Reading: The text of Preamble (to the Constitution of the IRI): see pages 25-31 of the following PDF file.
Listening: A short documentary by VOA Farsi about the process of drafting the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
If interested, the students can watch this video overview of the formation history of Assembly for the Final Review of the Constitution (Majles-e Khobregan) – the body responsible for drafting the document – and also get familiar with an original recording from one of its early sessions.
Subject of Conversation: The Importance of the Constitution in the IRI (اهمیت قانون اساسی در جمهوری اسلامی ایران)
In this session, students will discuss the role of the Constitution in shaping Iran’s political and legal system. They will reflect on the key ideas in the Preamble, the concept of Velayat-e Faqih, and whether the Constitution meets the current needs of Iranian society. The conversation will help students develop legal and political vocabulary, and express critical opinions in Persian.
Homework:
- Please carefully read the today’s text, study the vocabulary and translate the sections assigned by the instructor.
- Watch the main listening video in full, as well as one of the additional suggested videos. Write down two interesting new facts you learned.
- Prepare for the next day’s discussion.
Vocabulary (Constitution Text):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| قانون اساسی | qānun-e asāsi | Constitution |
| مبین | mobin | explainor, something that illustrates |
| اصول و ضوابط | osul o zavābet | principles |
| انعکاس | en’ekās | echo |
| ماهیت | māhiyyat | nature |
| تبلور یافتن | tabalvor yāftan | crystallize |
| طلیعه | tali’e | dawn, vanguard, beginning |
| نیل | neyl | attainment |
| بنیادی | bonyādi | fundamental |
| نهضت | nehzat | movement |
| ضد استعماری | zedd-e este’māri | anti-colonial |
| وجدان | vojdān | conscience |
| مکتبی | maktabi | ideological |
| مرجع عالیقدر تقلید | marja’-e ‘āliqadr-e taqlid | source of religious emulation |
| صف مقدم | saf-e moqaddam | forefront |
| تحرک | taharrok | impetus |
| رکود | rokud | stagnation |
| توطئه | toute’e | conspiracy |
| تثبیت | tasbit | confirmation |
| تحکیم | tahkim | strengthening |
| وابستگی | vābastegi | reliance, dependence |
| متعاقب آن | mota’āqeb-e ān | following which |
| قیام | qiyām | uprising |
| مرکزیت | markaziyyat | central position |
| علیرغم | ‘alāraqm | contrary to, in spite of |
| تبعید | tab’id | exile |
| مصونیت | masuniyyat | immunity |
| مستشار | mostašār | adviser |
| حوزه‌ی علمیه | houze-ye ‘elmiyye | theological seminaries |
| الهام | elhām | inspiration |
| سرکوبی | sarkubi | suppression |
| کانون | kānun | center |
| مذبوحانه | mazbuhāne | vain, useless |
| رهایی | rahāyi | escape |
| جوخه‌ی اعدام | juxe-ye e’dām | firing squad |
| راسخ | rāsex | firm |
| بیانیه | bayāniye | declaration |
| ولایت فقیه | velāyat-e faqih | religious guardianship |
| انگیزه | angize | motivation |
| استثمار | estesmār | exploitation |
Vocabulary (Documentary):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| بروز | boruz | occurrence, emergence |
| اختلاف نظر | extelāf-e nazar | difference of opinion |
| موکول کردن | moukul kardan | to leave, to trust; to postpone |
| انحراف | enherāf | deviation |
| از هم پاشیدن | az ham pāšidan | to collapse, to fall apart |
| تدوین | tadvin | compilation, drafting |
| محول کردن | mohavval kardan | to hand over |
| به طور اصولی | be tour-e osuli | in principle, generally |
| مورد بررسی قرار گرفتن | mowred-e barrasi qarār gereftan | to be examined |
| اختیارات (مفرد: اختیار) | extiyārāt (sing. extiyār) | authorities, powers |
| مسئول بودن | mas’ul budan | to be responsible |
| رأی مستقیم | ra’y-e mostaqim | direct vote |
| حاکمیت | hākemiyyat | authority, ruling power |
| مجلس مؤسسان | majles-e mo’assesān | Constituent Assembly |
| به صراحت | be serāhat | explicitly |
| اغتشاش | eγtešāš | unrest |
| گراییدن | gerāyidan | to lean toward, to tend to |
| مجلس خبرگان | majles-e xobregān | Assembly of Experts |
| دربست | darbast | completely, wholly |