Reading: The text of Ch. III (Articles 19-42) of the Constitution: see pages 37-40 of the following PDF file.
Listening: The speech of the former President of IRI Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi during a conference on “Responsibility for implementing the Constitution”.
Additionally, we have two micro-documentaries from the educational and research initiative Azad – the first one covers the discussion of Article 27, addresses the right to public gatherings and demonstrations, and the second explores the debates in the Majles-e Khobregan sessions regarding the women's equality and rigths.
Subject of Conversation: The condition of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (وضعیت حقوق بشر در جمهوری اسلامی ایران)
In this session, students will reflect on the condition of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran by comparing constitutional articles with real-world practices. The conversation will explore how rights such as equality, freedom of expression, assembly, and women's rights are framed in the Constitution and how they are perceived and implemented today. This discussion will help students expand their political and legal vocabulary and practice expressing complex opinions in Persian.
Homework:
- Please carefully read the today’s text and study the vocabulary.
- Watch both of the documentaries from Azad, then choose one of them and shortly (in 3-4 sentences) describe how the corresponding articles of Constitution have been changed during discussions.
- Choose 5 key terms or phrases from Articles 19-42 and write original sentences using each. Then, translate your sentences into English.
- Prepare for the next day’s discussion.
Vocabulary (Constitution Text):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| امتیاز | emtiyāz | privilege |
| اعم از | ‘amm az | including both |
| موازین اسلام | mavāzin-e eslām | Islamic criteria |
| در تمام جهات | dar tamām-e jahāt | in all respects |
| تضمین نمودن | tazmin nemudan | to ensure |
| احیاء | ehyā’ | restoration |
| حضانت | hezānat | nurturing |
| صالح | sāleh | competent |
| کیان | kiyān | integrity |
| بقا | baqā | subsistence |
| قیمومت | qimumat | guardianship, custody |
| غبطه | qebte | interest |
| ولی شرعی | vali-ye šar’i | legal guardian |
| حیثیت | heysiyyat | dignity |
| تعرض | ta’aroz | violation |
| تجویز کردن | tajviz kardan | permit |
| تفتیش | taftiš | investigation |
| مخل به | moxell be | opposed/contrary to |
| استراق سمع | esterāq-e sam’ | wiretapping a conversation |
| مشروط به | mašrut be | provided that; on the condition that |
| راهپیمایی | rāhpeymāyi | march |
| مصالح عمومی | masāleh-e omumi | public interest |
| مراجع صالحه قضایی | marāje’-e sālehe-ye qazāyi | the competent legal authorities |
| اسرع وقت | asra’-e vaqt | as soon as possible |
| دادگاه صالح | dādgāh-e sāleh | the competent court |
| برائت | barā’at | innocence |
| مجرم | mojrem | guilty |
| هتک حرمت | hatk-e hormat | aspersion of the dignity |
| سلب تابعیت | salb-e tābe’iyyat | deprivation of citizenship |
Vocabulary (Ayatollah Raisi’s Speech):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| توفیق | toufiq | success, good luck, grace |
| فرهیختگان (مفرد: فرهیخته) | farhixtegān (sing. farhixte) | intellectuals |
| صاحب‌نظر | sāhebnazar | expert, opinion-holder |
| میثاق | misāq | pact, covenant |
| تجسم | tajassom | embodiment, visualization |
| تضمین کننده | tazminkonande | guarantor |
| حقوق اساسی | hoquq-e asāsi | fundamental rights |
| مشروع | mašrū‘ | legitimate, lawful |
| تکالیف (مفرد: تکلیف) | takālif (sing. taklif) | obligations, duties |
| آحاد شهروندان | āhād-e šahrvandān | all individual citizens, each and every citizen |
| مسئولین (مفرد: مسئول) | mas’ulin (sing. mas’ul) | officials |
| دست‌اندارکار | dastandārkār | executor, actor |
| عالم هستی | ‘ālam-e hasti | the universe, the world of being |
| اجرا شدن | ejrā šodan | to be implemented |
| کم‌توجهی | kamtavajjohi | neglect, inattention |
| احیاناً | ahyānan | possibly, occasionally |
| عرصه | ‘arse | field, arena |
| اجتماعی | ejtemā‘i | social |
| دارای چیزی بودن | dārā-ye čizi budan | to possess something |
| مکلف بودن | mokallaf budan | to be obliged, to be bound |
| برجسته | barjaste | prominent, distinguished |
| خالی از لطف | xāli az lotf | not without charm, worth mentioning |
| رفاقت داشتن | refāqat dāštan | to have friendship |
| مأمور کردن | ma’mur kardan | to assign, to delegate |
| مترقی | motaraqqi | progressive |
| جلوه | jelve | appearance, manifestation |
| به حساب گذاشتن | be hesāb-e kasi/čizi gozāštan | to attribute (something) to someone/something |
| غیر قابل تغییر | γeyr-e qābel-e taγyir | unchangeable, immutable |