The panel discussion was staged on Wednesday May 12 in the pavilion of House of Authors in the 23^rd edition of Tehran International Book Fair in a marquee assigned to showcase Iran's Publication Records. The panel was joined by professors and experts in Persian language from Georgia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan.

 

Qahreman Suleimani, head of department of Persian language promotion in the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communications opened the discussion by highlighting the status of Persian language as well as a common responsibility of al concerned for promoting the language.

 

Suleimani called for a precise study of needs and requirements of Persian for restoring its acclaimed, international status, quoting the UNESCO as slamming authorities in charge of world languages for failing to supply a long term program for national their language.

 

Next Nasib Goyushov, Azeri professor in Persian language and literature took the discussion, saying that Persian has been second most used language only after Arabic across a wide expanse of land from Asia Minor to Sub-continent of India.

 

He claimed a first ever grammar of Persian was developed outside Iran, arguing that people outside Iran wished to establish social, political and cultural relations with Iran and therefore decided to develop a grammar as a first step to learn the language. "They might also have wished to get a more profound knowledge about their past," he added.

 

The Azeri professor then discussed several challenges academics face outside Iran in translating or developing a grammar of Persian, adding that a major tip for learning Persian is to think Persian.

 

Suleimani, as panel moderator, followed Goyushov by saying that a major problem for learning Persian is that relevant textbooks and course books outside Iran fail to comply with a scientific methodology.

 

Next, Te Ashur Qaya, professor of Persian from Georgia, took the discussion saying that such panels would provide an opportunity for discussing and removing potential challenges in acquiring Persian language.

 

She then acknowledged establishment of Iran Cultural Center in Georgia, adding that the development had lead to more efforts in expansion of Iranology in her country.

 

The expert then noted that Georgians have a longer record of language learning and teaching with a first board of Persian in Georgia established in 1919. She said most Iranology centers were centered in Tbilisi and that branches of Iran Chamber would be soon established in other Georgian cities.

 

The Georgian Professor then observed that an effective strategy to promote the status of Persian language was to restore Persian courses in schools, urging Iran Cultural Center to role sleeves to materialize the significant idea. The Georgian orientalist singled out two major cultural programs, including annual Noruz celebrations and Ashab-e Qalam publication, as encouraging programs for expansion of Persian in Georgia.

 

The Georgian panelist then offered several other suggestions to IRI cultural center in Georgia; "We urges Iran cultural center to provide scholarships to five Georgian students and stage short term Persian courses more diligently than before."

 

Suleimani was positive. "Our organization is eager to respond to wishes positively. We have already fortunately admitted a first Lithuanian student through Georgia. We offer IRI scholarship in Persian studies to the student in the hope that the student would serve as a distinguished professor in Persian in Lithuanian universities."

 

Sakhidad Kharkashov, a Persian language professor from Tajikistan was a next panelist to take discussion. He acknowledged that Iran for the past ten years had acquired a very enjoyable and active cultural climate, adding that the Islamic Republic had been acting with all means at one's disposition to promote Persian.

 

He noted that Tajik authors find it difficult to write in Persian as an inroad of Arabic terms and words had made it difficult for them to comprehend Persian. In the same note, the Tajik professor said Persian needed some modification, adding that his team was engaged in a series of coinage projects to this end.

 

Muhammad Rusta'i, professor with Academy of Afghanistan, was a next panelist to extend the discussion. He observed that political boundaries must not and could not separate his Persian speaking country from same-language Iran.

 

Rusta'i regretted that little was spent on Promotion of Persian in Afghanistan, adding that trace of a cultural onslaught was visible everywhere across his country.

 

He urged Kabul-based Iran cultural center to establish an international association for Persian language so as to serve a link between Iran and other countries, including Afghanistan.

 

A final panelist to wrap the discussion was Abd al-Wali Sharifzada, a Tajik Professor in Persian language, who considered inscriptions in Persian as a reserve of Persian lexis. He then touched on inroads of Arabic, English, and French lexis into Persian and said the language could be preserved from decay by finding equivalences for alien terms.