At the beginning of this gathering which many Kurdish poets and writers and the honorable family of Dr. Mo’tamedi had taken part in, Jahanshir Amini, president of the University of Kurdistan thanked the Kurdish Studies Research Institute for holding this gathering and added that: the goal of such gatherings is to hold those who have made great efforts to preserve and advance language, literature and culture of this nation high in regard.
He continued: these distinguished characters shine like stars in the literary firmament, they understand the linguistic, cultural and literary requirements that should be transferred to the next generations and we are obliged to appreciate their efforts and to introduce them and their works to the younger generations.
The president of the University of Kurdistan added: and in doing these we could encourage the young generation to follow in their footsteps, those men and women that have worked in these areas and whose names and fames will remain forever.
He then mentioned the internal journals of the university in which the students write and publish and added that students should take these opportunities into good use to only publish what is actually theirs and avoid copying others.
Dr. Amini asserted that copying others’ works is a great damage and disadvantage and continued that: I hope all those young students who are just stepping into the field of language, literature and culture to follow this principle and to follow in the footsteps of the great and outstanding role models of their nation.
Then Omid Ghaderzadeh, the head of the Kurdish Studies Research Institute of University of Kurdistan clarified on the activities of this institute up to the present time saying: this institute is the only academic center in Iran that works in the fields of Kurdish culture, language and literature with cooperation of two linguistic and literary research teams since 2000.
He added: we have hold two international and one local conferences, and dozens of works have been published through this institution and it has supported a large body of writers, scholars and authors of Kurdistan province and even all the Kurdish regions.
Qaderzadeh continued by saying: in today’s world if it is spoken of new literature and theories of progress and development, the humanistic dimension of it is discussed and through these theories the roles of culture and literature in developing societies is supported, this makes it clear to us that what encourages progress and development, should be based upon culture and literature.
He declared that: an ongoing research is being conducted in the Kurdish Studies Research Institute now on whether Kurdish culture and literature is for or against progress and development and the primary results shows us that those elements of Kurdish literature that cause progress and development of the society are three times more than those that stand against it and this shows that the supporting elements of Kurdish language is more than those of Turkish, Persian and Lori languages.
The head of the Kurdish Studies Research Institute of University of Kurdistan says: Kurdish language, culture and literature could be a well-established basis for progress, growth and development of society and also spread of unity and concord in Iran in general and in Kurdistan in particular.
He deems appreciation and honoring the great Kurdish personalities whether man or women as one of the duties of the Kurdish Studies Research Institute and adds that: I hope there comes a time when all these great figures receive their much deserved place and appreciation while they are still living and could take part in such gatherings in person.
He said that this indifference toward identity and its spread in the society comes from the fact that our great figures still remain unknown and therefore are unable to be role models for the young generations, that’s why we should pay greater attention to this and we should then do our duties to the best of our abilities in this line and we hope we could act according to the merit of this institute.
He also announced that Dr. Mahindokht Mo’tamedi herself has dedicated her library to the University of Kurdistan and added that: those books who have been dedicated to the University are worthy resources that our students could use in their researches and will prove beneficial.
Then afterwards a videoclip was played the content of which was on the life and works of Dr. Mo’tamedi and then Soheila Mohammadi recited a poem.
The first panel started with Abdollah Rasoulnejad as the head and Raouf Tavakoli, As’ad Ardalan, Ahmad Azizi, Najmadin Showkatian, and Majed Marfokh Rohani as partcipants. Raouf Tavakoli was the first one to speak and his speech covered the following:
History tell us that those who serve culture and science and knowledge have always been under pressure and suppression, have given their lives, have been banished, imprisoned and in general have led bitter lives.
The Kurdish poets have also led hapless, full of trouble lives, more often than not living and dying in banishment and far away from their homelands.
Dr. Mahindokht Mo’tamedi daughter of Ata’ollah Mo’tamedi is from a well-known family. Her father Dr. Mo’tamedi started working as teacher in a boys’ school in Baneh and they remained living there till 1310 and Dr. Mahindokht Mo’tamedi was born there in 1305. She finished her education in primary and secondary schools in Sanandaj and become a teacher in 1329.
She was thirsty of knowledge and continued her education while teaching at the same time, she got her B.A. in 1338 and then she still went on until she got her Ph.D.in 1352 in Persian language and literature and started teaching at university and after 31 years of teaching retired in 1361.
