Tel Tamr residents reject limits on Kurdish education, calls for constitutional recognition

The Culture and Arts Center in Tel Tamr organized an event for children and students from the Martyr Ibrahim Commune in the city’s southern neighborhood, in rejection of the Ministry of Education’s decision to limit Kurdish language instruction to three classes per week. The event also emphasized the need for constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language and the protection of younger generations’ right to learn their mother tongue.

The event was held at Martyrs’ Square in the center of the commune, with the participation of students and pupils from the southern neighborhood and their families, along with members of the Culture and Arts Center. Participants expressed their commitment to their mother tongue and rejected decisions that restrict its teaching, stressing the importance of protecting and preserving Kurdish as an essential part of cultural and national identity.

During the event, Nesrin Salah, an administrator at the Culture and Arts Center in Tel Tamr, read a public statement stressing that respect for linguistic and cultural diversity is a fundamental criterion for building a modern democratic state based on justice and equality. The statement noted that international human rights conventions affirm the right of Indigenous peoples and minorities to use, develop and teach their mother tongues and to ensure their recognition in public and constitutional life.

The statement emphasized that constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language as part of the country’s national identity and cultural heritage is not merely a cultural right, but also a crucial step toward strengthening coexistence, consolidating national reconciliation and building a pluralistic society in which all citizens enjoy equal rights without discrimination.

It called on all relevant parties and lawmakers to ensure constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language and provide it with legal and official protection, reflecting a commitment to dialogue and laying the foundations for a stable future that respects the rights of all communities and guarantees children’s right to learn and preserve their mother tongue for future generations.

A-H 

ANHA