Residents of Girkê Legê call to preserve historic Kurdish place names

Several residents of the city of Girkê Legê in the Jazira Canton called on the interim government not to follow the same policies previously adopted by the Ba'ath regime to Arabize the names of Kurdish cities and towns. They stressed that these names are an integral part of the identity and history of the Kurdish people and should not be altered or replaced.

In this context, resident Nesrin Jeto said that the Ba'ath regime changed the names of many Kurdish cities and towns as part of policies aimed at erasing Kurdish identity and changing the geographical character of Kurdish areas. She added that there are now similar attempts by the interim government to Arabize the authentic names of Kurdish cities.

She emphasized that the people of the region reject the Arabization of Kurdish areas because they are historic Kurdish cities and towns. She noted that residents had hoped such policies would end with the fall of the Ba'ath regime, but the continuation of these practices has increased their fears that the same approach is being repeated.

For his part, resident Anas Hassan said that the Rojava Revolution was launched to secure rights and defend Kurdish identity, as well as to oppose Arabization policies that began with the controversial 1962 census and the Arab Belt project implemented by the Ba'ath Party, during which the names of many Kurdish villages, towns, and cities were changed.

Hassan stressed that such policies should not be repeated after the fall of the Ba'ath regime, calling on the interim government to preserve the Kurdish names of cities and villages and to respect the region's unique historical identity.

Meanwhile, resident Nehayet Mousa urged the interim government to fulfill its commitments to preserve the distinct character of Kurdish areas, particularly the Kurdish names of cities, villages, and institutions, and not to repeat the Ba'ath Party's policies that targeted Kurdish identity.

She concluded by saying that the Ba'ath Party had sought, through its decisions, to deny Kurdish identity and erase its long history. She stressed that what is needed today is respect for all of Syria's indigenous communities and the preservation of the Kurdish names of cities and towns that were previously changed, without reviving policies whose consequences proved severe.

ANHA