Dr. Mahindokht Mo’tamedi was fluent in Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, and French and had a good poetic sense and virtuosity. She followed Shafi‘I as her religion and Naqshbandi Sufi order in mysticism and the book she’s written about Mavlana Khalid Naqshbandi is the fruit of her mysticism.
She was well-acquainted with Persian poets and writers of her age and had a clean, well-polished language in poetry and literature so much so that even Persian writers and poets could imitate it.
The second speech was given by Dr. As’ad Ardalan which in short was:
Outstanding cultural figures like political power holders hold power in their hands and could use that power to influence and bring about change but there are difference between them, between a political, economic, social power holder and a cultural one.
One of these differences is that the power holders in those other areas could hold power only temporarily, since it is very probable that someone else comes and takes the power out of their hands but cultural figures will remain forever in their place, they won’t be removed or pushed out of the way and no rival could run them out of their power.
In politics one tries to win power, in economics to win wealth and money but in culture one tries to create something that knows no limits, remains timeless and indestructible so that no cultural growth and change may harm them.
In a society that political and economic powers exist, society divides in two but the cultural power instead of dividing the society unites it and does not require war and battle, it only needs sympathy and cooperation and harmony. They do not distance themselves from the society, they live with and alongside people and this is no easy task, family and society should rear people in this wise.
Dr. Mo’tamedi was born in a noble family whose sole occupation was with research and literature and writing and reading and this indeed affected her greatly, on her life and her works which are the topics of this conference.
Then afterwards Ahmad Naziri talked about Dr. Mo’tamedi’s personality and retold some memories:
Dr. Mo’tamedi was a very high-minded person, she lived in a difficult situation but never did she cry despair. She was alone all the time.
She was a bibliophile always intended to learn and learn more and consequently she has collected a large body of books that remain to this day to be useful resources for students and knowledge seekers all around.
Majed Mardokh Rohani talked about Dr. Mo’tamedi’s personality and retold his memory of Dr. Mo’tamedi fom when he’s been only a child and also mentioned the characteristics of her poetry and compared hers with Matoureh’s poetry.
Najmadin Showkatian was the last speaker of this panel and presented his words thusly:
In the longest and darkest night of 1308 SH in the small town of Baneh a Kurdish girl was born into this world of grief and suffering and though her life started in grief and suffering a bright shiny future was awaiting her.
She was the fourth child of the family, her parents were lovers of literature and culture. Her family was one of the noblest, most well-known families of Sanandaj. Her father was son to Hujjat al-Islam of Sanandaj which was one of the great sheikhs of Kani Mishkan and they kept the family name Mo’tamedi.
Mahindokht like others at the time was brought up in hardship and difficulty. In 1329 her parents separated and this was yet another blow for her. But she held still and her father permitted her to go live with her mother. With all that she had to bear she started studying Arabic and French. Since she had no teacher at the time, she learned French only through her books.
In 1340 she lost her father. She had faced another hardship and she again went on, she got her M.A. and then Ph.D. her M.A. in 1348 and her Ph.D. in Persian language and literature in 1352 from Tehran University.
Mahindokht was an outstanding person. She was this warmhearted sympathetic person that would donate all the rewards she would receive in different gatherings and conferences she would take part in or write papers to. Her most distinctive trait was that she was as far from showing off as possible and always behaved in a warm, kind manner.
Dr. Mahindokht wasn’t only a lover of poetry and literature but she also had a knack for music and had learned music under Hasan Kamkar and Hossein Yousef Zamani.
She had paved a long, hard way to rise up among Iranian poets. There has been lots of women since her times up to now that have expressed their emotions through poetry, music and literature. Dr. Mo’tamedi was one of those women who found her place among Persian poetesses like Parvin, Forough, Mastoureh and …
Then Rahim Loqmani recited a poem.
The second panel started with Omid Varzendeh as head of the panel, and Sayed Ahmad Parsa, Nasrin Ali Akbari, Jamal Ahmadi Ayin, Navid Naqshbandi and Shadi Ahmadi as participants.
The first sppech was given by Sayed Ahmad Parsa on the poetry of Dr. Mahindokht Mo’tamedi that in short was as follows.
Iran is one of those countries that has brought up many men and women of letters, scholars and professors. Dr. Mo’tamedi was a well-known researcher, teacher, and poet who published two books of poetry in the years 53 and 66 and her poems were mostly Sonnets, odes, rhyming couplets, do-bayti (two couplets), quatrains, Mosaman (eight couplets) and tarkīb-bands.
