Open Letter to Konia Molana Festival

International Committee to Save

the Archeological Sites of Pasargad

The words, deeds and works of great people, working in the social and cultural realms, have always contributed to the elevation of human life and culture. Therefore, they belong to the whole humanity even if they are born in a village in a secluded part of the world. This is true because their contributions have created novel traditions and outlooks for the whole mankind.

Molana is such a personality. He was born in Balkh (a part of northeastern territories of old Iran), moved towards the west, lived in different cities of Iran and Anatoly and ended up in Konia. Though he died in that place centuries ago, his literary and cultural life has continued until today. His intellectual contributions, rendered in Persian language, are now a part of human cultural heritage.

Unfortunately, Turkey recently has been introducing him as a merely Turkish personality. During your annual festival that is held to his honor, the translations of his writings into other languages are rendered as adopted from their original “Turkish” texts. We are told that the fact that his teachings and poems were given and created in Persian language is kept undisclosed.

Anyone who is familiar with the literary and cultural life of the East is aware that Molana’s works are considered as an important part of Persian language’s literary heritage, and denying such an obvious fact does not measure up to the good intentions of those who honor his achievements.

Although it is the duty of “Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization” to follow such matters, we, unfortunately, have not seen any action taken in this respect but , at the same time, have noticed that some fundamentalist elements of Iranian government have dismissed Molana as a non-believer and have declared writing and talking about his works as blasphemous.

It is upon these premises that we, as friends of culture, Iranian or belonging to the whole world, see it as our responsibility to protest this wrong action on the part of this festival’s authorities. We would like to announce that hiding an important part of the life of a world-renowned philosopher and poet, stemming from any tribal, religious, national prejudice, or any other reasons, would inflict the world culture with tremendous damages.

We believe that our cultural activities in the advent of a new century should be based on transparency and the dissemination of reliable information.

This open letter will be delivered to the festival's authorities on its opening day.

If you agree with the contents of this letter, please send it on your own behalf to them.