Why Iran is opposed to the Multilingualism?

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Why Iran is opposed to the Multilingualism?
by Savalan
18-Mar-2012
 

Non-persian ethnic groups demand their natural right to have an education in their mother tongue. The Iranian government insists that this will never happen. In my view, if Persians are able to teach Persian around the world, why don’t for example Iranian Turks (Azerbaijani) children have the right to an education in their mother tongue? When Iran Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi , and other ministers visit Persian speaking countries such as Tajikestan and Afganistan and express their concern about any threat to Persian language. Why can they not have the same feeling towards Turks who live in Iran and belong to that part of the world? Why are they part of that country but yet cannot have their own mother language? Using the mother tongue is one of the most basic human rights and one affecting all aspects of life, yet the Iranian government takes that right way from non-Persian ethnic groups.

Famous freedom fighter Nelson Mandela said,"if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his mother tongue language, that goes to his or her heart." A mother tongue language is important because it shapes identity, personality, skills, character, and other aspects revealed through the mother tongue that give confidence.

Persians for a long time have been distorting general knowledge about the Turks and the Azerbaijani people. It is time for the international community to raise questions about this distortion and lack of fairness. It is time for Persians and some intellectuals to change their lens of prejudice, because the Iranian government and intellectuals are wearing the wrong prescription.

It is important for Turkish parents and Turkish educators to support their children’s learning and training in their native Turkish language. I have strongly encouraged students to develop literacy in their mother tongue and to be proud of their unique culture. Each language represents a special culture and thus beauty to everyone, and the Turkish language is no exception. Further, the mother language is definitely an asset and treasure for Turks. Consequently, it is the responsibility of Turkish leaders, intellectuals, and everybody who values the mother language to preserve the Turkish language. It is important for Turkish children to have an education in their mother tongue and to pass it down from generation to generation. Having been privileged to speak other languages, I know that this language acquisition contributes many advantages in my life because learning another language brings other opportunities and helps us to understand other cultures better. Also, learning another language helps us to understand our mother tongue better. Research shows that most children eventually learn a second or third language to a native like fluency level, but sometimes we fail to understand that many children are at risk of losing their mother tongue language. The Turkish language exemplifies this trend, because at school children learn Persian not Turkish, so that many Turks do not speak their own language and some even totally forget it.

A mother tongue has a very important impact on the formation of the individual because it shapes his or her thoughts and emotions. Children’s character and personality development depends on the mother languages and helps children’s mental and emotional growth. Psychologists argue that language expression and words that we choose when we speak to children are important. The differences in brain activity existed when the subjects were shown words in their mother tongue versus in the other languages they speak because the brain waves have a much higher amplitude when the word is in the mother tongue. In addition, research shows how differently the brain absorbs and recalls language learned in early childhood rather than later in life. For a child the learning of concepts, skills, and perception of existence begins with the mother tongue and what is taught to him or her. Further, research shows that the brain absorbs the mother tongue at a time when it is also storing early visual, acoustical, emotional, and non-linguistics activities. It shows that people dream, think, and feel emotions in the mother language. When we speak our mother tongue, it gives us a direct connection between our heart, brain, and language.

Therefore, it is a moral question to ask, "Is it right for the government not to let Turkish children have an education in their mother tongue?" Changing a person’s language means changing his thoughts. Fairness is what justices really is, so the Iranian government should be fair and just toward everybody. By practicing justice, the Iranian government will come to mind when the next generation thinks of fairness, caring, equality, and integrity. Fairness is not words, but an action, as the proverb says, actions speak louder than words. Turkish children‘s right to be educated in their mother tongue and to learn Turkish is being violated in Iran. If the focus of teaching tolerance in education is to deal with the concept of equality, justice, and fairness as well as to establish confidence in children, so that there is more goodness in the world, then I would have expected Gulenists to support Turkish children’s learning in their mother language because they know how important it is to have an education in the mother language. Turks should be treated like everybody else and should not have a double standard used for them.

