Nasser Feyz: Confronting Qom-phobia must be accompanied by strengthening cultural and linguistic identity

Qom – Emphasizing the need to preserve the Qomi dialect and strengthen cultural identity, a poet and literature professor said safeguarding linguistic heritage and introducing local literary capacities are effective in countering stereotypes and Qom-phobia.

According to Mehr reporter, Nasser Faiz said on Tuesday evening at the tourism conference of Qom province, referring to the historical and literary position of the Persian language: Persian language is one of the prominent languages ​​of the world, which during the last millennium has maintained its connection with an important part of the literary heritage of the past, and today's generation can still communicate with the ancient works of this language.

Pointing to the permanence of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, he added: One of the valuable features of the Persian language is that today's audience can read prominent texts such as the Shahnameh and connect with the early layers of its poetry and thought, while in some other languages, understanding the works of the past few centuries requires more explanation and translation.

Stating that the brilliant literary background is another indicator of the importance of the Persian language, this Qommi poet stated: In different historical periods, prominent poets and writers have appeared in the Persian language, and Iran's libraries are full of valuable works of verse and prose that show the wide capacity of this language in literary creation.

Faiz emphasized that preserving the Persian language should not lead to the neglect of local dialects, and said: Native dialects are not only a means of entertainment or speaking differently, but also contain a set of linguistic subtleties, idioms, proverbs and ways of expression that can still be used in today's life.

Local dialects have new capacities for literature

Referring to the cultural and social function of language in people's daily relationships, he said: Many words and expressions that we use in daily communication carry cultural attitudes and subtleties, and the gradual change of these expressions can also affect the way of communication and expression of emotions between people.

Referring to the change of some common expressions in everyday conversations, this professor of literature added: In the past, expressions such as "goodbye" and "God protect" were a reminder of entrusting people to divine protection, but today, in some cases, they have been replaced by other expressions such as "take care of yourself" and these changes show part of the linguistic and cultural transformations of the society.

Faiz also criticized the prevalence of non-Persian names in some businesses and stated: In a country where the Persian language has a background and cultural prestige, more attention should be paid to the selection of names for economic activities and collections, and he raised the question why some banks and businesses use names that do not match the Persian language.

Emphasizing the need to pay attention to this issue, he continued: In addition to accepting the words that have become embedded in the language, importance should also be attached to maintaining the position of the Persian language in the public arena and choosing names appropriate to Iranian culture.

Referring to the issue of safeguarding native dialects in cultural programs, this poet said: Regardless of whether such measures have been started with a delay, the principle of the formation of this cultural movement is a valuable coincidence, and instead of blaming people for being late, those who have provided the basis for planning and pursuing this issue should be supported and appreciated.

Poetry in the local dialect creates a new world

In another part of his speech, referring to the capacity of native dialects in literary creation, Faiz noted: When a poet writes poetry in a local language or dialect, he does not simply express the same concepts of Persian poetry with different words, but by entering another linguistic and cultural space, it becomes possible to create new experiences and meanings.

Referring to the literary experiences of Professor Shahryar in writing poetry in Persian and Turkish, he said: The works of this poet in both languages show that the use of different languages and dialects can lead to the formation of different works, and each language has its own capacity to express human feelings and experiences.

Stating that the local language can create new possibilities for writers and poets, this professor of literature added: When a poet or writer creates a work with a native dialect, he may express concepts and experiences that cannot be conveyed in the same way in the standard language, and this difference can lead to the richness of literature.

Faiz also pointed out the phonetic capabilities of local dialects in poetry and said: the pronunciation of words in local dialects sometimes provides the possibility of creating rhymes that are not formed in the same way in the standard language, and this feature can leave the poet's hand more open to use musical and linguistic capacities.

In the end, referring to the experience of writing poetry in the local language in a literary workshop, he emphasized: attention to local dialects should go beyond memorizing a few words or using them in a formal way and provide a context so that poets and writers can take advantage of the linguistic and cultural capacities of this heritage in creating new works.