Azerbaijani NGOs ask Pezeshkian to help Azerbaijanis in Iran receive education in their native language
Non-governmental organizations of Azerbaijan have addressed an open letter to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The authors of the letter note the Iranian president's love for the Azerbaijani language.
"Your love and respect for the Azerbaijani language, the national and spiritual values and the rich literary heritage of the Azerbaijani people are commendable. Your reading of poems in your native language in various speeches, your references to Azerbaijani proverbs, your communication with family members in your native language and your proud demonstration of commitment to this language are invaluable. All this shows that for you the Azerbaijani language is not merely a means of communication, but an integral part of spiritual identity, historical memory and national belonging," the appeal says.
Its authors express hope that Pezeshkian will also treat with particular sensitivity the desire of the millions of Azerbaijanis living in Iran to receive education in their native language.
"We believe that the time has come to take historic steps toward providing opportunities for education in the native language for Azerbaijanis, who have always played an important role in the social and political, economic, cultural and other spheres of life in Iran.
Expanding opportunities for the millions of people who are today worthy continuers of this historical heritage to preserve and develop their native language and pass it on to future generations is both a moral responsibility and a matter of historical justice," the letter emphasizes.
The heads of the NGOs ask the Iranian president to personally come forward with an initiative to take decisive and practical steps toward providing opportunities for education in the native language for Azerbaijanis living in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
For their part, representatives of Azerbaijan's civil society expressed readiness to provide every support for the implementation of this mission, the development of education in the native language, and the expansion of scientific, pedagogical and cultural cooperation.
The letter was signed by the heads of 55 non-governmental organizations of Azerbaijan.
