Do you speak français? Is this a schweizer watch? How do you say Vodka in ruski? He speaks farsi.
I have always been shocked by the usage of the word 'farsi' in English and other western languages. What makes it even more strange is the fact that its acceptance has been promoted by Iranians. I have even noticed it has been mostly encouraged by intellectual or sophisticated Iranians!
Here is why I believe, we should stop using 'farsi' and use the correct 'Persian' word when referring to the language spoken by people of Iran and other neighboring countries:
- Farsi is the word in the Persian language and is not an english word (or has been added as a technical word recently) just as français means the French language in French or Ruski, russian in the russian language.
- Every word in any language comes with a historical and cultural background. It is the sum of all different connotations associated with a word that make up the way it is understood by a native of the language. For instance, the word 'revolution' in French has a historical and cultural background for the French and evokes the French revolution and everything that came with it. It does not have the same meaning for a person living in New Zealand. The word 'Egyptian' brings to mind pyramids' grandeur, pharaohs, the bible... while 'Greek' comes with a heavy baggage involving mythology, democracy, long history... Similarly the word 'Persian' referring to the language comes with reference to the persian empire, persian cats, beautiful rugs etc.
- The present Persian language is a direct derivative of the old Persian language. The argument against its usage because of its differences with the original pahlavi language is unfounded. Persian has been enriched with foreign words while preserving its original grammar and structure very similarly to the way English was enriched with French words since the eleventh century with William the Conqueror's invasion of England.
- The word farsi is a technical word empty of any historical meaning and only used over the last few decades. In French, 'farsi' and 'farci' sound alike. The latter meaning 'stuffed' and generally used in a pejorative way. Instead the word Persan should be used which is also associated with “Les Lettres Persanes” authored by Montesquieu, a famous French writer.
It is our responsibility to preserve our history and values, and educate the world about Iranian culture. The Persian language is of our most precious legacies.
Other references:
The Announcement of the Persian Academy:The Language of the nation of Iran [Persia] in English is called "Persian" [or in other European languages: Persane, Persisch, Persa, Persiska, etc.] and is known worldwide as PERSIAN. Recently some people have been trying to use "Farsi" instead of Persian, the trend which has also been followed by some non-Iranians. This hasoccurred to the extent that it has raised the question "Which is the correct word, in English, for the language of Iran's people, Persian or Farsi?!..." This question was put to the official institution FARHANGESTAN (Persian Language and Literature Academy in Tehran) by the Commerce Department for Australia,at Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In their 34th meeting on 7th of December 1992, the Persian Academy unanimously passed the resolution that this language must be called PERSIAN and the reasons given were: 1- PERSIAN has been used in a variety of publications including cultural, scientific and diplomatic documents for centuries and, therefore, it connotes a very significant historical and cultural meaning. Hence, changing PERSIAN to FARSI is to negate this established important precedence. 2- Changing PERSIAN to FARSI may give the impression that it is a new language, and this may well be the intention of some Farsi users. 3- It may also give the impression that FARSI is a dialect of some parts of Iran and not the predominant (official) language of this country. 4- Fortunately, FARSI has never been used in any research paper or university document in any Western language and the proposal of its usage will create doubt and ambiguity about the name of the official language of our country.
- Wikipedia on Persian language says:
The Academy of Persian Language and Literature has declared that the name "Persian" is more appropriate, as it has the longer tradition in the western languages and better expresses the role of the language as a mark of cultural and national continuity. Some Persian language scholars also have rejected the usage of "Farsi" in their articles.
- The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies: http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Languages/persian_not_farsi.htm
- http://www.u.arizona.edu/~karimi/Persian%20or%20Farsi.pdf
- Article in Payvand.com: http://payvand.com/news/05/dec/1063.html
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
How Iranians can unite against the Islamic Republic
After years of underground opposition to the regime in Tehran, the Iranian people finally found and grasped the opportunity to voice its profound frustration and sent images of massive anti-government demonstrations that took many western media off guard. The myth about opposition having roots only in westernized and wealthy Iranians of northern Tehran has been shattered and within six months, the new Iranian revolution has reached, I believe, a point-of-no-return. However the unIranian regime of Tehran is going to resort to any unethical act to remain in power and is partly relying on the discord among opposition within Iran and in the Persian diaspora. I believe that 2010 can bring the end of the Islamic Republic if and only if Iranians unite and hence become more organized and efficient against the tyranny.
