Hasakah Seminar calls for constitutional recognition of Kurdish Language

The Rojava Association for Culture and Art organized a discussion seminar today on the occasion of Kurdish Language Day at Marbella Restaurant Hall near the Sinalco Roundabout in the city of Hasakah. The event was attended by association members, intellectuals, academics, lawyers, the Director of Education in Hasakah, Adnan Bari, and a large number of residents dressed in Kurdish traditional clothing.

The seminar began with a minute of silence and then opened with two main themes. The first focused on the importance of recognizing the Kurdish language in the Syrian constitution, while the second highlighted the role of lawyers and intellectuals in constitutionally establishing the Kurdish language and strengthening its presence within social institutions. The two themes were presented by the association’s administrator, Siban Ismail.

Speaking during the first session, Ismail said that the people who brought Kurdish society to the point where it can freely speak the Kurdish language could have devoted their efforts to personal interests, but instead chose to struggle for the Kurdish language despite challenges and hardships.

He added that the current phase requires preserving the sacrifices and struggle of previous generations and not allowing their efforts to be lost, because the issue of recognizing the Kurdish language has become, for the Kurdish people, a matter of existence or non-existence.

In the second session, Ismail stressed that intellectuals and legal experts play a fundamental role in securing constitutional recognition for the Kurdish language, as well as promoting its use in courts, institutions, and local centers, and establishing it as a widely used language among all sectors of society.

He further explained that constitutional recognition alone may not be sufficient to protect and strengthen the status of the Kurdish language. It should be accompanied by special laws ensuring that the language is not confined to limited or marginal fields, and by practical adoption within the ministries of education, culture, and higher education, alongside the formation of specialized committees to oversee the development of the Kurdish language and regulate its usage.

Following the presentations, the floor was opened for discussion. Several participants pointed out that recognition of the Kurdish language should first begin within Kurdish society itself through greater attention to and use of the language among all segments of the community. Others believed that achieving official recognition requires continued legal and political struggle.

The seminar concluded with poet Hozan Kirkindi reciting several Kurdish poems about the beauty and cultural importance of the language, while the Khabur musical group performed a number of old Kurdish folkloric songs to enthusiastic audience interaction.

ANHA