On Ferdowsi commemoration day
Leader hails Persian as ‘greatest capacity’ for promoting Iran’s civilization
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday described the Persian language as one of the “greatest capacities” for promoting Iran’s rich Islamic civilization worldwide, urging writers and artists to preserve the nation’s cultural identity through literature and art as Iran marked the national day honoring epic poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi. In a message issued for the National Persian Language Preservation Day and commemorating the Persian poet Ferdowsi (May 15), the Leader said Persian was more than a means of communication and served as “the framework of cognition” and a defining thread of Iranian identity.
“Persian language and literature represent one of the greatest capacities for promoting the rich culture and civilization of Islamic Iran across the global arena,” he said, while calling on cultural figures to “rise like Ferdowsi” and immortalize the nation’s contemporary epics through artistic expression.
Referring to what he described as Iran’s “third sacred defense,” the Leader said the Iranian nation had once again demonstrated the heroic spirit embodied in Ferdowsi’s ‘Shahnameh,’ the millennium-old Persian epic widely regarded as a cornerstone of Iranian literature and identity.
He said the concepts of courage, justice and resistance embedded in the ‘Shahnameh’ continued to unite Iranians across ethnic and social backgrounds in safeguarding the country’s independence and cultural authenticity.
President Masoud Pezeshkian also paid tribute to Ferdowsi in a separate message, describing the ‘Shahnameh’ as the “historical and cultural identity card” of the Iranian nation and portraying the poet of Tus as a guardian of both Persian language and Iranian civilization.
Heroism rooted in justice, wisdom
Pezeshkian said Ferdowsi’s heroes were not merely warriors but symbols of wisdom, loyalty and moral virtue, adding that the poet forged a lasting connection between Iran’s national epics and Islamic values.
“In Iranian and Shia culture, heroism finds meaning through justice, loyalty and defense of truth,” the president said.
He added that contemporary Iran was still home to “humble heroes” who protected the nation’s dignity and security through sacrifice and wisdom, drawing parallels between modern-day defenders of the country and the legendary champions celebrated in the ‘Shahnameh’.
At a ceremony hosted online by the Society for the Appreciation of Cultural Works and Dignitaries on May 12, prominent literary scholars described the ‘Shahnameh’ as a “fortress of words” that preserved Iranian identity through centuries of upheaval.
Renowned Persian literature scholar Mir Jalaleddin Kazzazi said Ferdowsi had defended Iran “with an army of words,” while other speakers highlighted the epic’s universal themes of wisdom, justice and human dignity.
Academics at the gathering said the ‘Shahnameh’ remained one of the world’s most influential epic works and continued to resonate with Persian-speaking communities and international audiences alike through its enduring moral and cultural themes.