By Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, February 07, 2014
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| Ruzbeh Saadati |
The right to education in one's mother tongue has been on the agenda of Iran's non-Persian provinces for years, sparking mass protests in these regions. However, in recent days, the issue of the mother tongue has become a heated topic of debate among Iran's official institutions.
In an interview with Voice of America, South Azerbaijani writer and Turkish language teacher Ruzbeh Saadati evaluated the ongoing discussions among state institutions. The former political prisoner also expressed his views on the sincerity of President Hassan Rouhani's government regarding its promises about language rights, the Persian Language and Literature Academy's strong opposition to the discussions on mother tongue education, and the stance of the Azerbaijani National Movement and Turkish activists during this period.
The South Azerbaijani writer explained the Rouhani government's attention to the mother tongue issue in light of the growing national consciousness among non-Persian communities in Iran, the political changes unfolding in the region, and the political conditions within the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Ali Younesi's promises regarding mother tongue and the rights of non-Persian ethnic groups are linked to the responsibilities assigned to him by the government. He serves as the presidential assistant for issues concerning non-Persian ethnic groups and religious minorities, so it is natural for him to make such statements,” Saadati remarked.
The national activist also interpreted these statements as a sign of progress in the nation-building process among Turks living in Azerbaijan.
According to Saadati, the various political currents within the Iranian government share a similar outlook on non-Persian communities and national issues. However, they employ different strategies to address this "problem."
The South Azerbaijani activist particularly assessed the policies of political currents represented by figures such as President Rouhani and his supporter, former President Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, towards non-Persian communities.
In his view, these currents shape their policies based on their recognition of the rising national consciousness among non-Persian communities and the emergence of a political force rooted in this awareness.
Saadati also elaborated on how this consciousness has developed among Azerbaijani regions and Turks across Iran in general.
He pointed to the changing official policies of neighboring countries, including Turkey, towards ethnic minorities and noted that these changes could influence Iran as well.
In Saadati’s opinion, the National Movement should continue its awakening-focused activities, as it has done in the past. However, he stressed that unity is more essential than ever at this stage. “We must emphasize the importance of education in the mother tongue and strive to enrich the Turkish language as part of our awakening activities,” he stated.
“Our demand is for the Turkish language to be official,” Saadati asserted, describing this as the minimum demand of the Azerbaijani National Movement.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Ruzbeh Səadəti: Minimum istəyimiz türk dilinin rəsmi olmasıdır