A century of political upheaval backed by thousands of years of history that make up our cultural fabric, galvanized by thirty years of national failures, treason, lack of transparency and many other social and psychological reasons naturally explain the political disagreements or even distrust shared by the opposition. I believe, however, there are sufficient common grounds to reach unity against the Islamic Republic leading to its removal. We should focus on what unites us and should avoid any issues that can introduce discord.
The Iranian opposition should simply agree on three high level propositions:
I. Whoever believes the current regime of Tehran cannot be reformed and must be removed and replaced by a secular and democratic political system is part of the opposition regardless of his/her current or past political beliefs.
II. Opposition should focus on one single goal, which is the collapse of the current regime and may not choose any particular form of government for the future of Iran.
III. Upon the demise of the regime, a temporary government will allow all political factions organized in parties, to promote their vision of the future and familiarize the Iranian people with their ideas for at least a few months, before the Iranian people decide the future of Iran's political system through a fair national election.
Ironically the Iranian opposition should learn from the tactics used in the 1979 revolution in Iran, which were extremely successful in bringing down the previous regime. All opposition groups united under Khomeini, set aside their profound differences and chose a common goal of toppling the Shah's government. “What about the disastrous consequences of such evil connivance?”, you may exclaim. This new revolution is driven by a strong and clear quest for a secular democracy. Furthermore it is lead by a people much more politically aware and balanced rather than by a particular leader as was the case in 1979. On these basis, the future government of Iran will not be hijacked by one faction to the detriment of the Iranian people. Iran won't have a communist dictatorship or an absolute monarchy. Every single day the Islamic Republic remains in power, more Iranians are harmed, more brain leaves the country and more disgrace is brought to the name of Iran. Let us not be afraid of unity, a crucial condition to free our homeland.
Focusing on common grounds such as the belief that Iran must become free and have a secular and democratic state also requires abstaining from bringing up issues encouraging more differences. This is not an easy task, since it might go against strong personal feelings nurtured and matured for tens of years. One such issue is the choice of the Iranian flag. Opposition groups and Iranians of all walks of life tend to disagree whether the tricolor flag should contain or not the shir-o-khorshid (lion and sun) emblem. This is one of those areas where one should compromise and postpone the legitimate debate to the second phase of the revolution and let the Iranian people eventually decide. I do understand that the flag is a sensitive notion and intimately linked to the Iranian identity but if it is a divisive factor, we should avoid it until Iran is set free. There is at least consensus on its colors and on removing the Islamic republic sign off of it. I personally believe our flag should carry the lion and sun emblem as it is not related to any particular royalty and is rooted in Iran's bimillenary history but I would go with a tricolor flag for the moment until a civilized debate takes place in the free Iran at which point, I will passionately fight for the future of our flag via political means.
In practice, many Iranians have problems with the first proposition set forth above as soon as we talk about groups they disagree with. For instance, many believe that we should not 'grant membership' to anyone who at any time has belonged to the Mojahedin Khalgh Organization (MKO) on the basis they had sided with Saddam Hussein and participated in killing Iranians. I believe the Iranian people will be the judge and that we cannot discriminate anyone at this stage. Once the first goal, meaning freedom for Iran, is reached, any Iranian citizen should be able to take the Rajavis or whoever to a court of justice for any charges including those of crime against the interest of Iran or against humanity. At this stage of the game, we need to choose our battles and keep in sight our goal at all times and under any circumstances.
Instead of being cynical about other groups' activities and accuse them of indirectly serving the interests of the Islamic Republic, we should give them the benefit of the doubt and use every opposition to the regime as one step towards the freedom of Iran. I am not being naïve and I certainly don't think that all factions have noble goals, nor do I believe that foreign agencies are not involved in influencing the future of Iran and the region. What I am advocating is to use everyone's help for our purpose and then be vigilant and smart in the second phase so the new revolution follows its popular path and does not get hijacked. I recently read accusations against National Iranian American Council (NIAC) claiming it indirectly supports the mollahs' regime. I do not wish to judge this association at this point, but the head of NIAC, Mr. Parsi's interview on CNN and other media outlets, in which he denounced the regime and defended the people's revolution is enough for me to count NIAC as opposition. Another point of contention is the subject of Reza Pahlavi. Monarchists should accept him as an opposition figure rather than a king at this point and non-monarchists should welcome him in denouncing the regime and as an active political figure. Once we reach the second phase, monarchists have all the rights in the world to defend their political agenda and push for a constitutional monarchy in Iran just as others may advocate another republic.
