Following the proposal of the Kurdistan National Congress in 2007, May 15 was designated as Kurdish Language Day, marking the publication of the first issue of the Hawar magazine in 1932. On this occasion, the Kurdistan Human Rights Society shares a few thoughts with our readers on the significance of one’s mother tongue.
Language – A Cornerstone of Identity
Language is one of the most fundamental pillars of a nation’s identity. It’s not just a means of communication—it carries a people’s culture, history, thoughts, and worldview. Through language, people document, pass on, and recreate their experiences. Kurdish Language Day on May 15 is a reminder of the deep value the Kurdish language holds in the history of the Kurdish people—a day to honor and reaffirm the importance of keeping the mother tongue alive for millions of speakers.
Language and National Identity
Language is not only a tool for conveying ideas—it plays a central role in shaping the collective identity of a nation. Culture, literature, rituals, traditions, and even lifestyles emerge from language. The loss or weakening of a mother tongue essentially threatens the very identity and existence of a people. That’s why preserving languages is both a cultural and human responsibility.
The Importance of the Kurdish Language
Kurdish is one of the oldest languages in the Middle East, rich in dialects such as Kurmanji, Sorani, Hawrami, Kalhuri, and Zazaki. It carries an immense treasure of poetry, proverbs, folklore, oral history, and knowledge. Kurdish is not only a spoken language—it is a vessel for preserving the cultural and historical memory of the Kurdish people.
Discussing the depth, richness, and linguistic features of Kurdish is the domain of language scholars. Our aim here is not to analyze but to emphasize the importance of Kurdish as our mother tongue—our identity.
Throughout history, Kurdish has faced serious threats—from outright bans to institutional neglect. Yet, in the face of these pressures, Kurdish people have fought to keep their language alive through cultural resistance, personal and collective effort, and struggle.
From assimilation policies and the banning of Kurdish in Bakur (Turkish Kurdistan), to limited education in Kurdish in Rojhelat (Iranian Kurdistan)—despite Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution mentioning this right—there has been no real political will or infrastructure to make it happen, and Kurdish language activists continue to face political and security pressure.
In Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan), particularly before 2011, there was an aggressive policy of identity and language suppression. In Bashur (Iraqi Kurdistan), before Kurdish was officially recognized alongside Arabic in the 2005 constitution, Kurds endured Arabization policies and bans on Kurdish education—especially during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Despite all these challenges, Kurdish has survived—and this legacy is now in our hands. We must protect it, promote it, and pass it on to the next generation. This language is our greatest treasure—our very reason for being.
Mother Tongue and International Law
According to international conventions, every human being has the right to be educated in their mother tongue and to use it for expression, writing, and communication. Some of the key international documents supporting this include:
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 26): Emphasizes the right to education for all, in line with the full development of the human personality—an aim closely tied to the mother tongue.
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 27): Affirms the rights of minorities to maintain and develop their language, religion, and culture.
• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007): Explicitly upholds the right to education in one’s mother tongue and the preservation of indigenous languages.
Strategies for Preserving and Promoting Kurdish
To keep Kurdish alive and vibrant, we need action on multiple fronts:
1. Digitalization: Develop Kurdish-language software, apps, keyboards, and online dictionaries to meet the demands of the modern world.
2. Formal and informal education in Kurdish: Teach Kurdish to children both in Kurdistan and across the diaspora.
3. Kurdish-language media: Support Kurdish newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV to expand the public space for the language.
4. Support literature and the arts: Encourage Kurdish writers, poets, artists, and translators to produce and publish works in Kurdish.
5. Home and community education: Families play a crucial role. Speaking Kurdish with children, reading stories, and language nurturing from an early age are key to its survival.
6. Cultural and social activities: Organize language festivals, poetry and storytelling competitions, journalism initiatives, and other cultural events in Kurdish.
7. Attention to all dialects of Kurdish: Embrace the full spectrum of dialects to reflect the diversity and richness of Kurdish heritage.
8. Translation and authorship beyond literature: Produce Kurdish-language works in science, engineering, medicine, and mathematics.
9. Kurdish place and personal names: Preserve and promote Kurdish names for cities, towns, villages, mountains, valleys—and for our children.
A Living, Breathing Language
Kurdish must become a language of science, economy, trade, and politics. We must read in Kurdish, write in Kurdish, and think in Kurdish. We must keep our language alive—because if our language dies, our culture dies. Our language is the birth certificate of our existence.
R.M
