Derbasiyah Youth and Students: Kurdish language is our existence

Dozens of young people from Derbasiyah took to the streets today to protest against the Ministry of Education’s decision to reduce the number of Kurdish-language classes.

The demonstration began at the Women’s Roundabout and proceeded towards Braid Roundabout. Participants carried banners reading, “Our language is our existence, and our existence is not negotiable,” and chanted slogans calling for Kurdish-language education to be treated fairly.

Upon reaching Braid Roundabout, the demonstrators observed a minute of silence in honour of the martyrs before Fatima Sheikho read a statement on behalf of the youth and students.

The statement stressed that the Kurdish language is a right and that preserving it in all spheres means preserving culture and identity. It rejected limiting Kurdish-language instruction in schools to three classes per week, describing the decision as “an injustice against children and students.”

The statement called for the Syrian constitution to protect the languages of all communities and guarantee students’ linguistic rights. It also pledged to continue demonstrations in public squares until these demands are met.

The statement further rejected the marginalisation and denial of the Kurdish language, stressing that “an attempt to kill a language is an attempt to kill the human being itself” and that “Kurdish is a red line, and denying it means denying the existence of the Kurds.”

The demonstration concluded with chants of “No life without language.”

a.k

ANHA