Haddad Adel who was speaking in Imam Reza International University’ Persian language refresher course for Uzbek professors, stated: “In Islamic civilization, Greater Khorasan was the eastern wing of Islamic civilization, encompassing a vast area extending to Bukhara and Samarkand in the northeast, and to the Lahore region beyond that”.

He stated: “I have always said that when Islam reached Iran, it dismounted from Arabian horse and mounted the Persian horse, and the spread of Islam from Khorasan towards India and eastward towards China occurred through Persian language”.

Member of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution added: “Greater Khorasan is a civilizational and cultural region which shaped Islamic identity of the region alongside other major cities such as Merv and Neyshabur. These cities were centers of the Persian language and culture, and Persian was the main language of science and culture there”.

Emphasizing the importance of Persian language in the development of Islamic civilization, Haddad Adel noted: “Those who wished to advance in Islamic knowledge and contemporary science in ancient times would either travel to Baghdad and Damascus, or to Bukhara and Samarkand, which were then major centers of the Persian language and Islamic culture”.

According to Haddad Adel, the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, Saadi Foundation, and the Foundation of Islamic Encyclopedia are three important institutions dealing with Persian language and literature in Iran.

Stressing that academy's main duty is to safeguard and strengthen Persian language, plan for its expansion, and identify linguistic threats, he continued: “In the field of coining words, the academy is responsible for finding suitable Persian equivalents for foreign words used in Persian language. The Academy plays a decisive role in approving laws and linguistic reforms.”

Haddad Adel went on to say: “Islamic encyclopedias are prepared and written by groups consisting of approximately two thousand and five hundred professors and experts from Iran, Arab countries, and other Islamic countries, Uzbekistan, and other regions”.

He added: “These groups prepare articles on various topics including Islamic history, Islamic literary languages, and regional languages such as Turkish and Uzbek. Their main goal is to present a real and documented image of the Islamic world, authored by Muslims themselves, emphasizing Islamic unity and identity”.

Introducing Saadi Foundation, he said: “Saadi Foundation is active in Persian language teaching abroad. It has training courses, publishes educational books, and organizes teacher training courses.”

It should be noted that the first Persian language specialized intensive refresher course for selected university professors from Uzbekistan is being held from August 4 to 15 at Imam Reza International University with the aim of improving knowledge of Persian language and teaching skills among Uzbek professors.