Zia Nasir – Al Arabiya – February 21, 2019
For centuries, numerous Turkish dynasties, such as the Seljuks, Karakoyunlu, Aq Qoyunlu, Safavids, Afshars, and Qajars, ruled Iran. Not only did they refrain from imposing their language on the various nationalities within the country, but many argue that Turks have been preservers of the current cultural fabric. Yet today, not only are they unable to study in their mother tongue, but their identity is often questioned and undermined.
The demand for preserving mother tongues as a foundation of the national identity of Iran's ethnic groups is not limited to Azerbaijani Turks. In a related demand for allowing education in mother tongues, a Kurdish member of Iran's parliament recently proposed designating a National Ethnic or Traditional Clothing Day in the country’s annual calendar. On December 28, 2018, Javad Hosseinikia told ISNA that such a day would encourage people to wear traditional clothing and host local markets for cultural and ethnic products, stating, “Iran is composed of diverse ethnicities and religions that coexist. Various ethnic groups and religious communities, whether Shia, Sunni, or non-Muslims, each have their own customs and traditions.”
Earlier, another Iranian MP emphasized that the country’s constitution explicitly permits education in the mother tongues of its ethnic groups alongside Persian in schools. He announced plans for drafting a bill to promote mother tongue education in Iranian schools.
According to Asr Iran, Sodeif Badri, an MP representing Ardabil, Namin, Nir, and Sareyn—regions predominantly inhabited by Turks—stated: “The right to education in one’s mother tongue is affirmed in numerous human rights documents and treaties, such as the Charter of Mother Tongues, the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights, and Articles 3 and 4 of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities. Additionally, Article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and, most importantly, Iran’s progressive constitution emphasize this right.”
Article 15 of Iran's Constitution states: “The official and common language and script of the people of Iran is Persian. Official documents, correspondence, and texts, as well as textbooks, must be in this language and script. However, the use of regional and ethnic languages in the press, mass media, and teaching of their literature in schools is permitted alongside Persian.”
On the other hand, the Academy of Persian Language and Literature is considered the main opponent of implementing Article 15 of the Constitution. Fathollah Mojtabaei, a member of the academy, described the issue as conspiratorial, stating, “I have no doubt that this idea has been imported into Iran from abroad. Previously, the same issue was introduced in India by Britain, and today, Britain and our northern neighbors are attempting to bring this issue into Iran. Ignoring a nation's language is the best tool for keeping it backward. If we were to use our mother tongues as scientific and educational languages, we would undoubtedly regress to the past. This is a dangerous notion and reeks of conspiracy.”
Each year, on February 21, International Mother Language Day, non-Persian ethnic groups in Iran launch various campaigns demanding the right to mother tongue education and an end to what they describe as “cultural suppression policies.”
On this occasion, Ahwazi Arabs organized widespread campaigns, publishing articles, reports, news, and images advocating for the right to education in their mother tongue using the hashtag #الدراسة_بلغة_الأم_حقي (#EducationInMotherTongueIsMyRight). They called on Iranian authorities to implement this right, as referenced in Iran's current constitution.
Arab activists have described these efforts as a “deliberate attempt” to erase Arab identity in the region. Shima Silavi, a human rights activist, told Al Arabiya, “The Iranian regime has been deliberately denying the existence of Arab people for years, sparing no effort to achieve this.”
In January 2017, a cultural activist named Isa Damuni, a 43-year-old father of two, journalist, and Arabic language teacher living in Golestan neighborhood of Ahvaz, was arrested for organizing Arabic language classes. He was taken to an unknown location. In May 2017, the Fourth Branch of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Pourmohammadi, sentenced this Ahwazi activist to one year in prison and exile to Takab City in Azerbaijan on charges of anti-regime propaganda and forming non-governmental organizations.
The link to the original article in Farsi on Al Arabiya:
به مناسبت روز زبان مادری: آیا ترکی آذربایجانی میتواند زبان رسمی ایران شود؟