Dilshad Aliyarli - February 21, 2015
February 21 was declared International Mother Language Day by UNESCO in 1999. On this day, Azerbaijani Iranians seeking the right to education in their mother tongue hold peaceful protests and signature collection campaigns. Thousands of Azerbaijanis worldwide participate in this campaign. In an interview with Voice of America, prominent Azerbaijani doctor Shapur Ansari, who resides in the U.S. state of Michigan, discussed the significance of Mother Language Day.
“For me, and for millions of Azerbaijanis like me, our mother tongue has been our official language since birth,” said Dr. Ansari. He noted that the establishment of this day by the UN aims to draw attention to the issue in countries like Iran, where the languages of minority populations are not respected.
According to Shapur Ansari, there is a policy in Iran to prevent the use of the Azerbaijani Turkish language by any means, employing media and all possible methods to achieve this. Dr. Ansari emphasizes that receiving an education and speaking in one’s mother tongue is not a privilege but a fundamental right for every person.
Dr. Ansari highlighted his personal commitment, as well as that of Azerbaijanis, to the mother tongue issue: “I’ve lived in America for nearly 52 years, and my children and grandchildren were all born here. I could now be spending my time with them, but I am ready to devote my time and resources to support this cause. For me, every day is Mother Language Day.”
Dr. Ansari described the violation of language rights for Azerbaijani [Turks] in Iran as cultural apartheid.
He spoke about Azerbaijani activists imprisoned in Iran, specifically mentioning renowned national activist Said Matinpour: “What is his crime? He simply asked why this clause in Iran’s constitution is not being implemented. In which other country in the world do you see a person imprisoned for eight years for demanding the enforcement of a constitutional law?”
Dr. Ansari emphasized that Azerbaijani [Turks], fighting for cultural rights are labeled as Pan-Turkists and often receive lengthy prison sentences. “There’s no criterion here; anyone who says anything about the mother tongue is labeled a Pan-Turkist. Many are arrested, and this issue arises every year. Our people, our youth are detained,” Dr. Ansari stated.