Children and teenagers in Iran are compelled to study subjects such as ‘revolution, arrogance (reference to western powers), resistance, martyrdom, and resistance.’ Simultaneously, there’s a deliberate effort by the regime to systematically remove ancient Iranian literature from textbooks.
The alteration of the names of Yalda night and Chaharshanbehsuri in the regime’s approved calendar, along with the destruction of historical works and monuments dating back to ancient Iran, is just one facet of the regime’s intentional program to erase Iran’s history and national identity.
In executing its targeted initiative to eliminate signs of Iran’s national culture and history, the regime employs various tools, with a significant focus on the content of school textbooks.
The removal of prominent Persian language and literature works, along with anecdotes and stories reflecting Iran’s identity and national history, began immediately after the 1979 Revolution and has persisted gradually.
After more than four decades, an examination of textbooks across primary, first, and second secondary school levels reveals that the smallest portion is dedicated to the names and works of Persian language and literature luminaries. Deliberately, the content of these textbooks aligns with the regime’s overarching policies, even influencing works related to classical Iranian literature.
In recent years, many courses related to ancient and contemporary Iranian literature have been replaced by subjects such as ‘revolution, resistance, martyrdom, violence, anti-arrogance,’ and similar themes. Additionally, the glorification of figures like Qassem Soleimani and Mostafa Chamran has largely supplanted the introduction of Iranian mythology.
Stories of Iran’s mythical heroes like Sam and Rostam, and Sohrab and Siavash, have been expunged from school textbooks. Even in sections titled ‘epic literature’ in Farsi school books, there is no mention of Ferdowsi, who made the greatest contribution to representing Iran’s national identity in his poems. Instead, the regime’s designated ‘heroes’ and ‘martyrs’ have taken their place.
Works related to epic literature also feature poems by the regime’s elements, who have declared themselves poets of ‘Revolution, Sacred Defense [reference to the Iran-Iraq war], and Resistance.’ These measures are carried out with precision to implement regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s order to ‘equalize’ textbook content with the goals and priorities of the regime.
According to the document on the fundamental transformation of education, approved in 2011 during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, textbook content in Iran should be ‘inspired by religious teachings,’ ‘strengthening the spirit of anti-tyranny,’ ‘demanding rights and standing against the invasion of foreigners,’ ‘defending the ideals of the revolution,’ and similar themes.
From the regime’s perspective, acquainting students with their national identity holds little importance, as it conflicts with the regime’s priorities. Consequently, any content conflicting with the regime’s introduced culture is gradually removed from textbooks.
In 2019, following protests against the removal of Persian literature greats’ names from textbooks, Hossein Qasempour, the director of the Persian literature department of the educational textbook authoring office, explicitly stated that ‘mentioning the martyr Hojaji was a priority over names like Hafez and Saadi.’ Mostafa Hojaji was an IRGC officer who died in Syria during the regime’s terrorist intervention in that country.
Ministers of education in various governments have openly acknowledged that the ministry’s duty is to ‘educate the soldiers of the new Islamic civilization.’ Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Basij organization, has also emphasized the regime’s goal to ‘educate eight million Basij youths.’
Recently, Minister of Education Reza Morad Sahrai stated in a speech that, according to the regime’s leader, the Basij is successful when it places the Quran in one hand of the students and weapons in the other.
This approach has been reiterated multiple times by the regime’s education ministers. Yousef Nouri, the former minister of education, visited Qom less than two weeks after receiving a vote of confidence from the parliament, promising the regime’s supreme religious authorities that he would facilitate scholars’ entry into schools to ‘strengthen students’ religious beliefs.’
Before him, Alireza Kazemi, the head of education, pledged that lessons on ‘anti-arrogance’ and ‘recognition of espionage nest documents’ would be added to school textbooks by order of Khamenei.
In April 2019, Hamid Bathai, the Minister of Education at the time, declared in a speech in Neyshabur that 14 million Iranian students would take up arms if needed and ‘sacrifice their lives’ as during the Iran-Iraq war.
It’s important to note that the document on the fundamental transformation of education was compiled and approved by Khamenei’s order. Education in Iran is a sovereign institution with a roadmap determined outside the authority of governments, under the supervision of Velayat-e Faghih. The goals and perspective of the fundamental transformation of education document demonstrate that the regime’s priority is to educate an obedient generation adhering to the regime’s policies and ideology.
