Tajik president orders distribution of epic Persian poetry to revive cultural heritage
President of Tajikistan Emamoli Rakhmon has recently ordered the printing and distribution of Shahnameh poems aimed at reviving and strengthening the country's cultural heritage to fight extremism.
During a speech at the 115th birthday ceremony of Babajan Ghafurov, a famous Tajik journalist, historian, and orientalist, the Tajik president said: "The Shahnameh of Abulqasem Ferdowsi should be published to make people aware of the history, culture, and civilization of their ancestors."
The Shahnameh, also known as "The Book of Kings" is one of the world’s longest epic poems written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi. It is of central importance in Persian culture and language as it recounts the history of pre-Islamic Persia or Iranshahr (Greater Iran).
Khavar News Agency, the state media of Tajikistan, quoted Emamoli Rakhmon saying the goal of the Tajik government to honour and preserve the names of people like Babajan Ghafurov is to "own and protect the proud history and rich scientific, literary, cultural and civilizational heritage".
Abajan Ghafurov is one of the famous figures in the history and culture of Tajikistan, whom the president referred to as the "Hero of Tajikistan" and highlighted his role in preserving, strengthening, and expanding the culture and history of Tajiks.
Every year, on the memorial day of Babajan Ghafurov on December 5, the government of Tajikistan organizes a ceremony to commemorate him. In recent years, Emamoli Rakhmon's government has made great efforts to revive and expand the cultural heritage of the Persian area in the country. For this reason, Tajik government institutions have been celebrating events such as Yalda, Mehrgan, Tirgan, and other cultural events predominantly recognized in Iran.
Tajik experts believe that Rakhmon's government is dealing with the threat of religious extremism by focusing on celebrating and promoting cultural heritage.
In the last two years, the wave of religious propaganda by the media networks of the Taliban and ISIS in Khorasan, focusing on Tajikistan, has increased, the Independent reports.
The spread of extremism has become one of the main concerns of Tajikistan in recent years. The return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan which is a neighbouring country of Tajikistan and the extensive promotion of the Taliban and other extremist groups on some Farsi language media networks have caused some of the younger generation in Tajikistan to get attracted to their propaganda.
To address political concerns, the Tajik government resorts to boosting cultural institutions and efforts.