I am sure every country and nation should make it a matter of national pride to teach their children in their mother tongues because language is at the very heart of culture and identity. Turks should not be deprived of it. Nothing can be as important to a people as the preservation and transmission of their inheritance and identity. I would argue that bilingualism is a positive factor rather than a divisive one and, therefore, is necessary to strengthen the unity among the various ethnic and linguistic groups in Iran. Learning Turkish will not lead Iran to collapse nor will it divide the country, but certainly the continuation of prejudice and injustice toward a particular group may lead to more division in society. A friend from Jamaica once told me that when they were first colonized by the Spanish and British, the African slaves were not allowed to read or write; therefore, in order to communicate among each other, the tribes developed their owned language with various dialects. Children find it hard to speak English because they are not encouraged to use it but instead Patois as their native language. This kind of policy causes confusion among Jamaican children. Unfortunately, many enslaved and colonized people around the globe are somehow ashamed to speak their native language because it is considered inferior to the language of the colonizer. It is sad and has very significant effects on children’s development because it affects their self-confidence and self-image.

Turks are not exceptional in this case. Even some Turks in Iran do not consider themselves Turkish because of the same reason. If the Iranian government and leaders were wise enough, then for many years this Turkish issue would not have become a major block for Iran’s economic and social growth and leadership in the region, because people would be confident in expressing themselves without being stigmatized as backward or of a lower class. It would make a huge difference in Iran if Turkish were accorded the distinction of a state language. Democracy will not survive in Iran without the guidance of Turks and other minorities, and the issue of language rights is emblematic of the larger concern about democracy.

The mother tongue helps to articulate values and to express hopes and ideas. Also, it helps to develop self-confidence and a unique identity--increasingly important in a global society. The objective for Turks to learn their mother tongue is to promote and to propagate their unique heritage with unity in diversity strengthening the Iranian society rather than breaking it up. The mother tongue is the most basic human right, so that in all aspects of life, the Iranian government should not take away that right from non-Persian. I strongly believe bilingualism is not a negative factor but rather a positive one that will contribute a great richness to the Iranian culture; it will not be divisive but will strengthen the unity among other minorities. Mother tongue languages help children’s mental and emotional growth, and give them self-confidence to express themselves better. I would argue that the mother tongue language would help Turkish children to learn to speak Farsi and other languages well. Research has proven that many skills acquired in the first language can be transferred to the second language. For example, if a Turkish child developed excellent reading skills in Turkish, he or she would more likely be able to apply those skills when reading Persian or other languages. If students have gaps in their mother languages, sometimes it causes a problem of identity and self confidence as well. All Iranian citizens should develop and maintain a level of spoken and written Farsi, but the ban on the Turkish language should be lifted without any conditions, and their linguistic education should be improved, maintained, and developed. Language services should be provided, and printing media and libraries should be expanded and improved, because learning Turkish in the mother tongue is a fundamental right.

- Turks; People of Iranian Azerbaijan.

