Jalal Yaghoubi – Rooz Online – Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The Mehr News Agency reported yesterday that during a meeting of the members of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, it was emphasized that "teaching mother tongues in provinces reeks of conspiracy." Mohammad Ali Movahed, a member of the academy, stated during the session:
"The government must refrain from direct involvement in teaching local and regional languages. We have a standardized language that is our official language. If the government forgets this and delves into the realm of local languages, we are doomed."
Another member, Fathollah Mojtabai, referred to mother tongue education as a "foreign concept," adding:
"I have no doubt this idea has been imported into Iran. It was previously implemented in India by Britain, and today, it is countries like Britain and our northern neighbors who aim to introduce this issue to Iran. The best way to hold a nation back is to disregard its official language. If we use mother tongues as scientific and educational languages, we will undoubtedly regress, which is dangerous and smacks of conspiracy."
Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel also remarked:
"Let us be cautious not to squander our national assets, such as the Persian language, for fleeting and fruitless partisan gains."
However, another academy member, Bahauddin Khoramshahi, expressed a different view:
"The government must define the boundaries of mother tongue education and specify its scope and methods."
These comments were in response to statements made by Ali Younesi, Special Assistant to the President for Ethnic and Religious Minority Affairs, who had announced the previous week that teaching in mother tongues was on the government’s agenda. Younesi had said:
"Mother tongue education is being considered for various ethnic groups, including the Arab community in Khuzestan."
He emphasized:
"The Ministry of Education will design a curriculum for ethnic languages as needed. We are actively pursuing the implementation of mother tongue education, and once the necessary programs are developed by the Ministry of Education, the results will be announced."
In response to some academy members' remarks, Bahar News, a media outlet close to Mohammad Reza Aref, published an editorial criticizing their stance:
"Why do you oppose the implementation of a neglected constitutional principle with such prejudice, and through your poor and ill-considered defense, deepen the animosity toward Persian in ethnically diverse regions?"
The editorial continued:
"What part of implementing this constitutional principle, as you claim, 'reeks of conspiracy'? The real conspiracy lies in the current cultural and social divide between different regions—a divide exacerbated by your misguided and biased handling of the law. This has led to situations, as evidenced by official reports, where flags of foreign countries are raised in sports stadiums in certain provinces! Does this reflect a conspiracy stemming from your prejudice and mismanagement, or does implementing a constitutional principle, which you dislike and mistakenly consider a threat to national unity, pose a danger?"
In mid-October of the previous year, Ali Asghar Fani, then Acting Minister of Education, stated:
"Teaching ethnic languages in schools is my priority."
He added:
"We must implement Article 15 of the Constitution. Some planning was initiated during President Khatami's tenure, but it was eventually halted. These plans must now be revisited and reactivated."
Although these statements did not lead to concrete actions, even their mere articulation sparked objections. For example, Hojatoleslam Salimi, a member of the Education and Research Committee in the Iranian Parliament, criticized the idea of teaching ethnic languages, stating:
"We do not believe that teaching ethnic languages is a significant issue for the country."
Jabar Kochaki, another member of the committee, argued:
"Designing educational content in local or mother tongues is impractical. A classroom may comprise students from various ethnic backgrounds, making it impossible to use the local language of one specific region."
On another front, Hamidreza Moqadamfar, Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), recently expressed concern about the status of the Persian language in an interview with Basij News:
"Today, the Basij and the IRGC, composed of devout and revolutionary forces, are tasked with safeguarding the Persian language. […] Following the Supreme Leader's speech to the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution regarding the Persian language, we prioritized this issue at the IRGC's Strategic Studies Center. Our research is ongoing, and we aim to identify effective solutions."
Meanwhile, Saleh Nikbakht, a lawyer and legal expert, highlighted in an interview with Shargh newspaper that "mother tongue education" is one of the most significant issues concerning ethnic and religious minorities' rights. He stated:
"The Minister of Education announced his willingness to implement mother tongue education in schools, but nearly three months have passed without action. It is essential to note that this right is enshrined in Article 15 of the Constitution."
Beyond the challenges faced by ethnic minorities, the situation of religious minorities also continues to spark significant debates. On January 20, during Unity Week, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized:
"Combating any factor that undermines unity is a major responsibility for both Shia and Sunni Muslims."
However, just one week later, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, in a speech, attacked the third caliph of Sunni Islam, stating:
"Worldliness, nepotism, discrimination, and appointing family and clan members to positions by the third caliph angered the masses, ultimately leading to his assassination. […] Today, Wahhabi Takfiris are the fruits of those same trees that deviated from the truth after the Prophet's (PBUH) demise."
Notably, such comments have not been openly criticized in Iranian media. The securitized approach toward ethnic and religious minorities is so pervasive that even the population growth of minority groups is a source of concern.
The link to the original article in Farsi on Rooz Online:
فرهنگستان مخالف آموزش زبان مادری