Initiative of Kurdish Language Constitutionalization, Recognition pledge to take Kurdish demands to parliament, International arena

The Initiative to Constitutionalize and Officially Recognize the Kurdish Language in Syria was announced on October 17 in Qamishlo, in the Jazira region, amid widespread opposition to a decision by the Syrian transitional government’s Ministry of Education limiting Kurdish-language education in schools to just three classes per week.

Teachers, students, human rights advocates, journalists, artists, linguists and members of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) took part in the initiative’s launch, together with tribal elders and representatives of various segments of society.

Speaking about the initiative’s establishment, objectives and activities, Omar said it emerged from the determination of intellectuals, human rights advocates, artists, teachers, students and their families, along with others committed to protecting their language and rights. She emphasized that Syria’s cultural and linguistic diversity had helped shape the initiative.

“There was a need for practical action”

Omar said the Ministry of Education’s decision on the Kurdish language, issued on August 28, 2026, had prompted them to mobilize and take practical steps to secure recognition of Kurdish. She said, “When the right to a language is guaranteed, other rights are guaranteed too. That is why there was a need for practical action to make our language official.”

She added that students had organized activities to demand their right to education in Kurdish. Although unofficial statements had suggested that Kurds would be allowed to read in their own language, this had not materialized, particularly in Kurdish-majority cities, prompting them to establish the initiative.

“We want linguistic diversity in Syria”

She said the initiative sought to promote linguistic and cultural pluralism in Syria, stressing that it opposed no language, adding that “We want linguistic and cultural diversity in Syria. We are not against any language. Just as Arabic is an official language, Kurdish should be official too.”

She added that the initiative aimed to bring the Kurdish people’s hopes, ideas and demands before parliament and work toward recognizing Kurdish as an official language and guaranteeing the right to education in it.

Petition campaign and national and international efforts

Regarding the initiative’s activities, Omar said its members had visited several institutions, organizations and political and social parties to seek support, adding that they had received positive responses from the parties they had approached.

She said the initiative maintained ties with individuals and institutions outside Syria and had also established contact with parties in Damascus. Meetings and consultations would continue in the coming period, she added.

Omar announced that the initiative would launch a large-scale petition campaign targeting all components of Syrian society, including Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs and Armenians. The campaign would involve reaching out to people in their homes, institutions and schools.

She also said the initiative was working to establish ties with universities in southern Kurdistan and with public figures and linguists in eastern and northern Kurdistan. It would also contact human rights organizations, the United Nations, UNESCO and all institutions and individuals defending the right to education in one’s mother tongue.

Omar noted that the initiative was pursuing both legal and diplomatic efforts and seeking contact with similar initiatives to learn from their experiences and proposals.

She affirmed that the initiative would conclude its work once Kurdish was officially recognized in Syria and the objective for which it had been established was achieved.

“We call for support from all components of society”

Omar called on Kurds in Rojava and other parts of Kurdistan, Syria’s diverse communities and Arab public figures to support the initiative and participate in its activities. She stressed that its demands were not directed against any language but sought official recognition for Kurdish in keeping with its national standing.

She said, “If the people and students do not support us, we will not succeed in anything. Preserve your Kurdish identity and send your children to learn Kurdish. Then we will achieve something together.”

To broaden its outreach to the public, the initiative has established accounts on digital platforms to share information about its objectives and activities:

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/ziman_hebuna?exln=eDg0d3E1OXZmOHA3&utm_source=qr

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/share/1KehU7ZDUW/ 

X: 

https://x.com/idzk_s?s=11

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