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Mahmud TARZI International Istanbul Forum
From 8th to 9th June, 2009
Eurasia Institute Conference Hall, Beyazid
"The role of Mahmud Tarzi in the advancement of education
and culture in Afghanistan - the power of education and culture in the life of a nation "
Dr. Mohammad Zahir Aziz,
Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan to UNESCO and ISESCO
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Honorable Princess India,
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues and friends,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honor and great pleasure for me to be among such distinguished participants and audience. I wish to express my gratitude to the Cultural Foundation of Mahmud Tarzi, its distinguished President, Mr. Omer Tarzi for inviting me to attend this Forum as well as to all those men and women who worked hard to bring us together in this most beautiful city of Istanbul, and for their untiring efforts to further expand and disseminate the ideas of a great Afghan son, Allama Mahmud Tarzi.
Also, I wish to thank the Turkish Government authorities, institutions and our Turkish brothers and sisters who have contributed to making this Forum possible. In the same spirit, I say that it is a particular pleasure for me to come back to this great nation of culture and civilization and to meet its good people with whom we have so many common cultural values and who contributed so much, in the course of the history to the advancement of human civilizations. I have never felt a stranger in this beautiful country.
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dealing with a subject as important as "the role of Mahmud Tarzi in the advancement of education and culture in Afghanistan-the power of education and culture in the life of a nation" and the major accomplishments by Mahmud Tarzi just in few years, it seems difficult to arrive with a conclusion satisfactory to all. However, I would prefer to attempt this task rather than to avoid it, and following the Arabic proverbial saying: "Even if the entirety of a goal cannot be achieved, one should still try to fulfill the best possible."
Mahmud Tarzi, as an honorable committed Muslim and a strong believer of Islamic values and teachings, following the guidance of great Muslim modernists like Allama Sayyed Jamal-ud-din Afghani, was always preaching, in conformity with Islamic values, for learning, acquiring of knowledge, education and the highest standard of cultural life for the Afghan nation.
He sincerely believed that by acquiring scientific knowledge, education and improving the cultural standard of the Afghan society through learning, reading and writing and by adopting to our own values the new cultural and political forces and ideologies of modern societies outside Muslim nations, Muslims were not betraying their culture but only retrieving their lost heritage.
At the time when Mahmud Tarzi decided to publish Seraj-ul-akhbar (1911-1918), the Afghan society was confronted with enormous underdevelopment problems. In addition to political, economic and social, issues, which are not the subject of this paper, the majority of Afghan people were illiterate due to the lack of a proper educational system. Girls and women did not have access to education; therefore, they could not participate intelligently and actively in the political, social and economic life of the Afghan society or its transformation towards a better life. The illiterate population of Afghanistan could not read and write and did not have access to information from within or from outside their country.
Mahmud Tarzi, brought, through his messages and writings, these issues at the surface of the Afghan society and to the attention of political and governing authorities with most careful language and approach. He expressed his views with courage and a sense of responsibility, nationalism and love. He explained to the best of his abilities how Afghans were confronted with outside and inside difficulties and enemies. Among the enemies from the inside, were such issues as illiteracy, poverty, underdevelopment, exclusion and total lack of opportunity for learning, education and cultural activities. He was saying; let us arm ourselves to fight these enemies by acquiring knowledge and education in accordance with the values enshrined in Islam. He was saying that education is not simply a luxury in a society, but a basic need and requirement for all societies and nations and compulsory for men and women according to Islamic order and requirements. To teach and defuse his ideas, his main weapon was of course, Seraj-ul-akhbar.
Education is a fundamental human right and a key to development. It is a vital tool for ensuring the full development of the potential of each individual and for combating the problem of underdevelopment at its very origin. It is also the most effective means of mastering how to deal with day to day life, with its difficulties and with its joyful moments. It helps to develop attitudes of tolerance and mutual understanding essential for democracy and peace both within and among societies. Education therefore should be made available to all member of a society without regard to race, sex or any distinctions, economic or social, as stated in the Constitution of UNESCO (1945) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
This definition of education, its role and its power in the life of a society or a nation, acceptable to all, is practically new concept, while Mahmud Tarzi who always lived ahead of his time, believed with his forward thinking and ideas, long before the establishment of UNESCO and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that access to education is the right of every one, men and women alike.
He was praising the power of education as a vital tool that empowers people for change, provides the values, knowledge, skills and competencies for comfortable living and participation in society and decent work.
