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January 28, 2025

Teaching Mother Tongue to Ethnic Groups in Universities and the Beginning of Multilingualism Era in Iran / Mehdi Hamidi Shafiq

“منظور از زندگی، آن است که آن را بهترین شکل ممکن بسازیم.”

“The purpose of life is to make it the best it can be.”Mehdi-Hamidi-Shafigh
Mehdi Hamidi Shafiq

In 2015, the Kurdish language and literature major was added to the list of options for the national university entrance exam, and in the same year, the University of Sanandaj was able to attract 40 students for this major. One year later, in 2016, the Azerbaijani Turkish language and literature major was also added to the list of options for the national university entrance exam. According to Ahmad Farshbafian, the head of this major at the University of Tabriz, 30 students were accepted for the first year after 80 students chose this major. Ebrahim Khodayi, the head of the National Assessment Organization, announced that the establishment of these two university majors was done through legal procedures and with the permission of the Ministry of Science. Mir-Hamayat Mirzadeh, the spokesperson for the Education and Research Commission of the Parliament, while appreciating the Ministry of Science for this action, called it a step towards the implementation of Article

Mother tongue at university

The start of the academic year 94 and the official education of Kurdish language and literature at the University of Sanandaj should be considered as a new chapter in the discussion of the rights of ethnic groups in Iran, particularly their cultural and linguistic demands. Prior to this, with the approval of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and the confirmation of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, a two-unit course on Turkish and Kurdish language and literature was offered as an elective at the universities of Tabriz, Sanandaj, and Urmia. According to Mohammad Reza Mokhber Dezfuli, spokesperson of the Council, this decision was made in 2009 in line with the implementation of Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution and in order to protect the valuable elements of Iranian Islamic culture and strengthen the foundations of this culture.

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Among these, the “right to education in the mother tongue” which is interpreted by the majority of policy makers and statesmen in Iran as Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution, has always been raised by identity activists as a legitimate and lawful demand, especially at the beginning of each new academic year, and has sparked numerous debates. In fact, Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution is one of the forgotten and neglected principles that has not been seriously considered by statesmen until the launch of Kurdish and Azerbaijani language and literature programs in 2015 and 2016. Although this move was generally met with positive reactions from identity activists, they consider it insufficient and ambiguous in terms of the “right to education in the mother tongue”. The majority of these activists, as well as some Iranian democracy activists, believe that according to human rights and language and cultural rights conventions, the education of linguistic minorities in Iran should start from the primary level in their mother tongue; something that Article 15 of the

In fact, another challenge ahead for bilingual education in Iran – which is emphasized by most identity activists – is legal ambiguity or lack of implementing laws in the field of bilingual education. The only existing law in the field of bilingual education is Article 15 of the Constitution, which states: “…the use of local and ethnic languages in the media and group media and the teaching of their literature in schools, alongside the Persian language, is free.” Although this constitutional article has not yet been implemented due to some political and cultural considerations, it should be noted that its implementation cannot guarantee “education in the mother tongue”, but rather it is more about “education in the mother tongue”. Here, we must pay attention to an important and delicate point that has become a serious and widespread debate among opponents and proponents in recent years; that is the difference between “education in the mother tongue” and “education of the mother tongue”. “Education of the mother tongue” means that the mother tongue is taught as a subject alongside

The rights of nations, the eleventh government, and the mother tongue.

Hassan Rouhani, during the days before the 92 presidential election, in his campaign speeches in Kurdistan and Azerbaijan, revealed his serious intention to achieve the rights of minorities in Iran. He stated that in his view, Articles 15, 19, 12, and 3 of the Constitution are in line with the first and last principles, and all Iranian citizens should feel that they will have equal citizenship rights. He promised that Iranian citizens, regardless of their language or ethnicity, will be able to continue their education in their mother tongue at universities based on the principles of the Constitution. After that, when Rouhani’s third election statement titled “Rights of Minorities, Religions, and Denominations” was published in 10 parts, which was almost a comprehensive and complete statement on the rights of minorities and religions within the existing legal framework, there was great hope for the realization of these demands. After being elected as President, Rouhani appointed Ali Younesi as his

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Among these discussions, the issue of mother tongue education was at the forefront of the 11th government’s plans for implementation, considering the existing legal frameworks and public demand. In multiple interviews, Ali Younesi spoke of the government’s serious intention to implement Article 15 of the Constitution and mother tongue education in Iran. The latest statement was in Khordad of this year, when he said, “The government has ordered the teaching of Kurdish and Turkish languages in schools, and this plan has been implemented in Kurdistan province and will be implemented in other parts of the country if the necessary infrastructure is provided. The establishment of Kurdish language and literature programs in higher education centers has been one of the demands of the people of this province for years, which has become a reality in the government of Prudence and Hope.” On October 3, 2013, Ali Asghar Fani, the Minister of Education, announced that “teaching the languages of ethnic groups in schools is a priority”

In his last provincial trips to East and West Azerbaijan, Rouhani faced protests about the right to education in mother tongue. During his trip to Tabriz in April 2015, he also inaugurated the “Foundation for Culture, Art and Literature of Azerbaijan” and stated that with the opening of this foundation, the promise of establishing a language and literature academy for the people of Azerbaijan will be fulfilled. However, civil activists and some local media outlets believe that the opening of this foundation is not related to Rouhani’s promise to establish a Turkish language and literature academy, which he made during his election campaign. They believe that the structure and bylaws of this foundation contradict what Rouhani had promised during his campaign. In fact, this foundation is a distorted and manipulated version of the Turkish language academy and Rouhani has broken his promise in this regard.