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Roozbeh_Gilani

پيام نوروزی 20 نفر از زندانيان کارگری و فعالين ملی آذربايجان

Roozbeh_Gilani


سال نو مبارک

درسال جديد پيش بسوی مبارزه متشکل
سالهاست که هر چه می گذرد مشکلات زندگی برای انسانها بخصوص طبقه کارگر بيشتر و سخت تر می شود .گرانی و تورم بيشتر می شود ،قدرت خريد و ارزش دستمزدها کمتر می گردد .هر سال چندين بار تورم های از 20% تا50% گريبان مردم را می گيرد و در انتهای سال نمايندگان رنگارنگ مدافع منافع سرمايه داری با سر و صدا و هياهو به اندازه يک چهارم در صد تورم و گرانی سال جاری حداقل دستمزدها را اضافه کرده و آنگاه انعام و پاداش های هنگفت خود را دريافت کرده به تعطيلات نوروزی رفته ، به ريش ما کارگران می خندند .هر سال تعداد اخراج ها بيشتر و سفره کارگران خالی تر می شود ، فشار بر خانواده های کارگری ،جدائی ها و فروپاشی خانواده ها بيشتر می شود . هر سال تعداد بيشتری از اعضاء و کودکان برای جبران هزينه های زندگی به اجبار از تحصيل و بازی دست کشيده وارد بازار کار می شوند . هر سال بر اثر رشد هر چه بيشتر تعداد بيکاران فشار بر کارگران شاغل بيشتر می شود و طبعا" سود سرمايه افزايش بيشتری می يابد . هر سال برای حفظ زندگی و تأمين نيازهای خانواده به عنوان نيازهای عيد دعوا و اختلاف و قهر و آشتی و رشد نفرت کور و فشارهای روحی و روانی بين اعضاء خانواده بيشتر می شود .هر سال روزهای انتهای سال کارگران با دست خالی هر کدام به تنهای به اين می انديشيدند که يک سال گذشت و تمامی طرح ها و نقشه هايی که اول و طی سال داشتم همه بر باد رفت و با دست خالی و سرافکنده در مقابل بچه ها به خانه می روم .(البته ما زندانيان به خاطر وجود دم و دستگاه سرکوب گر از همين عيد و ديدار خانواده حتی با سرافکندگی نيز محروم هستيم.) هر سال بسياری از خواسته های عادی و پيش پا افتاده کودکان و جوانان به آرزوهای دست نيافتنی تبديل می شوند. هر سال بر ميزان فقر و فلاکت ، اعتياد و فحشا،محدوديت آزادی های اجتماعی ، تبعيض های ملی و جنسيتي، کودکان کار و خيابان افزوده می شود .
هر سال به تعداد کودکانی که سر چهارراهها با دست فروشی يا پاک کردن شيشه ماشين ها يا تکدی گری دوران کودکيشان نابود می شود يا در کارگاههای تاريک و نمور به عنوان کارگران ارزان و مطيع استثمار افزوده می شود .
هر سال برای حل مشکلات خود ،کارگران ، زنان ، فعالين ملی و... تشکل می سازنداما بشدت توسط نظام سرمايه داری جمهوری اسلامی سرکوب می شوند و تعدادی دستگير،شکنجه و زندانی می شوند .
هر سال جمهوری اسلامی سرمايه داری ،نهاد های ضد انسانی آن مانند قوه قضائيه، انواع پليس و خدم وحشم سرمايه هارتر و وحشی تر شده، بيشتر از قبل اقدام به چپاول و جنايت می کنند .
هر سال بر ستم و تبعيض بين ملتها می افزايند و با ايجاد اختلافات ساختگی و فريب خلقها فشار بر آنها را بيشتر می کنند .صدها فعال ملی و مدنی را با اتهامات واهی و دروغين ازجمله جاسوسی محاکمه و زندانی می کنند.
ما اعتقاد داريم آزادی کامل حق تمامی مليت هاست. برای تعيين راه درست مبارزه جهت کسب حقوق ملی پاسخ اينکه آيا در ايران خلقی عليه خلق ديگردر تلاش است ؟ بسيار مهم و تعيين کننده است. ما اعتقاد داريم چنين نيست .عده ای با بهانه قرار دادن اختلافات زبانی ، نژادی ويکپارچگي، همه مليت ها را به زنجير کشيده اند، از آزاد ی خلقها ، استفاده از زبان مادری وکسب استقلال به زور سرنيزه جلو گيری می کنند تا همه خلقها را يک جا استثمار نمايند در مقابل اين عده قليل چه بايد کرد ؟ ما اعتقاد داريم تمامی مليت ها تا حد نهايت (جدايی کامل) حق دارند سرنوشت خود را خود تعيين کنند.
استثمار و ستم مضاعف عليه دختران و زنان به طور روزافزون بيشتر می شود .
دختران و زنان در ايران هر چه فرياد می زنند ،دوشادوش و حتی پيشاپيش پسران و مردان بر عليه ظلم و ستم مبارزه می کنند نه تنها استثمار و ستم بر عليه زنان کم نمی شود بلکه هر روز با قوانين جديد ضدزن آپارتايد جنسيتی افزايش می يابد طرح های جديد از جمله ازدواج موقت ،تفکيک جنسيتی و ... کمبودها و نواقص استثماری سرمايه داری را به کمک قوانين دينی تکميل می کنند تا حاصل و بازده استثمار طبقاتی را در روند زندگی اجتماعی زنان تحت لوای قوانين مدنی و مذهبی لباس مشروعيت بپوشانند .
آنچه گفته شد در سالی که گذشت يعنی سال 1390 بر اثر فشارهای اجرای طرح حذف يارانه ها ، بحرانهای سرمايه داری و همچنين براثر تحريم ها چندين برابر شد.
هر سال با اين همه فشار و مشکلات وارد سال نو می شويم و آن را با شادی های کم و بيش می گذرانيم و پس از اتمام تعطيلات نوروزی دوندگی را با آرزوها و طرح های جديد شروع می کنيم اما در انتهای سال جديد آنچه به دست می آوريم مشکلات و فشارهای مضاعف شده انتهای سال قبل است(هر سال دريغ از پارسال ) و اين دور تسلسل را همچنان بدون تغيير کيفی در فکر و عمل خود ادامه می دهيم. چرا؟
چرا از خود نمی پرسيم برای نجات از اين دور تسلسل اسب اعصاری چه بايد کرد ؟
چرا برای نجات خود همچنان راههای امتحان شده و شکست خورده گذشته را بدون تغيير تکرار می کنيم ؟
بياييد امسال از خود در تمامی ديد و بازديدها درتمامی گردش ها ، مهمانيها ،گفتگوها ،شاديهامان و در تمامی بازيها، چند دقيقه در کنار هم که هستيم از هم ديگر بپرسيم در مقابل اين فشارها و مشکلات چه بايد کرد ؟
ما فکر می کنيم تنها چاره ی کار برای پيروز شدن در شرايط موجود ايران مبارزه متشکل است.
کارگران ،جوانان ،دانشجويان ،زنان و معلمان و دانش آموزان و فعالين خلقها:
با تمامی مشکلاتی که داريد شاد باشيد،بخوانيد ،برقصيد و بازی کنيد و جمهوری اسلامی سرمايه داری ارتجاعی را با بازی ها ،خواندن و رقصيدن خود به ترس و وحشت بياندازيد و در ميان بازيها و تفريحات خود از هم ديگر بپرسيدبرای نجات از تکرار مشکلات و مضاعف شدن فشارها چه بايد کرد ؟
پيشنهاد ما اين است :
دوستانی که از همديگر شناخت خوبی داريد در محل زندگی و کار مانند کوچه و خيابانی که خانه داريد ،در درون تيم های ورزشی که بازی می کنيد ،در مدرسه ،دانشگاه ،اداره ای که در آن مشغول کار هستيد ،در کارگاه يا کارخانه ای که کار می کنيد اقدام به ايجاد تشکلهای پايه ای و انقلابی خود کنيد و از طريق بحث و گفتگو در جلسات خود برای مشکلات ريز و درشت خود و هم طبقه ايها راه حل های عملی پيدا کنيد و برای اجرايی کردن آنها برنامه ريزی کنيد .از حل مشکلات کوچک شروع کنيد تا بتوانيد مسير را برای حل مشکلات بزرگتر هموار نماييد .فکر می کنيم با توجه به وضعيت کنونی اين تنها راهی است که می توان در جهت و مسير متشکل شدن قدم گذاشت با وجود تشکل های کوچک ولی پايه ی در محل کار و زندگی زمينه و بستر برای نوع ديگر تشکل ها هموار ميگردد.
اميدواريم و آرزو می کنيم امسال را با سئوال چه بايد کرد و پيدا کردن راه شروع مبارزات برنامه ريزی شده شروع کنيم و در انتهای سال آينده به جای مشکلات بيان شده دارای توازن قوا و هژمونی طبقاتی برای تحميل مطالبات ريز و درشت خود به جمهوری اسلامی سرمايه داری داشته باشيم .
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امضا کنندگان:
20نفر از زندانيان کارگری و فعالين ملی آذربايجان
در زندان مرکزی تبريز
27/12/1390


