Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have addressed an open letter to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, APA reports.
The letter reads:
"Dear Mr. President,
We, the representatives of civil society organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, would first like to express our deep respect to you.
We highly appreciate your visit to our native Khankendi, liberated from occupation, and to the city of Shusha, which is dear to every Azerbaijani, the goodwill you have demonstrated toward the Republic of Azerbaijan, the importance you attach to good-neighborly relations between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as your relations with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Commander-in-Chief Mr. Ilham Aliyev, based on mutual respect, trust, and sincerity.
The fact that you, as a doctor, have performed surgery on dozens of Azerbaijani patients, treated them with great attention and care, your commitment to serving people, as well as your civic stance as a public figure, have further increased the Azerbaijani people's admiration for you.
Dear Mr. President,
Your love and respect for the Azerbaijani language, the national and spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people, and their rich literary heritage are commendable. Your recitation of poems in your mother tongue during various speeches, your references to Azerbaijani proverbs, your communication with family members in your native language, and your proud demonstration of your attachment to this language are invaluable.
All this demonstrates that, for you, the Azerbaijani language is not merely a means of communication but also an inseparable part of spiritual identity, historical memory, and national belonging.
It is precisely from this perspective that we believe that, as a head of state who appreciates the exceptional importance of the mother tongue in human life, you will also approach with particular sensitivity the desire of 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 ensuring opportunities for mother tongue education for Azerbaijanis, who have always played an important role in Iran's socio-political, economic, cultural, and other spheres of life.
Today, expanding opportunities for millions of people, who are worthy successors to this historical heritage, to preserve, develop, and pass on their mother tongue to future generations is both a matter of moral responsibility and historical justice.
We ask you to personally initiate decisive and practical steps toward ensuring opportunities for Azerbaijanis living in the Islamic Republic of Iran to receive education in their mother tongue, as enshrined in the country's Constitution.
We believe that, for this purpose, there is a need to organize the systematic teaching of the Azerbaijani language in schools, establish secondary and higher educational institutions providing education in Azerbaijani, train relevant teaching staff, develop textbooks and curricula, and establish the necessary legal and institutional mechanisms in this direction.
We are confident that such an initiative will not only serve to fulfill the long-standing aspirations of millions of people but will also become a shining example of the high value attached to Iran's cultural diversity and commitment to justice and equality.
Creating opportunities for education in one's mother tongue is a sign of respect for a people's past, recognition of the value of their present, and the most valuable investment in their future.
Dear Mr. President,
We believe that historic steps taken in this direction precisely during your presidency will leave an indelible mark on the memory of millions of Azerbaijanis and will always be remembered with gratitude.
We, the representatives of Azerbaijani civil society, also declare our readiness to provide all possible support within our capabilities for the implementation of this noble mission, the development of mother tongue education, and the expansion of scientific, pedagogical, and cultural cooperation.
As we write this letter, we recall with deep emotion the immortal lines dedicated to our mother tongue by Mohammad Hossein Shahriar, the great master of words of Azerbaijan and Iran, whom you also always remember with great love and respect.
We believe that, as a President who has great love for his mother tongue, you will make your worthy contribution to the realization of this historic mission."
The open letter was addressed on behalf of 55 NGOs.
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