“Government’s decision regarding Kurdish language is unfair and unjust”

Today, students of “Martyr Jîr” High School, located in the western district of Qamishlo city in the Jazira region, issued a statement in the schoolyard, in the presence of teachers, to condemn and reject the decision of the Ministry of Education in the Syrian Transitional Government regarding the Kurdish language, which limited its teaching to only three lessons per week.

During the event, banners were raised with slogans such as "Our language is our identity," "I am Kurdish, and my language is Kurdish," and "Read in Kurdish, write in Kurdish, and speak in Kurdish," while participants chanted slogans including "No life without language" and "No to Damascus' decisions."

The event began with a minute of silence in remembrance of the martyrs, followed by the students performing the anthem "Ay Raqib".

The statement was read in three languages: Kurdish, Arabic, and English.

Student Slava Shiyar Ali said that students reject the Ministry of Education's decision regarding the Kurdish language, considering it "unfair and unjust," and pointing out that the Kurdish language represents for them "our color, our voice, our memory, our identity, and our culture."

She stressed that the students’ demands are not limited to increasing the number of hours of teaching the Kurdish language, but also include education in the Kurdish language and adopting the entire curriculum in the mother tongue, explaining that they want to learn all languages, but they hold fast to their right to receive education in their Kurdish language.

Slava noted that the students have continued their activities since the decision was issued, and said that the voice of the Kurdish students "is not being heard." She also spoke of their exposure to "attacks and insults" by government teachers, stressing their rejection of this.

She added that the people of the region "resisted ISIS mercenaries so that the children of the world could live in peace," considering that they are currently being subjected to "political genocide" through decisions related to the Kurdish language, and called on the Kurds to participate in events and activities.

Following that, student Basna Adnan Omar read the statement in Arabic, while teacher Rojin Mohammed read it in English.

It  concluded with chants of "No life without language" and "No to Damascus' decisions".

Sh-S

ANHA