A strong believer in Islamic values, Mahmud Tarzi was continuously stressing in his writing that Islam provides spiritual, philosophical and cultural background for both men and women among the Afghan society. The Islamic values and tradition permeates every aspect of Afghan society and way of life, and is an important consideration for education. Islamic principles provide the ethical and moral values of the people of Afghanistan and therefore require learning and education for girls and boys, men and women alike. He believed that the Muslim world unfortunately has not yet fully acquired those values and teachings of Islam that call for learning and education from birth to death.
As a student of education, I declare that Mahmud Tarzi's enlightened rich forward thinking and insistence for knowledge, science, education and culture and his untiring efforts for the establishment of educational, cultural and information institutions in Afghanistan, have the same value as enshrined in the beauty and rightfulness of knowledge.
Mahmud Tarzi strongly believed that through education and lifelong learning, we can achieve a lifestyle based on economic and social development, food security, sustainable livelihood, respect for others, love for our country and our people, better knowledge of Islamic values and teachings, access to information trough reading and the understanding and appreciation of the importance of liberty and independence of our common beloved country. There is nothing as valuable as education, he was writing, that speeds social cohesion, cultural development, a better understanding among the people and also greatly empowers men and women to pursue an honorable and cultural life. Education, knowledge and culture provide dignity to every Afghan as they provide dignity to human race.
Ladies and gentlemen,
One of the most outstanding and greatly appreciated efforts of Mahmud Tarzi was his call for education and literacy for Afghan girls and women, A call that received the greatest recognition and appreciation by all those Afghan intellectuals and Muslim nations who believed in the importance of access of girls and women to school and literacy programmes.
Mahmud Tarzi was the first Afghan intellectual, journalist and statesman who openly and with great courage and pride, through his writings in Seraj-ul-akhbar, defended the right of Afghan women to be educated. He believed that education is a basic and effective means for developing spiritual and mental values, and provides cultural ability to every Afghan Woman. Going to school and acquiring knowledge are the essential needs of Afghan girls and women if they are to develop their personalities, engage in productive work, improve their quality of life, raise literate children, improve family life and achieve personal and social progress. He repeatedly had used argument against those who were confronting him, the fact that the acquisition of literacy and learning for Muslim men and women is a religious obligation.
At the time when Mahmud Tarzi had used his arms, his intellectual force, his pen and Seraj-ul-akhbar to fight for the right of women to education, the social and political atmosphere in Afghanistan were not ready to adapt easily such advanced ideas and were not in a position to accept a major policy change towards education for girls and women in the country. However, in insisting, using his personal relations and power and bringing his entire family in the service of education for girls, the window of hope for girl's education was opened if not fully. Finally, it was during the reign of Afghanistan's most progressive king, His Majesty King Amannolla when Mahmud Tarzi's efforts brought fruits and his hope became a reality.
Ladies and gentlemen,
By all accounts, Mahmud Tarzi was one of the most outstanding personalities of Afghanistan in the beginning of the twentieth century who in turn made history. He was engaged, with peaceful means, to bring about profound changes in the cultural, social and political life of the Afghan nation. He was committed to the right of the people to education, to their right to freedom of expression , to the development of cultural abilities and for social change towards a better and modern life with dignity and, finally, of course, to the total independence of his country from outside influence.
Mahmud Tarzi was trying extremely hard to teach and engage the people, decision makers, religious authorities and those who were around and near to the Emir to convince them that the future of Afghanistan depended on the degree of knowledge, education, cultural development, and learning of the people of Afghanistan.
It was clear that the promotion of welfare of the people of Afghanistan could only be achieved through knowledge and a high degree of cultural abilities, and a policy of openness to outside the country. There was also a great need for promoting cooperation and mutual respect among the people of Afghanistan with diverse cultural backgrounds. In the field of education, science, culture and information, it was necessary to promote and insure a wide dissemination of knowledge, to make education accessible to men and women without distinction of race, ethnic and cultural background of any Afghan citizen.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
History shows that the unity of the people of any nation can be achieved neither by uniformity nor by domination and subjection. To be able to live in peace, harmony, a sense of cooperation and responsibility, mutual respect in a country that belongs to every one of the citizen of that nation, we must give a chance to every individual, to every branches of society and to every corners of the nation so that each one has an opportunity to play his/ her role according to their own genius and to be able to freely bring about a comprehensive and progressive development for their nation.
These were the messages, works and hopes of a great man for his people and for his beloved country that brought about a green revolution aiming to change the life of his country's men and women towards a better and honorable living not in their own country, but also together with the Muslim world and with the entire international community.
