Jurist: Marginalizing Kurdish language is violation of law

The lawyer Mohamed Ali Farhan spoke to ANHA agency about the practices of the interim government toward the Kurdish language, and the attempts to marginalize and remove it from official institutions, which contradicts Presidential Decree No. 13. He said: "Presidential Decree No. 13 clearly states that the Kurdish language is an integral part of the Syrian society, which is characterized by its diversity and multiple colors, but what is happening on the ground completely contradicts what is stated in this decree."

He explained that "it is unacceptable for the authorities to issue an official decision and then violate it themselves and not adhere to it, as this constitutes a legal and human rights violation, and is inconsistent with the decree issued by the state itself."

Farhan added that: "The interim prime minister emphasized in his statements the importance of the Kurdish language and the necessity of protecting it and treating it as an integral part of the Syrian identity. However, the practices carried out by official entities go against this direction by ignoring the Kurdish language and working to erase its presence in institutions and official departments."

He continued: "When the Kurdish language is recognized as an indigenous language and then policies are implemented to marginalize and exclude it, this constitutes a clear violation of the laws and decisions set by the authorities themselves. Therefore, we, from the standpoint of our legal and human rights responsibilities, will do everything necessary to confront these practices, whether by organizing protest vigils or sending messages to human rights activists, international organizations, and the international community to emphasize that the Kurdish language is an indigenous language and must be respected and protected."

Farhan indicated that the Bar Association might resort to legal actions in the upcoming phase if these measures continue: "If necessary, we will file legal lawsuits against these decisions and actions targeting the Kurdish language."

Al-Hasakah city has witnessed a controversy following the interim government placing an informational sign for the courthouse and writing it only in Arabic, which sparked protests among the residents who demanded the inclusion of the Kurdish language as well. It is noted that the sign was removed by protesters and reinstalled several times by government authorities, which the residents considered a disregard for their demands and an attempt to erase the Kurdish language, despite the existence of a presidential decree that recognizes it as an indigenous national language within the Syrian society.

ANHA