Kurdish intellectuals call for recognition of Kurdish Language

Popular Kurdish demands have intensified recently in response to attempts to marginalize and exclude the Kurdish language and restrict education in it. The Kurdish public views these measures as a denial of its demands and a disregard for the great sacrifices made to secure its human and cultural rights, foremost among them the right to learn and receive education in their mother tongue. In response, a series of public reactions and organized activities have recently taken place, reaffirming the commitment to these rights and the determination to secure them in a manner befitting the struggle and sacrifices made.

In this context, intellectuals, particularly women, have rallied around these popular demands, reaffirming their steadfast commitment to calling for official recognition of the Kurdish language.

As part of this movement, Kurdish writer and poet Anahita Seno told ANHA agency that the issue of the Kurdish language goes beyond the conventional understanding of merely writing and speaking. At its core, she said, the language preserves the historical memory and fundamental identity of peoples.

She explained that the Kurdish people had succeeded in preserving their stories, literature and historical epics across generations through oral transmission. She warned that abandoning the language would inevitably have led to the disappearance of the Kurdish people and the erosion of their cultural identity.

Anahita also described language as a vital bridge connecting the past and the future. Citing her personal experience of learning the language from her father and her determination to teach it to her children, she said passing it on was essential to safeguarding Kurdish historical heritage, culture and identity from disappearing.

She stressed that the collective responsibility today was to preserve the sacrifices and considerable efforts made during the years of the revolution, particularly those devoted to protecting and defending the Kurdish language.

Expressing her views on decisions that fail to support the Kurdish language, Anahita said, “I reject any unjust decision or constitutional provisions that do not guarantee full protection and official recognition of the Kurdish language, because restricting or limiting the language represents a step backward that does not reflect the scale of the sacrifices made.”

She emphasized that learning and living in one’s mother tongue was a legitimate human right, questioning why people should be deprived of this right. She also insisted on her natural right to recite her poems and poetry in Kurdish without restrictions.

Concluding her remarks, Anahita placed direct responsibility on families and society to preserve the Kurdish language. She stressed that parents must speak Kurdish with their children at home and that Kurdish must also be adopted as a primary language of instruction in schools.

She noted that preserving the language and protecting the culture was a historic responsibility shared by every Kurd, calling for continued efforts and persistent work until their legitimate rights were secured and guaranteed.

For her part, poet Norhan Hassan said, “All parties must give the Kurdish language the utmost importance because language lies at the heart of identity and culture, and the existence of the Kurdish people is closely linked to the existence and continuity of their language.”

She called for the official inclusion of Kurdish in the Syrian constitution alongside the languages of all other communities, pointing to the long-standing struggle to secure this right, which has continued for 15 years.

She also highlighted the considerable difficulties and challenges Kurdish students face when adapting to other languages upon entering university, after spending many years studying in their mother tongue. “Therefore, the issue of education and students must be given greater attention,” she said.

Norhan concluded by emphasizing the shared collective responsibility to teach children Kurdish during this sensitive period. She called on people to hold firmly to their rights and continue demanding them without compromise, in order to affirm their existence and protect Kurdish identity and culture.

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ANHA