By Taher Shir-Mohammadi, 20 February 2014 - Deutsche Welle Persian
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| The main headline of Navide Azerbaijan, the weekly publication in Urmia, West Azerbaijan, is: "Officially Recognize the Right to Education in Turkish." |
This year's International Mother Language Day arrived amidst a heated debate in Iran over teaching mother tongues in schools and opposition from the Academy of Persian Language and Literature. Four experts discuss the state of mother tongues during Hassan Rouhani's presidency.
UNESCO's Role in Promoting Linguistic Diversity
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organizes conferences and seminars worldwide every year on International Mother Language Day (February 21 / Esfand 2 in the Iranian calendar) to emphasize the importance of linguistic diversity.
Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, stated in her 2014 message (February 18) marking the 14th International Mother Language Day that promoting mother tongues fosters mutual understanding. She described the suppression of mother tongues as depriving people of their basic right to acquire scientific knowledge.
Although the Islamic Republic of Iran is a UNESCO member and accepts its regulations, it has largely ignored the organization’s requests to recognize the linguistic rights of minorities within the country.
Intensified Discussions on Mother Tongues Under Rouhani
Enforcing Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution, which allows for the teaching of mother tongues in schools, was one of Rouhani's campaign promises. Many voters in ethnic regions supported him because of this promise, with Rouhani securing over 80% of the votes in these areas.
However, the promise of teaching mother tongues in schools has faced opposition from the Academy of Persian Language and Literature.
Dr. Jalal Jalalizadeh, a former parliamentarian from Sanandaj, told Deutsche Welle that despite some statements from officials supporting mother-tongue education, no significant changes have occurred.
Jalalizadeh, a former editor of the Sirvan weekly, added:
"Compared to before, issuing permits for local and ethnic publications has become easier, and restrictions have lessened or been lifted. However, we still cannot say that anything significant has happened." He stressed that failing to enforce the constitution constitutes a violation of the law and that Rouhani and his administration must fulfill their promises to ethnic groups.
Legal Grounds for Language Education
Dr. Emilia Nersisian, a professor at the University of Tehran specializing in education and anthropology, expressed optimism about the growing discussion around mother-tongue education in Iran. She noted:
"I have a positive assessment. If a law exists for learning mother tongues, it seems to have become more prominent, and I think a good foundation has been established for various ethnic groups to learn and preserve their mother tongues."
Nersisian emphasized that linguistic diversity is not a threat:
"The concerns of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature are unfounded, as Persian serves as a lingua franca among ethnic groups. Perhaps the academy has not fully understood the matter."
The Desire for a Grammar Textbook
Anne-Mohammad Bayat, a Turkmen political activist and journalist from Golestan, believes discussions on mother tongues have intensified under Rouhani. Bayat argued that Article 15 has remained unimplemented for 35 years, with successive governments only offering empty promises.
He noted that Turkmen is taught privately in Iran, but "invisible obstacles" persist, and there is no dedicated Turkmen-language website. However, parts of the Sahra and Faraghi newspapers are published in Turkmen, receiving positive feedback.
Bayat, a member of the Legacy of Gonbad literary society, said:
"Our minimum demand from Rouhani’s government is to introduce a Turkmen grammar textbook in schools where Turkmens are the majority. If Rouhani and his education minister, Mr. Fani, are willing, this is achievable."
The Campaign for the Right to Mother-Tongue Education
To mark International Mother Language Day, a "Campaign for the Right to Mother-Tongue Education in Iran" was launched online. The campaign's founders highlighted the increased discussion around mother tongues and the importance of linguistic rights.
The campaign's manifesto states:
"According to the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights, education in one's mother tongue is a natural and democratic right of all children in Iran." The manifesto concludes that advocating for this demand could foster national unity.
Yunes Shameli, one of the campaign founders, told Deutsche Welle that it was initiated by civil activists from Turks, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, and Turkmens. Shameli added:
"For the first time, we issued the campaign call in Turkish, Kurdish, Turkmen, Baluchi, Arabic, and Persian."
Shameli criticized Iran's monolingual policy, calling it inconsistent with the country’s demographic composition and demeaning to minorities. He noted:
"The constitutional article on mother tongues, which does not even name local languages, has never been implemented. However, people’s struggles for their linguistic rights continue."
Shameli also recalled Rouhani’s promises in Azerbaijan for education in Turkish, the establishment of a Turkish Academy, and efforts to revive Lake Urmia. He concluded that people are awaiting the fulfillment of these promises.
Moving Forward
Most experts agree that teaching mother tongues in schools has legal backing and that the president’s determination to implement this policy could pave the way for its realization.
The link to the original article in Farsi on DW Persian:
روز جهانی زبان مادری و داغ شدن بحث زبانهای مادری در ایران