On International Mother Language Day, I extend my greetings to the symbols of the preservation and development of our Kurdish language. From the great Khani to Haji Qadir Koyi, Musa Anter, Jger Xwen, and the dozens and hundreds of our national and cultural leaders who, through their perseverance and resistance against the occupiers of Kurdistan, did not allow our Kurdish language—the symbol of our national survival—to be eradicated.

I remember that we, the people of the separated regions, in Kirkuk in 1977, when we were first taught in the Kurdish language, the Ba’athist regime banned the Kurdish language as part of their cultural genocide and Arabization policies, and our education process was switched to Arabic. For us, that time was very difficult, but despite that, we continued to develop our Kurdish language as a form of national resistance.

Now, it is crucial that in all parts of Kurdistan, emphasis is placed on teaching the Kurdish language. We must have a comprehensive national project to standardize the Kurdish language, both in terms of speaking and writing. If the process of nation-building is not politically feasible at the moment, standardizing our language will play a vital and fundamental role in completing our national identity.

Greetings to the teachers of the Kurdish language…
Greetings to the defenders of our mother tongue in all parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora…