On International Mother Language Day: calls to recognize Syriac as official language in Syria

The Olaf Taw Foundation for the Syriac Language in Qamishlo organized a lecture today to mark International Mother Language Day, observed annually on February 21, under the slogan: “Our Syriac Language… Our Identity… Our Future… Toward Constitutional Recognition of Syriac as an Official Language in Syria.” The event was attended by institutions, councils, unions, political parties, a delegation representing the Syriac component from Tirbespiye, and representatives of the Education Authority of the Autonomous Administration in Qamishlo.

The lecture was delivered by Yaqoub Barsom, a member of the foundation’s administrative committee, and Aziz Touma, a Syriac language curriculum developer at the Curriculum Foundation in Tirbespiye. They presented a historical overview of the cultural and scientific heritage of the Syriac people and the role of their language in shaping civilization in the Levant and Mesopotamia.

They reviewed key milestones in Syriac history, beginning with early literary figures such as Bardaisan of Urhoy (154–222 AD), and extending to the renowned Syriac schools that served as prominent centers of learning, including the School of Urhoy, the School of Nisibis, the School of Harran, Gundeshapur, and Baghdad. These institutions played a significant role in translating Greek philosophy and sciences into Syriac and later into Arabic, contributing to the region’s intellectual renaissance.

They also highlighted several archaeological sites in the Jazira and Euphrates regions that reflect the deep historical presence of the Syriac people, such as Tal Brak, Tal Mozan, and Tal Halaf, in addition to the monastery of Dura-Europos on the banks of the Euphrates. They emphasized that the Syriac language has left a clear imprint on the names of villages and cities across Syria and the Levant.

The speakers addressed the challenges faced by the Syriac language, particularly following the Sayfo Genocide of 1915, stressing that Syriac communities continued to establish schools and preserve their language wherever they lived.

In conclusion, they called for unity among the Syriac people in all their denominations and for collective efforts to demand cultural and linguistic rights, as well as to strengthen the teaching of the Syriac language in religious and educational institutions.

It is worth noting that International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and is observed annually on February 21 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and to protect mother languages from extinction.

A-H 

ANHA