Pezeshkian says reading can reshape society, improve governance
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that reading could change social attitudes and improve governance.
Speaking at Iran Book Week ceremony in Tehran, Pezeshkian calls for wider access to books and saying public officials had a duty to solve people’s problems as Iran.
“Books helped readers draw on past generations’ experiences, broaden their outlook and better understand society’s challenges.
Reading, he said, encouraged people to examine their beliefs and behavior more effectively than commands or instructions. Books allowed readers to reach their own conclusions rather than resist views imposed on them.
Pezeshkian called for mobile libraries to serve villages, with collections tailored to the needs of local children, young people and adults. Books, he said, could help people learn from history and improve their lives.
Referring to the ethical lessons of the Shahnameh, Iran’s national epic composed by Persian poet Ferdowsi (c. 935–c. 1020–1026), and works by Iranian poets and thinkers, he said literature could foster humility, compassion and tolerance while discouraging hostility and division.
“Accepting public office without working to solve people’s problems was meaningless. Officials should study how earlier generations addressed challenges and adapt those lessons to current conditions,” he added.
Pezeshkian urged government managers to read ‘Up and Out of Poverty’, a book by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He cited China’s transformation over 40 to 50 years from a poor, underdeveloped country into a major regional power able to stand alongside the United States, saying Iran could also overcome its difficulties through knowledge and learning.
He praised librarians, writers, publishers and others promoting reading in cities and villages, saying they could change the thinking and behavior of future generations.