Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs: Linguistic rights must be enshrined in constitution

On the occasion of International Mother Language Day (21 February), Kurdish, Syriac and Armenian representatives spoke to ANHA agency about the importance of language for their peoples, as well as their demands and hopes.

Viyan Hassan, Co-Chair of the Kurdish Language Foundation (SZK), explained that the first condition for preserving any nation is its language. She emphasized that they consider the issue of the Kurdish language in Rojava Kurdistan a fundamental right and a central strategic priority.

Viyan also recalled that the right to education in one’s mother tongue is not only a natural and legitimate right for Kurds, but for all peoples.

She further noted that granting official status to education in Kurdish in Syria cannot be achieved merely through statements or decisions, but must be закрепed in laws and the constitution. She added that the matter is not limited to education alone; the legal framework must also allow all activities related to the Kurdish language. “If these steps are not taken,” she said, “the Syrian crisis will not be resolved.”

For her part, Samira Hanna, a member of the Syriac-language foundation Olaf Taw, stated that Syriac had once been the primary language in Syria. She called for Syriac to become an official language in the Syrian constitution and to be taught in both public and private schools.

Meanwhile, Meghri Sarkis, a member of the Armenian Women’s Union in Qamishlo, said that the Armenian people are an indigenous component of Syria and have preserved their language for hundreds of years. She affirmed that respect for and official recognition of the languages of all components, including Armenian, must be safeguarded in the Syrian constitution. “The specific circumstances of Armenians must be taken into account,” she said, “not only in terms of providing language classes, but also through work in the fields of history and literature.”

Sarkis also stressed the need to develop Armenian cultural institutions in Syria and to allow the official use of the Armenian language in associations and churches. 

A-H 

ANHA