Tehran – Iranian culture is like a bubbling spring that has been the lifeline of the land for centuries and is trusted by the younger generations today, said Cultural Heritage Minister Seyed Reza Saheli Amiri.
At the school’s first ceremony, at the start of the school year at Anuvan Dadgar High School on Tuesday, he said: “I am the one who plays the president’s greetings to all the children in Iran, especially the students at this school.”
Today, he added, stating that the younger generation needs hope and joy: “We all have to agree to one principle. Iran is our home, our honor, our dignity, our identity. If we are alive today, it is for the blessings of Iran and Islam.”
Pointing to the registration of a prehistoric site in the Koramabad Valley on the UNESCO World Heritage List, he shows that the site is 63,000 years of ancient history and that the Iranians have been civilized for a long time.
“We have two Iranians. We have the geographical Iran we live in and the cultural Iran whose roots extend beyond regional boundaries.”
He continued using the autumn symbol, saying that leaves fall but roots remain in the fall season. Iran is always a strong and proud rooted tree.
The Minister said that students play a major role in protecting cultural identity, saying, “Students are the main guardians of our history and civilizational identity. They are councillors of the heritage of future generations and are considered the hopes of today’s Iranian generations.”
Pointing to the historical background of Anoushirvan Dadgar High School, he added: “This school was almost a century ago and was one of the first centuries that girls studied. Like a sturdy education tree, this place has special sacredness and value.”
Behshid Barkhordar, the Zoroastrian representative of the parliament, also said that education is the foundation of development, adding that Iran is a historic land that has achieved and actually practiced the concept of peaceful coexistence thousands of years ago.
She added: “Students should be familiar with historical identity, because, together with respect for others, respect for the environment is part of our cultural heritage. We have a duty to convey the right concepts to the younger generations and become accustomed to cultural heritage and civilized identity.”
KD