Taher Shir Mohammad, Deutsche Welle Persian - January 31, 2014
The Academy of Persian Language and Literature's opposition to teaching mother tongues has sparked protests from some members of parliament, particularly those advocating for the rights of ethnic minorities. Experts are questioning whether President Rouhani's government has the political will to implement the constitutional principles regarding mother tongue education for minorities.
Ali Asghar Fani, Minister of Education in President Hassan Rouhani's government, met with members of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature on Monday (January 27). During this meeting, he discussed mother tongue education, stating: "According to Article 15 of the Constitution, the teaching of native and ethnic languages must take place, and the President also made this promise during his election speeches."
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| Ali Asghar Fani: The Hassan Rouhani government does not oppose teaching ethnic languages in schools. |
The Minister's statements were met with strong and negative reactions from members of the Academy. Most members opposed teaching mother tongues in schools across the provinces and described the promotion of mother tongue education as a "foreign plot," claiming it was "imported from outside" and part of a foreign conspiracy.
Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, who is also the head of the Academy, warned about the discussions of Ali Younesi, President Rouhani's advisor on ethnic groups and minorities, regarding teaching mother tongues in the provinces: "We must be careful not to use our national resources, like the Persian language, for temporary and fruitless factional victories."
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| Gholamali Haddad Adel is the president of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature. He is also a staunch opponent of teaching mother tongues in schools of ethnic minorities in Iran. |
"The Academy Had Already Protested Before"
The remarks from the Academy's officials sparked protests from political and cultural circles in ethnic minority regions of the country. It is worth mentioning that the Governor of East Azerbaijan had previously announced the establishment of a Turkish Language Academy in Azerbaijan.
Experts familiar with the issues of ethnic minorities in the country had also reported on the government's commitment to implementing constitutional principles related to mother tongue education, as well as some resistance to it.
Hojatoleslam Azimi Qadim, an Azerbaijani cleric living in Qom and familiar with the issue of mother tongue education, told Deutsche Welle: "Mr. Haddad-Adel and the members of the Academy have previously expressed their opinions in this way. However, President Rouhani's government, which sees itself as indebted to the ethnic groups and considers Iran belonging to all Iranians, not just the Fars ethnic group, has incurred their wrath. These people are the heirs of those who, even before the revolution, argued that we should not allow non-Persian languages to have a presence. If the government listens to these individuals, the problem in our society will remain unsolved. These individuals, who apparently also consider themselves religious, how can they accept chauvinistic ideas while Islamic thoughts, which recognize the rights of ethnic groups in the Constitution, prevail?"
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| Hojatoleslam Abdolaziz Azimi Ghadim advocates for the language and socio-political struggles of the ethnic Turks of Azerbaijan and has faced multiple punishments, including a 10-year ban on clerical attire and prison sentences. |
Hojatoleslam Azimi Ghadim suggests that Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel engage in a televised debate on the issue of mother tongue education in the country, challenging him to discuss the matter publicly.
He continues, "A large number of clerics cannot outright reject Haddad-Adel due to his seemingly religious and revolutionary image and overlook some of his flaws. Another issue is that he might scare people and clerics into believing that if ethnic groups receive their rights, it would lead to the fragmentation of the country, and some believe this. However, when a nation gets its rights, it will not think about secession. The concern about conspiracy only arises when ethnic groups are denied their rights."
This cleric emphasizes: "The Minister of Education, Ali Younesi, and other clerics must stand firm against the opponents of mother tongue education in the country."
Protests from Kurdish Parliamentarians
Kurdish parliamentarians also opposed the positions of the members of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature. Seyed Ahsen Alavi, representative of the cities of Sanandaj, Divandarreh, and Kamyaran, wrote a letter stating that "the proposal for teaching in mother tongues by the government is the most basic right of ethnic groups." This Kurdish representative in parliament considered the Academy's stance "unstudied" and contrary to the "political atmosphere" of the country.
Rasoul Khazri, representative of the cities of Piranshahr and Sardasht, accused the members of the Academy of questioning the legitimacy of the Constitution and said: "We must not allow a group of people, through obstructionism and prejudice, to act according to the lines drawn by the enemy."
Omid Karimiyan, representative of the cities of Marivan and Sarvabad, also criticized the Academy's stance and called for the implementation of "the neglected principles of the Constitution."
The Academy's Political and Security Perspective on Mother Tongues
Abdullah Sohrabi, a former Kurdish representative in the Sixth Parliament and editor-in-chief of the banned weekly Rojhelat, told Deutsche Welle: "The Academy of Persian Language and Literature still views the issue of ethnic groups as a political-security matter. One of its members has explicitly said that there is a sense of conspiracy."
He emphasized, "The members of the Academy are not concerned about the Persian language because Kurdish and Persian share common roots. No one denies the teaching of Persian in Iran. Alongside Persian, every Iranian citizen has the right to learn their mother tongue."
"Rouhani Must Stand Firm Against Opponents"
Sohrabi continued by explaining that the Academy of Persian Language and Literature is largely made up of conservatives and factions in power who have hindered reforms in the country over the years. He emphasized, "It depends on President Rouhani and his government how much courage and bravery they have to defend the rights of the people and the Constitution, and how much they will stand up for the people's votes."
This Kurdish representative said: "I think the expectation was that the representatives of Turks, Arabs, Baluchis, and Turkmens in parliament would act more actively. Unfortunately, there was not as much opposition as we had hoped. We also expect Mr. Younesi, as the President's assistant for ethnic and religious minorities, to react and not remain indifferent to his responsibilities."
"Haddad-Adel Did Not Keep His Promises"
Latif Izadi, a journalist and editor-in-chief of the Olkamiz website in the Golestan province, also reacted to the remarks of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature officials. He told Deutsche Welle: "The argument of Turkmen intellectuals is that the Academy is taking the wrong approach and looking at this cultural issue through a political lens. English and Arabic are taught in schools across the country, so why should it be problematic to teach other languages as well?"
Izadi emphasized, "Teaching the languages of ethnic groups in Iran is an opportunity, and implementing Article 15 of the Constitution would benefit the system and the country by increasing the participation of ethnic groups."
The journalist also criticized Haddad-Adel's policies, saying: "The policy Mr. Haddad-Adel has adopted shows a contradiction in his actions. When he was a candidate, he wore Turkmen clothes and emphasized preserving Turkmen customs and culture, but now he speaks against it. He must answer for this contradiction."
The editor of the local Olkamiz website, like Hojatoleslam Qadim and Abdullah Sohrabi, urges President Rouhani and his government to stand firm against the opponents of mother tongue education in schools and fulfill their promises to ethnic groups to implement the constitutional principles of the country.
The link to the original article in Farsi on Deutsche Welle Persian:
افزایش اعتراض به مخالفت فرهنگستان با آموزش زبانهای مادری