maziar 58

..

by maziar 58 on

About Tajikestan.......

 the PM brought the concerns!! of few groups to use arabic or latin alphabet for DARI (tajiki).

the answer was 90%+ literacy rate in that republic was (in part thanks to USSR)due to forced schooling and it will drop the rate to less than 5% if the government has to change that writing due to lack of fund and times.

let focus on removing the mollahs not our iranian unity

kharreb dinak savalan.

Maziar


Mohammad Ala

Spreading hate by Savalan.

by Mohammad Ala on

Good catch Red Wine jan;

Even in these Happy moments for our Nowruz, Savalan posts separatist slogan(s).

Savalan has chosen to spread lies and division among Iranians and he is permitted to do so on Iranian.com (IC).  Members with fewer offenses in comparison to Savalan and Fred have been removed from IC but these two and few others continue spreading hatred.  Iranian Azeri is NOT minority in Iran.  We are the majority.  Azeri’s control every aspect of business life in Iran.  When one calls Tabriz operator from Tehran, he or she would hear… beyoroz, harain istesouz?  Befarmaeed, khoja ro meekhasteed?

As a deep rooted Azeri I offer Bay-ramez mobarak olsoon, Happy Nowruz to All Iranians

deklame dar vasfe azarbaijan, //www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us5QPDaoYwU&feature=related

Ajar Iran olmasa, benim janim olma sin (Cho Iran nabashad, tan-e man mabad)

 


Red Wine

...

by Red Wine on

Good photoshop with that Peruan little girl . Hahahaha