"International Mother Language Day"

"International Mother Language Day" 

21st of February is the "International Mother Language Day" recognized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This important day marks the significance of education in the "mother language". Articles of the "International Mother Language Day" empresses upon every person's and peoples' natural and social right of receiving education in his/her initial language of birth i.e."mother language". The resolution, specifically mentions the same rights for people who are under occupation. People who live under occupation too, have rights, specially the right of education in the "mother language".
After the collapse of Azerbaijani Qajar dynasty, in 1920s, South Azerbaijan was usurped by Iran, and ruled under Persian racist regimes of Pahlavi, and from 1979 under so called Islamic regime. For over 80 years Persian is made the sole official language of the country, and South Azerbaijani Turkish is ousted, mocked, systematically distorted, and banned by the government. For over 80 years, natives of South Azerbaijan and speakers of South Azerbaijani Turkish are forced to receive education in the foreign language of Persian. They are treated as second class citizens in their own native lands. They were objects of forced and mass migrations to the Persian areas (Persia). They were punished for writing or reading of articles, books, newspapers or creating any type of literature in South Azerbaijani Turkish. The first grade students who speak Turkish at home and normally it is their first time hearing a foreign language, are punished and beaten for speaking their “mother language” in classes.
When the national South Azerbaijani government was created in 1945, for one year, South Azerbaijani Turks had the opportunity to receive education in their “mother language”. But that happiness only lasted one year. Iranian forces with the blessing of Russia and then major powers moved to South Azerbaijan and burned all the books published in that short one year, burned the schools, murdered the teachers, and then, massacre of defenders of "mother language" ensued. Since then, Persian racist regime systematically assimilating our children in our homeland and creating a generations of people who are mostly ignorant, indifferent or in some cases against their right of education in their own "mother language".
The so called revolution of 1979 did not improve the situation. South Azerbaijani Turks were kept under Iranian occupation, and their basic rights were denied to them. The Great leader Ayatollah Khomeini and Khamenei, the president Ahmadinejad, and also leaders of the so called opposition are united in denying South Azerbaijani Turks of their right of education in their own "mother language". Present Iran is ruled by Islamic fascists and Persian racists. Under such a despotism of a minority Persians, non Persian majority of South Azerbaijani Turks, Turkmens, Belouchs, Arabs, and other ethnic groups are suffering. Presently approximately 35 million South Azerbaijani Turks are living in South Azerbaijan and other part of Iran. Social, economical, and cultural pressure on South Azerbaijanis are great. But this does not mean that the enemy of human rights and education and light has won. No, masters of deception and defenders of ignorance and darkness have not succeeded in the Persification of the peoples of the prison called Iran.
Now, with the power and tools of information-sharing, in South Azerbaijan, people are becoming more aware of their rights and day by day demanding more from occupiers of their lands. Now, South Azerbaijani Turks come to streets in hundreds of thousands in Tabriz, Urmu, Zangan, Tehran and other Turkish cities and shouting slogans like: "Education in mother language", Education in Turkish", "Turkish Schools", "Hurray hurray I am a Turk", "Persian chauvinists out of South Azerbaijan", "Persian Terrorists out of South Azerbaijan". South Azerbaijani Turk is in the struggle of "mother language". For South Azerbaijani Turk, the "mother language" has become the matter of existence and non-existence.
Ironically Iran is one of the signatories of the resolution of "Mother Language Day". Of course no one in the world believes in the sincerity of Iranian terrorist regime. When Iranian terrorist regime is defending Palestinians rights of education in their "mother language" and throwing threats and insults to Israel, in reality is hiding it's own atrocities at home. In the last 31 years of Persian-Shia rule in Iran, thousands of South Azerbaijani Turks are kidnapped, arrested, held, tortured, and killed for the crime of not accepting Persian-Shia dominance. Iranian apartheid regime's systematic policies against South Azerbaijani Turks are aimed at social, economic and linguistic genocide of South Azerbaijan.
We South Azerbaijani Turks need to raise this very important and vital issue in this important day. 
We ask all freedom loving governmental and non-governmental organizations in the world to acknowledge our suffering in the hands of a mad regime called Islamic Republic of Iran. We ask anyone who respects human rights and right of education in "mother language" to condemn one of the most oppressive regimes in the world; Iran. We ask UNESCO to suspend Iranian terrorist regime's membership in this organization and reprimand the enemies of "Mother Language".



Oğuz Türk
2010