“Our Language is Our Existence and Identity”

On the occasion of Kurdish Language Day, marked on May 15, students from the Kurdish Language and Literature Department and families of students in Kobani spoke to ANHA Agency.

“The Kurdish language was a dream for us”

Bakr Al-Jarada, a student in the Kurdish Language and Literature Department at the University of Kobani, said that learning the Kurdish language was once like a dream for them.

He added: “We will learn our language and teach it to future generations as well. Kurdish is one of the oldest languages and has faced many attacks, attempts at erasure, and extermination.”

Bakr pointed out that the language revolution also began with the Rojava Revolution, during which hundreds of Kurdish language teachers were trained.

He said: “For there to be a just and free Syria, the languages and identities of the peoples of Syria must be recognized.”

For his part, Kurdish Language and Literature student Judi Ibrahim explained that the Kurdish language revolution also started with the Rojava Revolution.

He continued: “The Kurdish language is one of the oldest languages in the Middle East and includes many dialects, but enemies have always tried to eliminate it. Figures such as Melayê Cizîrî, Feqiyê Teyran, and Ahmad Khani helped preserve the Kurdish language until today.”

Meanwhile, Jihan Bouzan, the mother of one of the students, said that the Kurdish language is the identity of the Kurdish people and therefore must be recognized and guaranteed in Syria’s constitution.

She added: “No matter what happens, we will never abandon our language because it expresses our identity and proves the existence of the Kurdish people. Since the beginning of the Rojava Revolution until today, our children have studied in their mother tongue at schools. From now on, our children cannot study in Arabic because Kurdish has become the foundation of their education.”

University student Serbest Bouzan also stressed that he continues his education in his mother tongue to this day.

He said: “The interim government, just like the Baath regime before it, is trying to ban and eliminate the Kurdish language. But no matter what happens, we will continue learning in our language and will never abandon it. The interim government must also recognize the Kurdish language in Syria’s constitution.”

ANHA