It is on the basis of these services rendered to his country and to the millions abroad and because of his laudable messages, works and ideas freely and openly expressed in Seraj-ul-akhbar , for the advancement of knowledge, education, culture, freedom of expression and the right to education, that the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization- UNESCO will honor, in 2011, Mahmud Tarzi by associating itself with the 100 anniversary of Seraj-ul-akhbar created in 1911 by its founder-editor Mahmud Tarzi, the father of journalism in Afghanistan.
The decision by the 181st Session of the Executive Board of UNESCO, presented by the Permanent Delegation of Afghanistan to UNESCO and ISESCO is a great honor for us all and particularly for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, educational, scientific, cultural and information institutions of our country and for every Afghan who believe in the advancement of knowledge, freedom of expression and equal rights of all citizens of Afghanistan without any distinction.
It is upon us all to remember Mahmud Tarzi, to follow his messages, wishes and hopes and to build on his ideas that are as valid and just now as they were one hundred years ago, in order that our children can do better than we. They can go where we have not gone, they can achieve what we failed to do and they can discover what we do not even know exists. They can preserve their identity with total democratic values. They can give new forms to their social, cultural, economic and political life that are in conformity with the dignity of human race and live in peace, harmony and with acceptance of equal rights for every Afghan man and woman.
I will end with the words of one of Islamic civilization greatest poet, philosopher and humanist who will remain, for ever, so dear to all of us, Mawlana Jalal-ud-Din balkhi-Rumi:
'If a tree could uproot itself from one place to another, it would never need to fear the saw, or any blows of bad luck.'
'Neither the sun nor the moon could spread their light if they stayed motionless as a rock.'
'When the water of the sea travels towards the cloud, it frees itself from bitterness and acquires tender power.'
'When a fire stays without shooting out flames, it transforms itself into ashes, dies, and is put out.'
'I have shown you a few signs, now learn the rest yourself;
Accomplish the journey beyond yourself and reach God.'
Thank you for your kind attention.
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Short Biography
Mohammad Zahir AZIZ
Mr. Aziz is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate of Afghanistan to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He is also Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate of Afghanistan to the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). Mr. Aziz was member of UNESCO's Executive Board from 2003 to 2006 and he was elected President of the Group of 77 and China for 2007-2008. It was due to Ambassador Aziz,s efforts that Afghanistan was elected to UNESCO's Executive Board for the second time since Afghanistan became a Member State of UNESCO on 4th May 1948. No Afghan, prior to Mr. Aziz, was ever elected President of the Group of G77 and China at UNESCO. His leadership as Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Afghanistan to UNESCO and ISESCO has helped further advance major education and cultural initiatives as part of Afghanistan's national reconstruction efforts.
Mr. Aziz most successful projects at UNESCO are the inclusion of Menaret of Jam and the historical valley of Bamyan in the World Heritage list of UNESCO, the establishment and celebration by UNESCO of the 800th anniversary of the Birth of Mawlana Jalal-du-Din Balkhi-Rumi in 2007, the declaration and celebration by UNESCO of 850th anniversary of the death of Abu'l Majd Majdud Sana'i of Gazna, and the establishment of the 150th anniversary of the active life of Sayed Jamal-du Din Afghani in 2008.Mr. Aziz also encouraged the government authorities of Afghanistan so that Afghanistan become party to the two major cultural convention namely Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural heritage, UNESCO,17 October 2003 and Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, UNESCO October 2005.
Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Mr. Aziz has had a long and illustrious career at UNESCO spanning from 1974 to 1997, including at the National Commissions Division, the Asia and the Pacific Division and the Peace Education Unit of the Division of Curricula and Structures. Prior to his career at UNESCO in Paris, Mr. Aziz was the Secretary-General for the Afghan National Commission for UNESCO and Director General of the UNESCO Affairs Division, in the Afghan Ministry of Education. Mr. Aziz was a Professor at the Institute of Education of Kabul University from 1963 to 1965.
Mr. Aziz holds a Master of Arts Degree from Columbia University's Teachers College, a B.A. in History and Geography from Kabul University, and a High School Diploma from the Kabul Teachers Training School. In 2006, Mr. Aziz was awarded a doctorate in International Relations and Diplomacy form the Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques, Paris, France.
Ambassador Aziz is a frequent public speaker, author and lecturer. He has published extensively and has appeared in numerous international conferences, television and radio programs. He was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan, in 1939 is fluent in Dari, Pashto, French and English and writes poetry in his native language.