Taher Shir Mohammadi – Deutsche Welle Persian – June 2, 2009
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| Mir Hossein Mousavi's Visit to Tabriz, Azerbaijan and His Speech in Turkish, His Mother Tongue |
The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution has approved a policy to teach two academic credits of literature related to ethnic languages in universities. The approved languages include Turkish, Kurdish, Balochi, and Turkmen, which can be chosen as optional courses in universities.
In the lead-up to the presidential elections, Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani and presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi promised the inclusion of ethnic languages in education. Mir Hossein Mousavi not only wore Turkmen attire but also attempted to speak in Azerbaijani Turkish. Meanwhile, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, led by President Ahmadinejad, approved the teaching of various ethnic languages.
This move has been welcomed by the cultural community, especially among advocates of ethnic cultures. However, critics, referencing the lack of implementation of Articles 15 and 19 of the Constitution concerning ethnic languages and literature, express skepticism about the execution of the council’s resolution. They consider it a part of election propaganda that will remain on paper.
Roundtable on Teaching Ethnic Languages
Deutsche Welle discussed the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution’s resolution with Dr. Emilia Nercissians, a researcher and head of the Anthropology Department at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tehran; Dr. Araz Mohammad Sarli, a publisher, university professor, and head of the Writers' Union of Golestan Province; and Dr. Ahmad Omid Yazdani, the author of the Comprehensive German-Azerbaijani Dictionary and a representative of the Germany-Azerbaijan Academicians’ Group.
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| From left to right: Dr. Emilia Nercissians, Dr. Araz Mohammad Sarli, and Dr. Ahmad Omid Yazdani |
Dr. Emilia Nercissians:
“I’m very pleased with this news; it represents a very positive step towards recognizing and preserving our linguistic heritage. Languages are a nation’s national treasure, and it’s wonderful that they are to be taught, especially through higher education.”
Dr. Araz Mohammad Sarli:
“We are also pleased that one of the provisions of the Constitution—Article 15, which specifies that alongside Persian, ethnic languages should be taught—is moving closer to realization. I congratulate all Iranian ethnic groups, including Turkmens, Kurds, Baluchis, Turks, and others, on this development.”
Dr. Ahmad Omid Yazdani:
“This is a very small step. Children should learn their mother tongue starting in elementary school, from the first grade. This would ensure they have a complete familiarity with their native language, both grammatically and emotionally, fostering a love for their mother tongue. Offering a few credits in universities will not have a significant impact.”
Will the Policy Be Implemented?
Deutsche Welle asked the panelists whether the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution’s resolution had the necessary backing for implementation and whether there were qualified specialists to teach ethnic languages.
Nercissians:
“If languages are not taught officially, they will be taught informally within communities. Among ethnic groups, there are individuals who are committed to preserving their language and literature. Although this may not occur in an academic or formal classroom setting, it can still happen. If such individuals are provided with some training, they could become excellent teachers for these languages. The council has considered mechanisms for implementation, and in my opinion, this could be a very practical and positive step forward.”
Sarli:
“In Golestan Province and other universities, such as the University of Tehran, there are colleagues who are linguists, teach Persian, or hold doctorates in Turkish or have studied Turkmen in Turkmenistan. They have experience and publications in this field. Personally, I am ready to work with my academic colleagues to develop two Turkmen language credits and prepare the curriculum for implementation by the start of the academic year.”
Yazdani:
“In Azerbaijan, we have sufficient teaching staff to teach the Azerbaijani Turkish mother tongue. These individuals can establish and teach elementary classes. Additionally, textbooks from the Republic of Azerbaijan could be utilized.”
Is the Resolution Politically Motivated?
Deutsche Welle asked whether the resolution was influenced by the upcoming presidential elections.
Nercissians:
“I’m not concerned with the presidential elections, but this is a positive step in itself. Such an initiative has never existed in Iran’s history. At the very least, the taboo surrounding ethnic languages has been broken. If we speak of Iran, it cannot be understood without considering its ethnic groups. I believe this is a good opportunity to implement what is already provided for in the Constitution.”
Yazdani:
“In my view, these are election promises. Even in Europe, we see candidates making promises before elections that are forgotten afterward. These promises about ethnic languages are part of the Constitution but have neither been implemented nor will they be. I’m an optimist, but I don’t think they can grant true linguistic and cultural freedom to these communities.”
Sarli:
“I believe the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution has taken a very significant step, although it should have acted much earlier to create the necessary infrastructure for teaching ethnic languages. I think teaching these languages will contribute to the solidarity of Iranian ethnic groups.”
How Will Students Respond?
Nercissians:
“This initiative will certainly make different ethnic groups happy. I’ve already decided that if such courses are offered, I will enroll in them. I’m not Azerbaijani, Turkmen, or Kurdish, but this can create an opportunity for dialogue between groups, fostering friendship and national cohesion.”
Yazdani:
“In my opinion, the Iranian government is trying to placate ethnic communities before the elections. These are not fundamental steps. If meaningful progress is to be made, children should have textbooks in their mother tongue starting in elementary school. Iran’s education system needs to address this issue from the ground up, not from the top down, starting in universities.”
Sarli:
“These two credits are optional and not mandatory, even within the field of Persian language and literature. This means that Persian literature students may choose to take Turkmen language credits. I think Turkmen students in Golestan Province, where we live, will welcome this opportunity enthusiastically.”
The link to the original article in Farsi on Deutsche Welle Persian:
انتخابات ریاست جمهوری و آزادی زبانهای قومی