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In 2015, during his provincial trip to Kurdistan, Rouhani was faced with slogans regarding mother tongue education. During this trip, he promised that teaching Kurdish language and literature would soon begin at the University of Sanandaj, which was unlike his previous promises in the field of ethnic groups. With the start of the new academic year, the major of Kurdish language and literature was introduced at the university, and one year later, the major of Turkish language and literature was also added, making it the first time in the history of higher education in Iran that these two majors were offered at a university. This move, during the final year of Rouhani’s presidency, somewhat satisfied the activists of ethnic identity. However, most of these activists believe that even one of the 10 articles of the Declaration of the Rights of Ethnic Groups, Religions, and Sects has not been fully realized, and therefore consider Rouhani’s performance in the field of ethnic rights as unsuccessful. Since one of the

Opponents of teaching mother tongue

Whenever the discussion of ethnic rights in Iran and the issue of education in mother tongue is brought up, a wide range of opponents can be found. Those who consider any action towards mother tongue education in Iran as a violation of national security and territorial integrity, and see it as a threat rather than an opportunity. Among them, most members of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, one of the main decision-making bodies regarding mother tongue education, do not have a serious inclination towards mother tongue education and even the implementation of Article 15 of the Constitution. They are among the most serious opponents of mother tongue education, using strange and baseless arguments about the threat of local languages to the Persian language and the national unity. However, with the increasing dissatisfaction of ethnic groups in Iran about existing discrimination and the fact that cultural and linguistic demands have become a public demand, government officials have been forced to take some actions, although incomplete and limited, in the implementation of mother tongue education. These actions, although met with

Given the distance and deep gap between the demands of Iranian ethnic groups and the legal actions taken, and the overall atmosphere regarding national issues in Iran, both among politicians and policymakers and among intellectuals and various political activists who have a serious resistance against the national issue, it must be said that there is still a long way to go for the full realization of the rights of ethnic groups in Iran. Any discussion about the rights of ethnic groups is still hindered by national security concerns, and most politicians and policymakers, and even political activists from different political spectrums, see this issue as a threat. The issue of mother tongue education in Iran is a completely political issue, and the legal dimensions of this issue have been overshadowed by its complex political dimensions, and for this reason, decision-making institutions in this regard always prioritize security considerations. However, it must be acknowledged that in recent years, some initial but positive steps have been taken by the government towards realizing the rights of ethnic groups, and we should not

Regarding the recent news of teaching the Azerbaijani language and literature at universities, we immediately witnessed a series of attacks by nationalist ancientists through national newspapers, particularly in the East and some reputable news agencies. They questioned the government’s motives in the form of biased articles. This movement of integrity, which freely spreads ethnic hatred, claims to be against separatism, but in reality, through its literature and behavior, is one of the main factors of separatism in Iran. It uses fear-mongering as a tool to create fear and suspicion among its audience, although it does not lead anywhere. However, it must be said that it is one of the main obstacles to the realization of ethnic rights in Iran. In this regard, we must hope for more cooperation and understanding among pro-democracy activists, civil society activists, identity seekers, and the elimination of the issue of education in the mother tongue and the legal approach to the issue of ethnic groups based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reputable

The benefit of speech.

Although there are still many ambiguities regarding the teaching of Turkish and Kurdish language and literature, as well as mother tongue education in Iran, including the resources used in universities, the professors used in universities, the standard language and alphabet used, and the future employment of graduates in these fields, overall, the eleventh government can be considered a positive and valuable step. It is hoped that this decision will also include the Balochi and Turkmen languages and that these two languages will soon be introduced into universities. The issue is that, given the growth and spread of national awareness and existing discrimination that has led to the dissatisfaction of ethnic groups, it is not possible to hide and deny the issue of the rights of ethnic groups in Iran. For several years now, national and regional demands, especially cultural and linguistic demands, have become a tool for voting in elections, and currently, most representatives of ethnic regions are clearly calling for the elimination of possible discrimination in this area and the establishment of justice and equality among

The reality is that identity activists have taken many steps to prevent assimilation and linguistic and cultural homogenization in Iran, and have never waited for official and legal actions from the Iranian government. Teaching Turkish or Kurdish and other native languages has been done unofficially for several decades since the officialization of Persian language, and the literature and language of Iranian ethnic groups have continued to grow and thrive under the determination and perseverance of these writers, poets, intellectuals, and linguists. Now, there is a relatively rich and reliable foundation for teaching native languages in Iran, which would have been even richer if this opportunity had been provided equally and fairly with Persian language. Iran is a country with a unique diversity of ethnicity, religion, language, and culture – according to statistics, half of Iran’s population consists of non-Persian speakers – and it is better to see this diversity as an opportunity rather than a threat, and to use it to strengthen national unity and even cultural diplomacy. With this in mind,

Mehdi Hamidi Shafiq
November 26, 2016

Azerbaijani language Balochi language Citizenship rights Eleventh government Identity seekers Kurdish language Kurdish literature Mehdi Hamidi Shafiq Mother tongue National rights Rights of Nations Turkish language University of Sanandaj پیمان صلح ماهنامه خط صلح ماهنامه خط صلح