I am very concerned about the Farsi language. I am very concerned about it. Several years ago, we worked on this issue, we took action and we gathered a number of people to address this issue. I have noticed that no proper course of action is taken in this regard and there is a full-scale attack against our language. People are constantly using foreign words. A number of people think it is humiliating and beneath their dignity to use a Farsi or Arabic word instead of a Latin word. They think it is beneath their dignity. This is a very bad thing. This is part of a mass culture which should be fought against.
Friends, one day Farsi was the dominant scientific language from Constantinople of that time to the Indian Subcontinent. In the Indian Subcontinent, outstanding personalities used to speak Farsi. When the English came to the subcontinent, one of the measures that they adopted was to prevent Farsi from being the common language. They prevented Farsi from being popular with different tricks and plots which are particular to the English. Of course, Farsi is still common and popular there. There are a number of people in India who love Farsi. I have been to India. Also, a number of Indians who love Farsi have come to Iran and I have met them. But we, who live where Farsi is the most popular language, are forgetting it.
We are not adopting any measure in order to promote and develop it and in order to counter foreign interferences. Little by little, new foreign terminology is becoming common. Every day, a new word becomes common which we have not heard before. Sometimes, the people use a word and I say to them that I do not know what it means. When they define it, I begin to understand that this word has entered our language. This phenomenon has gradually become common among the masses of the people. This is dangerous.
They write Farsi words with Latin script. Well, why should we do this? Who wants to read it? Those who speak Farsi or those who speak foreign languages? They write the Farsi words with Latin script. Another example is that they give foreign names to domestic products, whose pictures have been sent to me. What reason do we have for doing this? Sometimes you want to export a domestic product. In such conditions, as well as Farsi, you can use the language of the country which you want to export your products to. Farsi should be used in addition to that foreign language and it should never be removed from our products. But when a product is manufactured inside Iran, why should we use foreign words? Why should we use foreign words on schoolbags that elementary students carry to school? The same is true of toys. I am really surprised. This is among the issues towards which you have a great responsibility. I have certain examples in mind about such use of Farsi which I do not want to mention. They give foreign names to companies, products and shops. They constantly use foreign - particularly English - words.
I feel that this is dangerous and it is necessary for officials and members of the Council of Cultural Revolution to follow up this issue in a serious way.
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