Ali Younesi does not consider the teaching of the mother tongue in Iran a public demand.
"Teaching in the mother tongue and teaching the mother tongue are different things. These should be separated. We are talking about the teaching of the mother tongue. The official language of the country is Persian, so the teaching of the mother tongue should be in Persian. Nothing should harm our official language, Persian," stated Ali Younesi, the assistant to President Hassan Rouhani, in an interview with Etimad newspaper.
In his discussions, the president’s assistant on issues concerning non-Persian ethnic groups and religious minorities in Iran presents Persian as the “national language” and argues that "teaching the mother tongue" is not a "public demand."
"For example, in Tabriz, Kurdistan, or Baluchistan, the issue of the people is not the mother tongue. They speak in their mother tongue, but they write and study in the national language, Persian. These two issues should be separated. Teaching in the mother tongue and teaching the mother tongue are different things. The state has raised the issue of teaching the mother tongue, so that those who wish can attend. I would even say that the number of volunteers will be very small. This is because children usually speak their mother tongues well and do not need to learn it as a subject."
Some political experts consider Ali Younesi’s remarks about the rights of non-Persians to be paradoxical. According to them, Ali Younesi is viewed as the “window dressing” of President Hassan Rouhani’s government, and his words are merely slogans.
Etimad newspaper asked Younesi about being regarded as "window dressing." Younesi responded that the concept of "window dressing" is a good thing.
Human rights organizations and groups defending the rights of non-Persian peoples in Iran, on the other hand, claim that the teaching of the mother tongue is a public demand in Iran.
In recent years, protests have taken place in the Azerbaijani cities of Iran, and slogans like “School in Turkish” have been raised during protests organized on International Mother Language Day, demanding the right to education in their mother tongue.
In a report published by Amnesty International on March 9, 2007, regarding protests on International Mother Language Day on February 21 of that year, it was reported that approximately 50 people were arrested in Urmia, 25 in Sulduz, 20 in Ardabil, and 25 in Zanjan, while many protesters in the city of Qushachay were also detained.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Əli Yunesi: Ana dilinin tədrisi fars dilində olmalıdır