HİMA RAD

Sanandaj- Women are more aware of the importance of mother language. In Rojhilatê Kurdistan, women have paved the way for the opening of many Kurdish language courses in different cities. Women, including Zara Mohammadi, who was jailed for teaching Kurdish, have paid a heavy price for being determined to teach their mother language.

NuJINHA spoke to some Kurdish teachers in Rojhilatê Kurdistan to mark the International Mother Language Day annually observed on February 21.

‘Your mother language represents your culture’

One of the Kurdish teachers, H.M. learned the Kurdish alphabet many years ago. She thinks that listening to Kurdish songs, learning Kurdish proverbs and being interested in folk literature are very useful in learning the Kurdish language. Speaking on how mother language is important, H.M. said, “Your mother language represents your culture. If you cannot speak your mother language, you lose your identity. Children, who know their mother language, respect their mother language.”

‘Languages must be passed down to next generations’

Noting that mother languages are important for everyone, H.M. said, “All languages are equal. Learning a mother language is very important for everyone. However, languages of oppressed nations are subject to bans by sovereign powers. For this reason, many languages are endangered today. People should not allow their languages to disappear. They should preserve their languages and pass their languages down to the next generations.”

‘We teach our mother language with our own means'

Emphasizing that teaching Kurdish language in schools is banned in Iran, H.M. added, “Everyone has the right to learn how to write and read in their mother language. We teach our mother language with our own means because the Kurdish language is one of the most ancient languages in the world and all my efforts are to teach it correctly to the students.”

‘Women want to learn their mother language’

Another Kurdish teacher in Rojhilatê Kurdistan, N.B. said, “I have been teaching Kurdish language for about 10 years for free. I earn a living by working in another sector. I love to teach the Kurdish language because I want to encourage people to learn the Kurdish language. Women are more aware of the importance of their mother language.”

Persian is officially the national language of Iran. “Teachers are asked to speak and teach Persian at schools. We see parents speak Persian to their children. In order to prevent the Kurdish language from disappearing, parents and teachers should take more responsibility.

In Rojhilatê Kurdistan, Kurdish NGOs have held Kurdish courses to teach Kurdish language.