Kurdistan Renewal Movement calls for constitutional recognition of Kurdish

The decree issued by the transitional government, which provides for three weekly lessons in the Kurdish language, has sparked widespread rejection among the Kurdish community. Several areas have witnessed sit-ins and demonstrations demanding official recognition of Kurdish as a fundamental language in the country. Protesters said that teaching Kurdish for a limited number of lessons does not meet the rights of the Kurdish people and cannot replace constitutional recognition of the language.

Zido said the language is a “strategic issue and a matter of existence” for the Kurdish people, noting that Kurds live on their historic land in Rojava Kurdistan and have the right to learn in their mother tongue. He added that Kurds, as a key component of the population in other Syrian provinces, including Damascus, Aleppo and Hama, also have the right to learn in their mother tongue.

Zido added that the Kurdish language must be recognized in the Syrian Constitution and become an official language of the state. He considered the allocation of three school lessons to teaching Kurdish “far from sufficient” to meet the rights of the Kurdish people.

He explained that the lessons allocated to Kurdish could be a first step, but cannot constitute a final solution to the issue. He expressed support for the sit-ins and protests calling for the decision to be changed, stressing that addressing the Kurdish people through this measure does not reflect their status as one of the fundamental components of Syrian society and a people with a historic presence in the country.

Zido linked the language issue to three dimensions—legal, natural and religious—saying that recognition of the Kurdish language should be based on rights established by international conventions and standards, as well as peoples’ right to preserve their languages and cultures. He considered language an essential part of the Kurdish people’s identity and said they have the right to education in their mother tongue as an indigenous people living on their historic land.

He noted that the region is going through a phase of addressing crises and seeking peaceful solutions, considering the language and cultural issue part of this process. He called on Kurdish parties and political forces to unify their position on the rights of the Kurdish people and the Kurdish language and to work through peaceful means to secure recognition of these rights.

As a Kurdish language teacher, Zido also stressed that the Kurdish language is capable of meeting the requirements of the modern era and has no shortcomings preventing its use at all levels of education. He emphasized that the right to education in one’s mother tongue is “a non-negotiable and non-compromisable demand.”

ANHA