Tehran-IRAF- language is not merely a means of communication; it is one of the most fundamental pillars of collective identity, historical memory, and social cohesion in societies. In communities characterized by ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity, a shared language can function as a “bond of unity” or, if mismanaged, become a source of division and conflict. Examining Afghanistan’s situation and comparing it with Iran’s historical experience offers a clear picture of the importance of language policy in the process of nation‑building.
Afghanistan: A Neglected Shared Language
Afghanistan, as a multi‑ethnic country, has historically possessed a major cultural asset: the Persian language (Dari). For centuries, this language served as the language of science, literature, administration, and communication among Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic groups, playing a key role in shaping the country’s historical identity.
However, the experience of recent decades—especially under Taliban rule—shows that an ideological, ethnic, and monolingual approach to language has weakened this unifying capacity.
In practice, the Taliban, through:
- restricting the role of Persian in education and academic institutions,
- removing or marginalizing Persian‑speaking cultural and academic elites,
- and imposing a particular linguistic interpretation on the structure of power,
have not contributed to national cohesion; instead, they have placed a significant part of Afghanistan’s collective identity at risk of erasure. Historical experiences worldwide demonstrate that the political and instrumental use of language is not unifying; rather, it deepens ethnic and social divides and blocks the path to nation‑building.
Today, Afghanistan more than ever needs to redefine the role of language as a connecting force—one that, without negating ethnic mother tongues, can provide a foundation for national dialogue, social solidarity, and political stability.
Iran: Persian as a Pillar of Unity Amid Diversity
In contrast, Iran’s historical experience offers a noteworthy example of the role of language in nation‑building. Despite extensive ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity, Iran has managed to preserve historical continuity and social cohesion by relying on Persian as a shared national language.
In Iran, Persian has not functioned as a tool of exclusion, but as a bridge between ethnic groups. Without denying local and mother tongues, it has become a symbol of shared identity and national cohesion. Iranian cultural and intellectual elites—from Ferdowsi to contemporary thinkers—consciously placed the Persian language at the center of national unity.
Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh stands as a prominent example of this historical choice, elevating Persian from a mere means of communication to a civilizational identity‑forming element. This approach was not the result of ethnic chauvinism, but a rational response to a historical and social necessity—one that enabled Iran to preserve its territorial and cultural unity in the face of invasions, political upheavals, and historical transformations.
A Shared Language: A Condition for Sustainable Unity
The key point is that in multi‑ethnic societies, unity is not achieved through the elimination of diversity. The solution lies not in rejecting ethnic languages, but in respecting mother tongues alongside strengthening a shared national language.
The Persian language, as a common heritage of all Persian speakers, can play such a role—provided it is kept free from political monopoly, ethnic exclusivism, and ideological distortion.
Iran’s experience shows that it is possible to maintain lasting national unity and cohesion amid ethnic and linguistic diversity by relying on a shared national language. By contrast, Afghanistan’s current situation—especially under Taliban rule—serves as a serious warning that enforced monolingualism and the erasure of the linguistic identity of large segments of society are not nation‑building, but nation‑destroying.
The Persian Language and Its Role in Afghanistan’s Historical Memory
In Afghanistan, Persian is not merely an “official language”; it is the bearer of the country’s shared historical memory. From religious and philosophical texts to governmental documents, classical literature, and scientific works, Persian has for centuries been the language of meaning‑making and knowledge production in Khorasan/Afghanistan.
The removal or weakening of this language effectively severs new generations from their historical and civilizational past. This becomes even more critical when Persian—capable of serving as a mediating and unifying language—is pushed to the margins and replaced by exclusionary language policies.
Persian‑Speaking Poets: Pillars of a Shared Identity
An essential aspect of understanding the role of the Persian language lies in the position of Persian‑speaking poets and literary figures in shaping a shared identity. Ferdowsi, Rumi, Sana’i, Naser- Khosrow, Bidel Dehlavi, and many other great figures belong not to a single ethnicity or limited geography, but to the shared cultural heritage of all Persian speakers.
In Iran, Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh played a decisive role in preserving the Persian language and strengthening national identity. In Afghanistan, the works of poets such as Naser‑e Khosrow of Balkh and Jalal al‑Din Rumi of Balkh demonstrate how Persian could—and still can—serve as a force of spiritual and cultural connection beyond ethnic boundaries.
Ignoring this literary heritage means ignoring one of the strongest tools of cultural and national cohesion—one that no ideology can replace.
Language, Expertise, and the Future of Education
The weakening of Persian in Afghanistan has been accompanied by the removal of expertise and its replacement with ideology. The dismissal of university professors, the erosion of academic language, and restrictions on knowledge production have direct consequences for Afghanistan’s future education and development.
Iran’s experience shows that a shared national language can be nation‑building only when it:
- remains the language of science and education,
- serves as a carrier of rationality and knowledge,
- and is not used as a tool of ideological control.
Without returning to such an understanding of language, Afghanistan will achieve neither national unity nor sustainable development.
