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LETTER TO
EUROPE FROM KURDISTAN
To the attention of mister Ján Figel'
European Commissioner responsible for culture
Dear Mister Figel',
Dear Mister commissioner,
Is it not a tragedy if a child is prevented from
writing to his mother in her language something
like “Mum, I love you”? Is it not a tragedy when
a child is forbidden to speak his language at
school? At a time when we are proudly defending
the rights of whales, at a time when pictures
from Mars are in our hands and at a time when we
speak of the beauty of multilingualism, millions
of human beings are deprived from the right to
read and write in their mother tongue. Indeed
their language remains forbidden in the real
sense, even today.
Kurdish is spoken by more than 30 million
people. It is the language of a people whose
freedom is denied, a people divided between
several states, and a people that has played an
important part in the development of Eastern
civilisation.
Violence in the Middle East is often linked to a
lack of recognition of religious and ethnic
groups, whether they are minorities or not.
Respect for the rights of groups is not only an
important mean of conflict prevention, but also
provides the guarantee for an effective
constitutional state.
We, Kurdish writers from various parts of
Kurdistan, ask the governments of Europe to use
every available diplomatic channel and
legislative instrument to request that Turkey,
Iran, Iraq and Syria respect the rights of
individuals and peoples, more specifically the
Kurdish people, and constitutionally guarantee
them. Following Iraq, we would like Turkey, Iran
and Syria also to officially recognise the
Kurdish language so that education, media and
publications in Kurdish are made legal.
In addition, Europe can help in the development
of the Kurdish identity and culture as well as
in the protection of the Kurdish cultural
heritage. The European Union can help in many
ways. The following are some further
suggestions:
- Establishing contact with the governments of
Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria in regard to the
Kurdish language and insisting on a genuine
investigation in the Kurdish regions by a team
designated by EU.
- Assisting in the initiation of Kurdish
language courses and pedagogical training
facilities in Europe and the Middle East.
Assisting in the production of modern language
teaching books and material.
- Playing a role in the initiation of a TV
satelite channel to enhance the Kurdish language
and culture.
- Actively monitoring the policies of Turkey,
Iran, Iraq and Syria in regard to the Kurdish
language, and reacting in cases of negligence
and discrimination.
- Encouraging and supporting the teaching of
Kurdish in places with large Kurdish
communities.
- Supporting projects to translate literary
works to and from Kurdish.
- Supporting programs for the exchange of
Kurdish and European artists and writers.
The freedom of the Kurdish language, which would
clear the way for the development of Kurdish
culture, could play a significant role in
achieving lasting peace and greater democracy in
the Middle East.
Brussels, 18 April 2008,
Hêvi Berwarî Khairi Bozani Abdal Nouri
Germany (Kurdistan/Iraq) Kurdistan/Iraq
Kurdistan/Iraq
Konê Res Ibrahim Selman Hasan Silevani
Kurdistan/Syria Netherlands (Kurdistan/Iraq)
Kurdistan/Iraq
Sahînê Bekirê Soreklî Helîm Yûsiv
Australia (Kurdistan/Syria) Germany
(Kurdistan/Syria)
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