Calls for guarantees to use Kurdish language in administration, education, institutions

Activities supporting the Kurdish language have continued in rejection of a decision by Syria’s Ministry of Education to allocate three weekly classes for teaching Kurdish. Participants stressed the need to guarantee the right to education in one’s mother tongue and expand the presence of the Kurdish language across all educational stages.

The city of Tel Tamr witnessed a series of activities attended by members of civil society institutions, representatives of political parties and women’s organizations, as well as local residents. The activities reflected cultural and educational demands related to the right of the Kurdish people to preserve and teach their language.

In front of the Municipality Roundabout in the city center, the Tel Tamr City Council issued a statement to the public, read by teacher Hevidar Mohammed Ali. The statement stressed that language and education rights are neither temporary nor issues that can be postponed, calling for constitutional recognition of the Kurds as an integral component of Syrian society and for guarantees of their national, cultural and political rights.

The council also called for recognition of Kurdish as an official language alongside Arabic in areas where Kurds constitute a major component of the population, ensuring its use in public life, administration and local institutions. It also called for guaranteeing the right to education in Kurdish at all stages, from basic education through higher education, and establishing the legal and institutional frameworks necessary to achieve this.

Meanwhile, the Tel Tamr Culture and Arts Center issued a statement in front of the municipal center. The statement was read in Arabic by Nesreen Salah, an administrator at the center, and in Kurdish by teacher Rudi Reso. It stressed that language goes beyond being a means of communication, as it is an essential part of a person’s identity, culture and memory, as well as their right to express themselves. It emphasized that protecting the Kurdish language and strengthening its presence in education and culture constitute an inherent cultural and linguistic right of the Kurdish people in Syria.

The center noted that education in one’s mother tongue helps strengthen cultural identity, improve the quality of education, and enable children to learn and express themselves more effectively. It also contributes to preserving cultural and linguistic diversity within Syrian society.

The center called for expanding education in Kurdish to cover all educational stages and supporting the teaching of the language in schools and educational and cultural institutions, ensuring its continuity and transmission to future generations. It also called for respecting linguistic and cultural diversity in Syria and involving intellectuals, academics, community groups, and representatives of linguistic and cultural communities in shaping educational policies concerning their languages.

The statement stressed that calls for education in one’s mother tongue are not aimed at diminishing the Arabic language or any other component, but rather stem from the principles of equality, recognition of diversity, and respect for the cultural and linguistic rights of all Syrians. It called on relevant authorities, human rights organizations, and cultural and educational institutions to work toward consolidating this right and developing an educational framework that guarantees future generations the opportunity to learn their language and preserve their culture and identity.

The Culture and Arts Center’s event concluded with Kurdish-language musical performances.

The activities come as part of a series of events taking place across Rojava in support of the Kurdish language.

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ANHA