How to feel about potential “foreign interferences” in the new revolution? We must distinguish between support for people's revolution and actual interference in Iran's future political system. I believe we should welcome any help we can get as we absolutely need it to remove the regime in Tehran. Foreign powers and agencies naturally act based on their own interests. That is the history of the world and we cannot change it. However if their interests coincide with those of the Iranian people at this stage, there is nothing wrong with accepting their assistance. The United States freed Europe from Hitler's Germany and the Europeans certainly benefited from it. The regional rivalry between United Kingdom and the United States lead to American support for the nationalization of the Iranian Oil in the fifties. Again it will be our job to be smart and alert about any future interferences in the second phase of the revolution.
In my previous article, entitled 'Imagine a Free and Prosperous Iran', I set forth the idea that once free, Iran can enjoy fast economic growth thanks to its rich human resources. Unity is the necessary element, which will allow us to change the course of history and set Iran free.
A century of political upheaval backed by thousands of years of history that make up our cultural fabric, galvanized by thirty years of national failures, treason, lack of transparency and many other social and psychological reasons naturally explain the political disagreements or even distrust shared by the opposition. I believe, however, there are sufficient common grounds to reach unity against the Islamic Republic leading to its removal. We should focus on what unites us and should avoid any issues that can introduce discord.
The Iranian opposition should simply agree on three high level propositions:
I. Whoever believes the current regime of Tehran cannot be reformed and must be removed and replaced by a secular and democratic political system is part of the opposition regardless of his/her current or past political beliefs.
II. Opposition should focus on one single goal, which is the collapse of the current regime and may not choose any particular form of government for the future of Iran.
III. Upon the demise of the regime, a temporary government will allow all political factions organized in parties, to promote their vision of the future and familiarize the Iranian people with their ideas for at least a few months, before the Iranian people decide the future of Iran's political system through a fair national election.
Ironically the Iranian opposition should learn from the tactics used in the 1979 revolution in Iran, which were extremely successful in bringing down the previous regime. All opposition groups united under Khomeini, set aside their profound differences and chose a common goal of toppling the Shah's government. “What about the disastrous consequences of such evil connivance?”, you may exclaim. This new revolution is driven by a strong and clear quest for a secular democracy. Furthermore it is lead by a people much more politically aware and balanced rather than by a particular leader as was the case in 1979. On these basis, the future government of Iran will not be hijacked by one faction to the detriment of the Iranian people. Iran won't have a communist dictatorship or an absolute monarchy. Every single day the Islamic Republic remains in power, more Iranians are harmed, more brain leaves the country and more disgrace is brought to the name of Iran. Let us not be afraid of unity, a crucial condition to free our homeland.
Focusing on common grounds such as the belief that Iran must become free and have a secular and democratic state also requires abstaining from bringing up issues encouraging more differences. This is not an easy task, since it might go against strong personal feelings nurtured and matured for tens of years. One such issue is the choice of the Iranian flag. Opposition groups and Iranians of all walks of life tend to disagree whether the tricolor flag should contain or not the shir-o-khorshid (lion and sun) emblem. This is one of those areas where one should compromise and postpone the legitimate debate to the second phase of the revolution and let the Iranian people eventually decide. I do understand that the flag is a sensitive notion and intimately linked to the Iranian identity but if it is a divisive factor, we should avoid it until Iran is set free. There is at least consensus on its colors and on removing the Islamic republic sign off of it. I personally believe our flag should carry the lion and sun emblem as it is not related to any particular royalty and is rooted in Iran's bimillenary history but I would go with a tricolor flag for the moment until a civilized debate takes place in the free Iran at which point, I will passionately fight for the future of our flag via political means.
In practice, many Iranians have problems with the first proposition set forth above as soon as we talk about groups they disagree with. For instance, many believe that we should not 'grant membership' to anyone who at any time has belonged to the Mojahedin Khalgh Organization (MKO) on the basis they had sided with Saddam Hussein and participated in killing Iranians. I believe the Iranian people will be the judge and that we cannot discriminate anyone at this stage. Once the first goal, meaning freedom for Iran, is reached, any Iranian citizen should be able to take the Rajavis or whoever to a court of justice for any charges including those of crime against the interest of Iran or against humanity. At this stage of the game, we need to choose our battles and keep in sight our goal at all times and under any circumstances.
