Narrowing use of state language may be punishable

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

Language is perhaps one of the most powerful grounds for preserving and developing national heritage and culture. Lost of language means lost of culture and heritage in large.

Azerbaijani language is one of the components that unites all Azerbaijanis, regardless of their nationality and religion.

Azerbaijani language is a national treasure of over nine million people living in the country, about 30 million ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Iran, and many millions residing in other countries.

Concern for the preservation and prosperity of the Azerbaijani language is an important and urgent task of the country, embodying the people's interests and caring their welfare.

The preservation of languages requires a multifaceted approach necessitating large amounts of aid and effective actions.

Azerbaijani language together with its people went through the difficult historical paths falling under the influence of many languages, but could preserve its purity.

Standing in guard of the national language the government has so far used a variety of mechanisms to ensure the purity of the national language and pass it on to future generation. Now it is planned to tighten penalties for narrowing the scope of use of the state language.

Article 532 of the daft Code of Administrative Offences envisages penalties, which President Ilham Aliyev has submitted to the parliament for consideration.

The draft legislation specifies penalties for creating obstacles to the use of Latin script in Azerbaijani alphabet, propaganda against the state language, as well as countering the use and development of the Azerbaijani language in the amount of 1,000-1,500 manats ($953-$1,430) for individuals, 2,500-4,000 manats for officials and 12,000-16,000 manats legal entities.

The new penalties will enforce from May 1, 2016 should the parliament approves them.

Genealogically, the Azerbaijani language belongs to the Turkic group of languages and, together with closely associated Turkish, Turkmen and Gagauz languages, forms the southwestern group of the Turkic languages.

After adoption of Islam in the 7th century and up to 20th century, Azerbaijanis created a rich cultural heritage using Arabic, Persian-Arabic and Turkish-Arabic alphabet for centuries. Functioning as a common script for Muslim East nations, the Arabic alphabet played an important role for great Azerbaijani writers, scientists, and philosophers to enrich the universal civilization.

However, since non of these forms was ideal, the country adopted many writing reforms in early 20th centuries.

And the alphabet based on Latin script was applied in Azerbaijan in 1929, providing very favorable conditions for elimination of illiteracy in Azerbaijan.

In 1940, however, that alphabet was replaced with a new one based on Cyril script, and for more than 50 years the significant patterns of Azerbaijani science and culture were created with this script.

Since independence Azerbaijani people to join the common script system of the world in 1991 and restore the national alphabet based on Latin script, bringing Azerbaijanis together with the other Turkic peoples and giving them a national identity.