The Mass Burning of Turkish Books

Mohammad Rahmanifar - 13 December 2023 

Remembering the destruction of culture and language: A burning book symbolizes the efforts to erase the Turkish language in South Azerbaijan. Yet, the spirit of resistance lives on as cultural activists continue to preserve and promote their heritage through books in their mother tongue.

Before the fall of the Qajar dynasty and the rise of Reza Shah to the throne in 1925, it was possible to publish books in Turkish, Persian, and Arabic in Iran and South Azerbaijan. However, during Reza Shah's reign, not only were books banned, but the writing and publication of Turkish were also forbidden. During this period, a total of 13 newspapers and publications were released in Azerbaijan—12 in Persian and one in Armenian. In other words, throughout his rule, no Turkish-language newspapers were published in Azerbaijan.

Mohammad Rahmanifar: They Don’t Want Children to Speak Their Native Language at Home Either

 Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, June 14, 2019

Mohammad Rahmanifar

Mohammad Rahmanifar, a writer and cultural activist from Tabriz, recently commented on the "Persian language proficiency test" project introduced by the Iranian Ministry of Education. Rahmanifar states that with this new project, they aim for "the official language to invade even private spaces, such as homes."

"Iranian media no longer mocks Turks; it attacks their roots."

By Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, April 19, 2018

Mohammad Rahmanifar

"There seems to be a unification among various media outlets, and their common goal is publishing articles against Turkish identity and attacking those working in this field," said Mohammad Rahmanifar, pointing out the recent increase in "anti-Turkish" articles and programs in Iranian media.

Mohammad Rahmanifar: If the nation resists, it will eventually achieve its goal

 Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, October 17, 2017

Mohammad Rahmanifar 

Mohammad Rahmanifar says that there are both politicians who view the teaching of the Turkish language in the Islamic Republic of Iran positively and those who are completely opposed to it.

Speaking to Voice of America from Tabriz, the writer and Turkish language teacher stated that as a result of campaigns organized regarding the mother tongue, the number of people in the society who can read and write in Turkish has rapidly increased, and the term "Turk" has also started to be heard from official platforms.