brought to an end as soon as possible.
In recent years, intellectuals, university students and academics, and many other individuals belonging to Iran’s nations and ethnic communities have made valuable efforts to preserve, strengthen, and defend their national, ethnic, and cultural identities. Unfortunately, these individuals have faced various stigmatizing accusations—particularly labels such as “separatist,” “pan-Turkist,” and “pan-Arabist”—and have been subjected to punishment. We reject all such allegations and emphasize the preservation of unity and fraternity based on the equality of all the people of this country. We call upon the authorities to put an end to this form of treatment.
As the country approaches its ninth presidential election, several prominent candidates and their supporters have made statements either supporting the recognition of the rights of Iran’s nations and ethnic communities or opposing these demands. We believe that the very emergence of this issue in the election demonstrates both the success of the sincere efforts made by the children of this country and the legitimacy of their demands. While recognizing the importance of this opportunity, we inform the candidates and their supporters that expecting our support without presenting a practical program and publicly signing a written commitment to address the legitimate demands of Iran’s nations and ethnic communities is unreasonable and futile. Under no circumstances will we permit anyone to exploit our sacred values.

March 3, 2005
Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran
Participants in the Second Congress Commemorating the Mother Language