Her poetry is simple and uncomplicated. She neither uses informal everyday words nor difficult complex ones. She is also neither a modern poet nor a classical one and her poems reminds us of the Isfahani style of poetry.
Love, separation, memory of Sanandaj, complain of loneliness, mentioning Hajj pilgrimage, and praising prophets are the themes of Dr. Mo’tamedi’s poetry and social topics and themes find no place in her poetry.
Old age, grief of separation, loneliness, are pronounced in her poetry and they tell us that she has failed in love and that’s why she complains of the grief and bitterness of love.
Then Nasrin Ali Akbari compared Dr. Mo’tamedi’s poetry with Parvin E'tesami, Forough Farrokhzad and Simin Behbahani and declared:
The main theme of Dr. Mo’tamedi’s poems even in her odes is love and this is a spiritual love I think. Simin is more into sonnets and Parwin into odes but Dr. Mo’tamedi uses all poetic forms though mostly she uses sonnets.
The love-reason duality is very prominent in her poetry and widely used and this demonstrates the solitary sense of her poetry.
Jamal Ahmadi Ayin was the next one to speak, his speech was on the biographical reflections in Dr. Mo’tamedi’s poetry that in short attempted to say:
There are several women in Persian literature that have been active. The first one who pioneered the direct and clear addressing of earthly love was Mastoureh Ardalan who plainly mentions her love for Khosrow Khan.
Forough Farrokhzad and Simin Behbahani were residing in the capital whereas Dr. Mo’tamedi was living in small cities like Sanandaj and Baneh in a very traditional society. Yet we could say her poems could stand side by side to their poetry.
Then Navid Naqshbandi analyzed mysticism in the poetry of Dr. Mo’tamedi saying:
Dr. Mo’tamedi has managed to find a high place for herself in religion and mysticism. She had studied in religion and was a somewhat expert. The best way to know Dr. Mo’tamedi is to read her poems, they show us clearly who we are dealing with.
Religious matters in her poetry find two dimensions, one the mystical themes and the other the religious figures for instance many times we come across the name of prophet which shows her love for prophet.
Spiritual love and patience, tolerance and independence are manifest in her poetry, she only seeks help with God.
Shadi Ahmadi presented the last speech which was on allusion in the poetry of Dr. Mo’tamedi. In her book of poetry titled Sea of Tears she has used allusion 26 times and in her other book Flowers Of Awyar 47 times and most of these allusions allude to tales of prophets, myths and famous stories, Quran and Hadith, common beliefs and historical stories.
Among the tales oh prophets most of the allusions is to Moses, among the myths to Shirin and Farhad and Leyli and Majnoun, and among the historical tales to those of Mahmud of Ghazni, ‘onsori and …
She seems to have had Kurdish works as well but either they are not published or not available to us.
Sayed Bahadin Hosseini, member of the Sanandaj city council declared that: the city council could change the name of those streets, squares, and avenues that bear no proper name and hereby I promise we would use Dr. Mo’tamedi’s name for one of the befitting streets and we will consult in this case with experts and authorities.
At the end of this gathering Mo’tamedi family’s message was read by As’ad Naqshbandi in which they had appreciated the efforts made and then a Plaque of appreciation was awarded to the president of the University and the head of the Kurdish Studies Research Institute for all they had done to make this gathering happen.
A prize was also awarded to Mo’tamedi family from the Kurdish Studies Research Institute.
Then Mohammad Raouf Tavakoli, As’ad Ardalan, Ahmad Naziri, Najmadin Showkatyarian, Ahmad Parsa, Navid Naqshbandi, Nasrin Ali Akbari, Shadi Ahmadi, Soheila Mohammadi, Adnan Barzanji, Mansour Rahmani, Arez Fattahi, Omid Varzandeh, Abdollah Rasoulnejad, Jamal Ahmadi Ayin, Salma Sa’edi, Kolsoom Osmanpour, Ghazaleh Allahyai and Majed Mardokhrohani were thanked and awarded presents by the Kurdish Studies Research Institute.
It is worth mentioning that Dr. Mahindokht Mo’tamedi was a poet, woman of letter, and translator and this gathering was held by the Kurdish Studies Research Institute on Ordibehesht 27th 1393 in her memorial a short while after he passing.