both to preserve minorities’ distinct cultural identity, as well as to promote equality of
opportunities. A lack of teaching children in their mother tongue has reportedly been causing
high school dropout and illiteracy rates, notably among Azeri18 and Ahwazi Arab children.19
At the university level, the teaching in and of minority languages was nonexistent until 2015. In
August 2016, however, participants were able for the first time to choose Kurdish and Turkish
languages as majors at the bachelor level.20 Nonetheless, in practice, there has been no
elementary, middle school or high school in both the public and private education systems in Iran
teaching minority languages such as Turkish, Balochi or Kurdish. As a consequence,
opportunities for individuals who wish to access those majors are limited, as the teaching of
minority languages at school is inexistant. Reports documented a lawsuit, that had been initiated
in March 2018 against the Ministry of Education, for which the Court of Administrative Justice
in March 2020 ruled that the State is required to produce and prepare textbooks for teaching
literature in ethnic languages until the end of secondary school in Iranian schools.21 It is not clear
whether the Ministry of Education has decided to appeal the ruling or whether it will implement
the judgement. 22
Further, ethnic and linguistic minorities face additional restrictions and intersectional
discrimination due to their ethnicity and religion. Indeed, many elements of the Iranian domestic
legal framework discriminate between Shia Muslims, Muslim and non-Muslim minorities,
including also recognised minorities.23 The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran names
the Twelver Ja’fari School of Shia Islam as the state religion. Only Muslim minorities (including
Sunnis), Zorostrian, Jewish and Christian Iranians are recognised under the Constitution.24
Although Article 19 of the Constitution protects the equal rights of “ethnic group or tribe”
regardless or “colour, race, language, and the like” it omits an explicit provision recognising
religion or belief as a protected characteristic against discrimination.25 Because there are no laws
safeguarding the right of religious minorities to worship, maintain places of worship or
18
Association for the human rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CRC_NGO_IRN_19735_E.pdf
19
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://www.iranhumanrights.org/2013/10/khuzestan-teachers/
20
Radio Farda: https://www.radiofarda.com/a/f7-students-able-to-select-azari-and-kurdi-for-university/27919663.html
21
Tasnim News Agency: https://tn.ai/2229748
22
Following an electoral promise of President Rouhani during his 2013 election campaign, the government announced in 2015
that a university program on Kurdish language and literature would be introduced at the University of Kurdistan in Sanandaj,
which has been implemented now. A Similar program for ”Azerbaijani Turkish language“ was also announced for 2016 by the
government, which is now launched. The government also announced in 2015 that Baluchi language courses would be
introduced at the university of Sistan & Baluchistan, which has not been implemented yet. See: University of
Kurdistanhttps://uok.ac.ir/fa/faculties/literature/departments/kurdish.aspx Tasnim News Agency: https://tn.ai/1670519
Daneshjoo News Agency: https://snn.ir/001kvb
23
Joint submission to the Human Rights Committee from All Human Rights for All in Iran, Association for Human Rights in
Kurdistan – Geneva, Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani People in Iran, Iran Human Rights Documentation
Center, OutRight International, Siamak Pourzand Foundation, Small Media, Impact Iran, 2020,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRN/INT_CCPR_NGO_IRN_42317_E.pdf
24
Articles 12 and 13 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf
25
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, English translation, https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/constitution-english-1368.pdf
3