Necessity of Teaching Foreign Languages in Religious Seminaries for Promoting Religious Messages and Islamic Law
Hojjat al-Islam “Ismail Roshan-tan” spoke about the necessity of teaching foreign languages in religious seminaries for promoting and propagating religion and Islamic law.
Hojjat al-Islam Ismail Roshan-tan, at the second gathering of literature professors with managers of the international research-educational complex of seminaries in Tabriz, while referring to the importance of language for expanding, developing and promoting Islamic law and religion, stated: “Communicating religious messages and Islamic law requires strengthening students and seminary scholars who can undertake this very great responsibility for those thirsty for this knowledge in the remotest corners of the world.
For us as teachers who are concerned with the education of the followers of the end times, limiting ourselves to one main language and our native language may not have much justification in the conditions of rapid changes and transformations in societies, and learning different languages to communicate the message of religion is an unavoidable necessity.”
He continued, referring to 270 seminary student language learners in East Azerbaijan: “It is possible that some people only want to learn a language in connection with economics or material issues or their spiritual needs, but learning various foreign languages for seminary students as preachers of religion because of the great responsibility of communicating religion is an undeniable necessity.
It should be noted that learning a language and strengthening students who receive education in the Islamic school, for creating effective communication in a world that requires various types of communication and exchange of different messages, is very effective.”
Hojjat al-Islam Roshan-tan’s remarks regarding the promotion of Islam throughout the world and the exchange of various messages were made at a time when the Islamic Republic regime has arrested many Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Bahá’ís on charges of their beliefs, promoting religion, and deviant teachings against the system and sentenced them to long imprisonments, exile, heavy monetary fines, torture, and in some cases execution, while itself intends to promote Islam and impose Islamic beliefs on people across the world.
Roshan-tan concluded his remarks by adding: “Today we cannot stop at one language, because this method means closing and shutting different doors of sciences. Therefore, now more than ever, we must take steps to learn a second language, which for all of us is the language of religion and the Quran, which is Arabic. If we convey a correct understanding of the language issue to our students, this understanding will bring correct confirmation along with it.”
