[lg policy] Erbil: Government to implement recommendations from Kurdish language conference

Sun Oct 2 19:55:13 UTC 2011

Saturday, 01 October 2011, 08:42 GMT
Government to implement recommendations from Kurdish language conference

The Globe

'Language, The National Identity' conference submits a list to
ministry An academic Kurdish language conference, called 'Language,
The National Identity,' was held at the Mahmood Zamdar Hall at Erbil
Central Library last week.

The conference, which was held under the auspices of the Kurdistan
Region President Massoud Barzani, was attended by around 250 language
experts and academics from all four areas of Kurdistan. The attendees
shared their ideas about issues related to language. The major topics
of the conference were the diversity of the Kurdish language dialects
and making efforts to bring the various dialects closer to each other,
agreeing on a single alphabet and finding a standard and comprehensive
language for Kurdish.

Dr. Hogir Mahmoud Faraj, language professor at Suleimaniya
University's Kurdish Language Department, appreciated the effort by
the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Culture and Youth.
"This is an important effort to unify the various Kurdish dialects of
the Greater Kurdistan and introduce language experts to all those
dialects, so as to have an inclusive language to understand each
other," explained Dr. Faraj in an interview with The Kurdish Globe.
"Lack of a language policy has caused serious harm to the Kurdish
language, and as we don't have an independent Kurdish entity, such
conferences can help coming up with a good Kurdistani dialog for all
the dialects of the Kurdish language."

Northern Kurdistan language expert Hussein Kartal, on the other hand,
told the Globe that Kurdistan Region has the decision-making power and
the Kurdish language can best find its true place in society from
strong decisions. "All other parts of Kurdistan are waiting for the
Kurdistan Region to establish the Kurdish language, through a
decisive, academic and reasonable verdict, as the standard language in
the national education system at schools and universities," said
Kartal. "Kurdistan's different dialects are in need of a symbol, which
I believe it is the Latin alphabet.

When you walk the streets of Kurdistan Region, you might lose your way
because the road signs are written in an alphabet that is not readable
except by Sorani Kurds."  Kartal says most of the books written in the
Sorani dialect should be translated into the southern Kurmanci dialect
by a dedicated committee. He says this will help those from various
dialects understand each others' feelings and knowledge. Dr. Rahim
Surkhi, eastern Kurdistan linguist and language professor at the
Salahaddin University, on the other hand, believes the congregation of
the Kurdish dialects in such conferences paves the way for the
formulation of a unified Kurdish language.

"There have existed Kurdish language elimination policies in all parts
of Kurdistan, and they still exist in various shapes," said Surkhi in
a Globe interview. "But culture, love and the political struggle of
the Kurdish nation has blocked this way from the invaders." According
to Surkhi, the KRG should convert the recommendations of the
conference into a set of regulations and procedures and send it to all
relevant ministries of the KRG.

Regarding the conference's 14 recommendations, Nawzad Abdul Aziz
Salih, adviser of the KRG Ministry of Culture and Youth, said all the
recommendations formulated by the attendees and submitted to his
ministry would be considered for implementation with coordination and
collaboration of other relevant ministries and government
institutions.

Salih noted the implementation could not be done instantly, as there
are related social changes. He said: "We will continue to pave the way
for the implementation of all the recommendations of the conference."

Profile

The Kurdish language conference submitted 14 recommendations after
four days of presentations and discussions, attended by linguists and
academics from all four parts of Kurdistan. The recommendations were:

1. The conference requests relevant parties draft the Language Law and
submit it to the Kurdistan Parliament.

2. Establishment of the Higher Kurdish Language Committee in Kurdistan
Region, consisting of 20 members from all Kurdish dialects, in direct
cooperation with Kurdistan's universities, Kurdish Academy and Kurdish
Language Institute.

3. We recommend the KRG facilitate and support the creation of a
Kurdish-Kurdish Dictionary, inclusive of all words and phrases of all
Kurdish dialects in both Arabic and Latin alphabets.

4. Both Kurdish alphabets should be used in scientific, educational,
cultural and media arenas until a unified Kurdish alphabet is applied.

5. Academic, scientific and cultural institutions should facilitate
conducting scientific research about the Kurdish dialects.

6. Kurdish language should be used as the first language in all
commercial, advertising and tourist matters and efforts should be made
to use both alphabets for all road signs.

7. According to the Constitution, the Kurdish language and the Arabic
language, are the official languages in the federal Iraq, so it
Kurdish should be used domestically as well as in foreign relations.

8. We demand that Iran, Turkey and Syria recognize the Kurdish
language in their constitutions and use it in the state education
systems.

9. Efforts should be made to use the Kurdish language for technology
and the Internet.

10. Kurdish media should prepare and present their programs in both
alphabets, provided they use a standard unified alphabet.

11. The conference will establish a committee to follow up the
implementation of the recommendations.

12. This conference should be held annually under the supervision of
the KRG Ministry of Culture and Youth.

13. The conference hopes a Kurdistan national unity conference can be held.

14. Kurdistan universities should facilitate the admission of students
from other parts of Kurdistan for the language and linguistics
departments.

http://www.kurdishglobe.net/display-article.html?id=15F8093D833CBDBEE519D14697D0F202

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