Instead of being cynical about other groups' activities and accuse them of indirectly serving the interests of the Islamic Republic, we should give them the benefit of the doubt and use every opposition to the regime as one step towards the freedom of Iran. I am not being naïve and I certainly don't think that all factions have noble goals, nor do I believe that foreign agencies are not involved in influencing the future of Iran and the region. What I am advocating is to use everyone's help for our purpose and then be vigilant and smart in the second phase so the new revolution follows its popular path and does not get hijacked. I recently read accusations against National Iranian American Council (NIAC) claiming it indirectly supports the mollahs' regime. I do not wish to judge this association at this point, but the head of NIAC, Mr. Parsi's interview on CNN and other media outlets, in which he denounced the regime and defended the people's revolution is enough for me to count NIAC as opposition. Another point of contention is the subject of Reza Pahlavi. Monarchists should accept him as an opposition figure rather than a king at this point and non-monarchists should welcome him in denouncing the regime and as an active political figure. Once we reach the second phase, monarchists have all the rights in the world to defend their political agenda and push for a constitutional monarchy in Iran just as others may advocate another republic.
How to feel about potential “foreign interferences” in the new revolution? We must distinguish between support for people's revolution and actual interference in Iran's future political system. I believe we should welcome any help we can get as we absolutely need it to remove the regime in Tehran. Foreign powers and agencies naturally act based on their own interests. That is the history of the world and we cannot change it. However if their interests coincide with those of the Iranian people at this stage, there is nothing wrong with accepting their assistance. The United States freed Europe from Hitler's Germany and the Europeans certainly benefited from it. The regional rivalry between United Kingdom and the United States lead to American support for the nationalization of the Iranian Oil in the fifties. Again it will be our job to be smart and alert about any future interferences in the second phase of the revolution.
In my previous article, entitled 'Imagine a Free and Prosperous Iran', I set forth the idea that once free, Iran can enjoy fast economic growth thanks to its rich human resources. Unity is the necessary element, which will allow us to change the course of history and set Iran free.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Imagine a Free and Prosperous Iran
The amazing recent events in Iran have brought a great deal of hope to the vast majority of Iranians inside the country as well as in the Iranian diaspora. The young and old, poor and rich, men and women who, in the streets of Tehran and many other cities risked their lives in denouncing the fake election and the entire regime have demonstrated that things can change. For over 30 years the corrupt and brutal regime in Tehran had managed to impose its unpopular rules and convince most Iranians that the regime was going to be there for a long time. However the accumulation of people's frustrations finally led to the explosion we witnessed in June 2009 and produced the incredible results ever since: In less than six months, we went from not being able to criticize a local Friday prayer Imam to literally asking for the demise of Khamenei and the entire system! This fast and irreversible evolution begs the question of where we can be in six months and beyond. Although I do not claim having the answer, nor believe it is going to be easy, I would like to depict a bright and prosperous future for our old nation as a possible outcome.
I know many Iranians remain skeptical and are wary of either the regime's iron fist or foreign influences when it comes to change of regime. But that is exactly what the regime in Tehran wants us to think. They want us to believe that things cannot change in Iran or may get worse if the Islamic Republic were to fall. I believe this is time for unity for all patriotic Iranians and believe in a much better tomorrow for Iran. The path to freedom and prosperity is going to be long and tumultuous but it is possible and we deserve it!
I too often hear claims that the Iranian masses are “ignorants” and “don't deserve any better”. I strongly disagree with such assertions. The history of the world proves it is ultimately a small group of people in each country, who lead the way and meanwhile manage to unite the rest of the population to support their changes. In the United States, from the initial revolutionaries and founding fathers to the recent presidents, a small faction steered the nation and legitimized the changes by seeking support from common Americans, who are not well aware of world affairs, nor have any sophisticated political minds. The French revolution was also led by the 'Bourgeois'. Iran has a 100-year-old history of freedom struggle unique in the region. From the constitutional revolution in 1906 to this day, the Iranian intellectuals with people's support have sought freedom and justice. I believe Iran can tap into a large pool of intelligent, talented and experienced individuals inside Iran and abroad to lead its revolution against theological tyranny and install a new secular and democratic political system in 2010.
