Demand for Education in Mother Language for 40 million South Azerbaijani Turks is a must, Now!

Dear Sir or Madam,

This petition is regarding 40 million South Azerbaijani Turks whom their children have been deprived from their fundamental right of education in mother language of Azerbaijani by dictator regime of Iran.

Regarding United Nations Conventions, Considering that one of the purposes of the United Nations, as stated in Articles 1 and 55 of the Charter, is to promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. Under the provisions of article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights concerning the rights of persons belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, under the provisions of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1992), States are required to take appropriate measures so that, wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn their mother tongue or to have instruction in their mother tongue. Similarly, indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning, as is provided in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). Provisions for education in mother tongue are contained in several international conventions, namely, the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (1989), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

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 language is ousted, mocked, systematically distorted, and banned by the government. For over 80 years, natives of South Azerbaijan and speakers of South Azerbaijani Turkish and their children 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.


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 Iranian undemocratic regime denying South Azerbaijani Turks' children's right of education in their own "mother language". Present Iran is ruled by Islamic fascists and Persian racists regim. 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 Azerbaijani people are endless. But this does not mean that the enemy of human rights and education and enlightenment 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.

In the last 31 years of Persian-Shia rule in Iran, thousands of South Azerbaijani civil activist who demand their children's basic right of education in mother language, are kidnapped, arrested, held, tortured. Iranian apartheid regime's systematic policies against South Azerbaijani Turks are aimed at social, economic and linguistic genocide of South Azerbaijani people.

Let's stand together with one unanimous voice for our children's right to be educated in their own mother language. We can not close our eyes to this violation of human rights. It is a moral responsibility for us to be the voice of our innocent children.

We as civil and political activists do not accept this violation of basic and fundamental right of education in mother language by Iranian dictator regime.

We demand from freedom loving civilian people and governments to acknowledge our suffering in the hands of a illegal regime of Iran. We demand your help to condemn this violation of fundamental right of education in mother language of 35 million South Azerbaijani Turks by dictator regime of Iran.

We are asking your kind human rights support on this matter and demand your action in stoping the violation of 40 million South Azerbaijani Turks' children's right of education in mother language by Iranian dictator regime.


Please sign the petition from the link below: