Taher Shir Mohammadi, Deutsche Welle Persian - March 4, 2013
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| One of the gatherings of the Azerbaijan Student Movement |
Azerbaijani students wrote an open letter to the country’s newspapers about the necessity of attention to the mother tongue, which received media coverage. What was the reason for writing this letter, and why did they address newspapers instead of the authorities?
In part of the open letter, published on Thursday, February 21, 2013, graduate students from Azerbaijan addressed the editors-in-chief and responsible managers of the newspapers Shargh, Etemad, Bahar, Arman, and magazines such as Nasim Bidari, Asman, Mehrnameh, and Andisheh Pouya: "The media and newspapers are the voice of the people and their readers, and speaking in the language of the people is a requirement of democracy. It is worthy of those who dedicate their lives to informing the people and writing about their suffering to consider that deprivation of the mother tongue is a growing and fluid pain in every page of human life, and many other psychological, educational, social, and economic issues may have their roots in this deprivation."
Registering International Mother Language Day in the Official Calendar
In response to this letter, Shargh newspaper published part of it. On Thursday, February 21, 2013, the newspaper, in honor of International Mother Language Day, also printed an article by Ghader Ramzi, the representative of Qorveh and Dehgolan, on its front page.
Shargh writes: "The linguistic diversity in our country is an asset, not a liability; it is an opportunity, not a threat. Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, Balochi, and other languages in our country each carry a rich historical, social, and economic culture developed over centuries in a specific geography."
The author of the article suggests that, in honor of International Mother Language Day, and to promote national unity and greater cohesion among ethnic groups, International Mother Language Day should be officially registered in the country’s calendar.
Azerbaijani Students’ Desire for Dialogue
Seyed Heydar Bayat, an Azerbaijani cleric residing in Qom, who publishes his poems in Azerbaijani Turkish on the blog Alma Yolu, praises the students’ action in an interview with Deutsche Welle. He says, "Intellectuals and the younger generation want to engage directly with civil society institutions and express their concerns with them, distancing themselves from the world of politics and protests, and moving into a space of dialogue and discussion. This is a positive step."
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| Seyed Heydar Bayat, poet, and researcher of classic Turkish literature |
Bayat further recalls that previous religious scholars and authorities, such as Ayatollah Montazeri and Ayatollah Bayat Zanjani, had issued fatwas regarding the mother tongue, adding: "Now, actions can be expanded by consulting with cultural figures, poets, writers, intellectuals, and elites of the country and civil institutions, so that everyone can be involved in this dialogue."
The First Letter from Azerbaijani Students
Yunus Zareyun, former secretary of the Arman student association and one of the signatories of the letter, tells Deutsche Welle that this is the first time Azerbaijani students have written a letter to the media inside the country. These students aimed to raise their issues in the public domain.
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| Yunus Zareyun |
He emphasizes: "Our intellectuals had previously written to parliamentarians, the state media, and other authorities. The head of the East Azerbaijan Broadcasting Organization had responded, claiming that the Turkish language is not a standardized language."
Authorities Have Not Responded to Our Previous Letters
The former head of the Arman student association further recalls: "Whether our request will be implemented depends on the will of the authorities. However, students send requests from below to the higher authorities, and the possibility of execution lies in the hands of the authorities. The role of student organizations is to bring this issue to the attention of officials."
He emphasizes that so far, parliamentarians and officials have not responded to their requests and letters. "We have had media outlets like Yarpagh and Neday-e Urmia, which unfortunately had their licenses revoked. There are also publications in Tabriz that include Turkish-language pages, but the students’ aim in writing to the media was to address the national press."
Zareyun also stresses that in the past, other groups have written letters, but there was always the accusation that the students were connected with outside movements. This time, the students acted independently to avoid any such label.
The Letter to the Newspapers Had More Impact
Musa Mousavi, another signatory of the letter, explains their motivation for turning to the country’s newspapers: "Given the government's stance on the Azerbaijani mother language issue and the authorities’ lack of response to previous requests regarding the teaching and study of the mother tongue, we decided to approach private newspapers this time. Moreover, the press is an important part of civil society, and raising such issues in the press will help foster reflection and the civil discourse needed to address these demands."
Were the Expectations of the Letter’s Signatories Fulfilled?
But were the expectations of the signatories met? Musa Mousavi, one of the signatories, responds to this question by Deutsche Welle: "Unfortunately, the newspapers only published a brief news item about this request. As the letter clearly states, our main goal was to dedicate a page in these newspapers to the Turkish language, and we had even offered to provide the content. Among the signatories, there are those with experience in journalism and editorial leadership, so we are waiting for a response from the newspapers to see if there is an opportunity for cooperation."
Hope for Greater Attention to Ethnic Issues
Yunus Zareyun, former secretary of the Arman student association, remains optimistic about the future regarding the mother tongue issue in light of the letter's media coverage within the country.
He tells Deutsche Welle: "In the upcoming presidential elections and in the future of Iran’s political landscape, no political party will succeed without addressing the demands of Iran’s ethnic groups. It can be said that by publishing part of the letter from the Azerbaijani students, Shargh newspaper has taken a step in this direction."
Seyed Heydar Bayat, the Azerbaijani cleric residing in Qom and owner of the Alma Yolu blog, also confirms that ethnic issues, especially the problem of the mother tongue, will be one of the main topics in the country's presidential elections.
The link to the original article in Farsi on Deutsche Welle Persian:
نامه ۶۰۰ دانشجوی آذربایجانی و انعکاس آن در رسانهها