ÊLIH - At the 4th  congress held by ARİ-DER, speakers stressed that everyone has a responsibility to protect the Kurdish language.

 

Ari Association for Language and Culture (ARİ-DER) held its 4th  Congress at the Petrol-İş Congress Hall. Held under the slogan “Statûya bi Kurdî, perwerdehiya bi Kurdî" (Status in Kurdish, education in Kurdish), the congress was attended by numerous people, as well as representatives of political parties and civil society organizations from across the city.

 

The congress began with a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom. Writer Faysal Özdemir delivered the opening speech, saying that war has continued in Kurdistan for more than 200 years. He said: “Over the past 50 years, the Kurdish people have also been subjected to a period of war and conflict in their struggle for their existence. One of these struggles has been waged over the Kurdish language. Those who do not fully know their language and culture, and who do not take the necessary steps to preserve them, cannot build a path toward their future. If you want to take steps toward the future, you must also know your past.” 

 

‘EVERYONE MUST DO THEIR PART FOR LANGUAGE STATUS’

 

Özdemir said the Kurdish people must do everything they can to secure official status for their language, adding: “To achieve this, we must first free ourselves from the mindset that denies our existence. We are not a small minority. Our language is also one of the richest languages. The Kurds have also played a leading role in the Renaissance in the Middle East. We are holding our congress today, but this language cannot be sustained by a single association. We all have a responsibility to do whatever is necessary.”