The İranian press has criticized the Municipality of Tabriz for not writing the word “Persian” on the occasion of the Day of Poetry and Literature in Iran.
Iranian-language news agencies in Iran have criticized the Tabriz municipality for failing to mention the word “Persian” on posters hanging in the streets of Tabriz on the anniversary of the death of Mohammad Hussein Shahriyar (a well-known Azerbaijani poet-ed.).
Among those Persian-language sites are the Mardumsalari newspaper, the official body of the reformers, and the Azeriha website, which is affiliated with Iran’s security services.
As the 27th of Shahrivar, the anniversary of Ustad Shahriyar’s death in the Iranian calendar, is called the National Day of Persian Poetry and Literature, the mentioned sites caused a scandal and claimed that the Tabriz municipality’s move provoked a reaction from users.
On the other hand, according to Azerbaijani Turks, who make up at least half of Iran’s population, if citizens’ reactions are so important to central newspapers and websites, we have been crying for years about education in their mother tongue, not just in a virtual space.
On the other hand, the fact that the anniversary of Ustad Shahriyar’s death is called “Persian Poetry and Literature Day” is the biggest mistake that shows that these sites have caused a scandal.
Users of this type of media say that Ustad Shahriyar wrote poetry not only in Persian but also in Azerbaijani Turkish, so why should his name be used as a “Persian” day of poetry and literature?
