Prior to the 1980 military coup, government authorities considered Kurdish one of the unnamed languages banned by law. Use of Kurdish was strictly prohibited in all government institutions, including the courts and schools. Nevertheless, during the 1960s and again in the mid-1970s, Kurdish intellectuals attempted to start Kurdish-language journals and newspapers. None of these publications survived for more than a few issues because state prosecutors inevitably found legal pretexts for closing them down. Between 1980 and 1983, the military government passed several laws expressly banning the use of Kurdish and the possession of written or audio materials in Kurdish. Sweet freedom, everyone is looking, so come here Sweet freedom, our eyes are tired because we have been looking for so long Mihemed Şexo, a legendary Kurdish musician, sang this song with as much longing for freedom as his ardent listeners, a people oppressed by Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. He continued to sing and distribute records in Kurdish despite repeated harassment by the Syrian security police. He was known not just for his love songs for Kurdistan, but also his courage in defending his language in the face of an oppressive regime. Mother tongue in education has a beneficial effect on the student: they make a better start when they begin in school, they have increased self-confidence and they perform better than those who have to learn a new language when they start in school. Education in mother tongue is also key in preserving one’s culture and help it to develop and be strengthened.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 09:26:28 +0000