If the economy of a country is weak, no matter how noble your goals may be, they are unachievable. This explains in part the failure of the idealist movements in the last 50 years. From communism to the Islamic revolution's independence goals, the biggest problem has always been the failure of the economy. What good does it do if you are 'independent' while your citizens sleep hungry? In order to reach economic growth, one of the most important factors (that has missed in Iran) is political stability. When laws keep changing, investments in new companies and other innovative ventures become too risky. As a result people mainly invest in gold and real estate.
With relative political stability and by implementing a modern, efficient and ambitious economic plan Iran can reach prosperity within years. Iran has a highly educated youth within the country on the one hand and an extremely resourceful and experienced community abroad on the other. Iranians are the most educated and the most successful minority in the United States of America. Similar success levels are found in many other countries in Europe, Asia and Australia. In all sectors of economy entrepreneurial Iranians hold tremendous wealth, knowledge and experience. I believe that Iranians bound by thousands of years of history are a patriotic people and that many would invest their money and time in Iran if they see enough stability and recognize an environment of prosperity. Through proper organization, Iran can quickly become not only a prosperous society but an economic power in a record time by leveraging the human resources it has at its disposal and utilizing the modern techniques of communication. People and not oil, are the most valuable resources of a nation that has produced Cyruses, Avicennas and Khayyams.
Just imagine how beautiful Iran's future can be if you and I believe in it and work towards it.
Parviz Tehrani
I know many Iranians remain skeptical and are wary of either the regime's iron fist or foreign influences when it comes to change of regime. But that is exactly what the regime in Tehran wants us to think. They want us to believe that things cannot change in Iran or may get worse if the Islamic Republic were to fall. I believe this is time for unity for all patriotic Iranians and believe in a much better tomorrow for Iran. The path to freedom and prosperity is going to be long and tumultuous but it is possible and we deserve it!
I too often hear claims that the Iranian masses are “ignorants” and “don't deserve any better”. I strongly disagree with such assertions. The history of the world proves it is ultimately a small group of people in each country, who lead the way and meanwhile manage to unite the rest of the population to support their changes. In the United States, from the initial revolutionaries and founding fathers to the recent presidents, a small faction steered the nation and legitimized the changes by seeking support from common Americans, who are not well aware of world affairs, nor have any sophisticated political minds. The French revolution was also led by the 'Bourgeois'. Iran has a 100-year-old history of freedom struggle unique in the region. From the constitutional revolution in 1906 to this day, the Iranian intellectuals with people's support have sought freedom and justice. I believe Iran can tap into a large pool of intelligent, talented and experienced individuals inside Iran and abroad to lead its revolution against theological tyranny and install a new secular and democratic political system in 2010.
If the economy of a country is weak, no matter how noble your goals may be, they are unachievable. This explains in part the failure of the idealist movements in the last 50 years. From communism to the Islamic revolution's independence goals, the biggest problem has always been the failure of the economy. What good does it do if you are 'independent' while your citizens sleep hungry? In order to reach economic growth, one of the most important factors (that has missed in Iran) is political stability. When laws keep changing, investments in new companies and other innovative ventures become too risky. As a result people mainly invest in gold and real estate.
With relative political stability and by implementing a modern, efficient and ambitious economic plan Iran can reach prosperity within years. Iran has a highly educated youth within the country on the one hand and an extremely resourceful and experienced community abroad on the other. Iranians are the most educated and the most successful minority in the United States of America. Similar success levels are found in many other countries in Europe, Asia and Australia. In all sectors of economy entrepreneurial Iranians hold tremendous wealth, knowledge and experience. I believe that Iranians bound by thousands of years of history are a patriotic people and that many would invest their money and time in Iran if they see enough stability and recognize an environment of prosperity. Through proper organization, Iran can quickly become not only a prosperous society but an economic power in a record time by leveraging the human resources it has at its disposal and utilizing the modern techniques of communication. People and not oil, are the most valuable resources of a nation that has produced Cyruses, Avicennas and Khayyams.
Just imagine how beautiful Iran's future can be if you and I believe in it and work towards it.
Parviz Tehrani
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