Taher Shir Mohammadi - August 6, 2015 - Deutsche Welle Persian
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| Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran |
Over the past two years, President Hassan Rouhani's ten-point promises to Iranian ethnic groups have not been fulfilled. Ethnic representation in managerial positions and the teaching of mother tongues have yet to find a place in government policies.
The president's most recent provincial visits were to East Azerbaijan and Kurdistan, coinciding with the second anniversary of his administration, known as the "Government of Prudence and Hope." In both visits, locals welcomed Rouhani with slogans in their native languages. The president also began his speeches in Kurdish and Turkish during these trips.
On May 20, 2015, during his visit to Tabriz, Rouhani inaugurated the "Foundation for Azerbaijani Culture, Art, and Literature" at the historical house of Parvin E’tesami, declaring it a realization of his promise to establish a cultural academy for Azerbaijan.
Similarly, during his visit to Kurdistan on July 27, 2015, Rouhani announced that the teaching of Kurdish language and literature would soon begin at universities. He framed this as part of his efforts to deliver on his promises to the people of Kurdistan.
Criticisms from Experts on Ethnic Issues
Experts familiar with the issues and demands of ethnic groups criticize the administration for failing to implement Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution or take meaningful steps toward teaching mother tongues over the past two years. Additionally, Rouhani’s ten-point declaration has not been pursued.
In his campaign statement on June 3, 2013, Rouhani emphasized the "official teaching of the mother tongues of Iranians (Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, etc.) at schools and universities and the full implementation of Article 15 of the Constitution." Article 15 guarantees the freedom to use local and ethnic languages in the press, mass media, and as part of literature instruction in schools alongside Persian.
After his inauguration on August 4, 2013, Rouhani appointed Ali Younesi, the former Minister of Intelligence under President Khatami, as his special assistant for ethnic and religious minorities.
Younesi frequently stated that teaching in ethnic languages was part of the administration's agenda. For instance, on January 20, 2014, he said:
"Teaching in mother tongues is among the Ministry of Education's plans, and they are conducting research on this."
Government Actions Fall Short
Ali Asghar Fani, Rouhani's Minister of Education, also expressed his intention to implement Article 15 and prioritize teaching ethnic languages in schools. During a February 2014 meeting with members of the Persian Language Academy, he stated:
"We have formed a committee to address this issue, and alongside it, a think tank has been established, inviting experts to work on it collaboratively."
However, Fani’s remarks sparked sharp opposition from the members of the Persian Language Academy. Most members opposed teaching mother tongues in provincial schools, describing it as a "serious threat to the Persian language" and a "conspiracy to marginalize it."
Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, the head of the Persian Language and Literature Academy, responded to Younesi's statements in winter 2014, saying:
"The Academy is interested in understanding how this complex and sensitive issue, sometimes tied to national security, is being addressed."
Following such objections, discussions about teaching mother tongues in schools and universities concluded without results. Consequently, Rouhani's promises outlined in the ten-point declaration remain unfulfilled.
No Ministers, Few Governors
Rouhani’s ten-point declaration also included commitments to ethnic rights, such as appointing ethnic elites to national and provincial management roles. Early on, there was even talk of including two ministers from ethnic backgrounds in the "Cabinet of Prudence and Hope."
Yet, no ministers or deputy ministers from ethnic groups were selected, and governors of ethnic regions were appointed from non-local candidates. Many ethnic elites have concluded that their communities’ needs and aspirations were exploited for electoral purposes.
Rouhani has failed to fulfill promises regarding "broad public participation, regardless of language or religion, in national-level management" and "appointing qualified local officials to administrative positions in various regions."
Local-Level Appointments Amid Criticism
This lack of progress has led to growing dissatisfaction and criticism of the president in ethnic regions. In response, the administration decided to appoint "qualified local and native personnel" as mid-level managers, including governors, district officials, and mayors in some ethnic regions such as Sistan and Baluchistan and Turkmen Sahra. For instance, a woman was appointed as the governor of Hamoon County in Sistan and Baluchistan, and Marjan Nazgoli was named governor of a county in the Turkmen region.
Two years into Rouhani’s administration, mother-tongue languages are still not being taught in schools or universities as promised under the Constitution. Ethnic groups also remain underrepresented in political and administrative management. Moreover, the “security-centric approach” toward ethnic groups has persisted over the past two years.
The link to the original article in Farsi on Deutsche Welle Persian:
کارنامه و عملکرد دو ساله روحانی در مورد مطالبات اقوام