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Arabic-Kurdish Language Divide
20.7.2006
By Hind al-Saffar in Baghdad and Sulaimaniyah (ICR No.
186, 19-Jul-06) |
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While Arabic and Kurdish are the official
languages of Iraq, few Iraqis speak both.
Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan-Iraq, -- Kawa Ahmed, a
teenager dressed in traditional Kurdish clothing,
chatted and laughed with his friends while strolling
in Sulaimaniyah as a group of Arab tourists snapped
pictures of them.
"Supas (thank you in Kurdish),” said Ahmed, drawing
a chuckle from one of the visitors.
"Thank you," he said in English, in an attempt to
find a language through which both could
communicate.
Iraqi Kurdistan has had semi-autonomy from the
central Iraqi government since 1991, when Kurds won
control of the three northern provinces after
decades of oppression. Fifteen years later, a
communication gap exists, as the Arab majority in
Iraq doesn't speak Kurdish and few Kurds -
particularly the younger generation - speak Arabic.
The language divide between the north and the rest
of the county has always existed. Kurds were
isolated and were the victims of ethnic cleansing
under Saddam Hussein's regime, according to
international human rights organisations. But the
gap is wider today, many experts maintain.
The constitution lists Arabic and Kurdish as the
official languages of Iraq, however in most of Iraq,
including at many government offices, few can speak
and read both languages. In Iraqi Kurdistan, offices
usually have Kurdish and, sometimes, English signs,
and official documents are often drafted in the
native language of the northern region.
The problem is most glaring in oral communication,
however. An increasing number of tourists and
residents from the rest of Iraq are coming to the
north and are shocked that Arabic doesn't get them
far.
"I'm so sad because I can't find a common language
between us and our Kurdish brothers," said Dunya
Hatam, 34, a Baghdad resident who vacationed in
Kurdistan. "This makes me feel alienated here."
People in Kurdistan had little interest in teaching
their children Arabic while ruled by Saddam's
oppressive regime. Older Kurds learned Arabic when
they were asked to join the Iraqi army or if they
dealt with Arabs before 1991.
There has been some language overlap. Baghdad has
long had a large Kurdish community that speaks both
languages, and Kurds who lived in - or were forcibly
moved to - central or southern Iraq also speak
Arabic. While fewer in number, the same is true for
some Arabs who turned to Kurdistan to escape
violence-torn provinces.
Even though Kurds hold power in Baghdad, the
communication barrier has occasionally limited them.
Rizgar Amin, the first judge to oversee the trial of
Saddam and seven of his deputies, was criticised for
not speaking Arabic well.
In parliament, Iraqi Accord Front deputy Azhar al-Samarai
said representatives do not need to learn Kurdish
because there are translators.
"Most Kurdish parliamentary deputies can speak
Arabic, but use in Kurdish [on the national assembly
floor] to ensure that they are properly understood,”
she said.
She indicated that the onus is on Kurds to know
Arabic, because it is the language of Islam and
enables them to have better relations with Arab
citizens.
Linguistic separatism has bolstered those who
advocate Kurdish independence.
Latif Qadir, 50-year-old Kurdish civil servant in
Baghdad who lived there for more than 20 years, is
moving to Sulaimaniyah to escape the violence. He
supports Kurdish independence, in part based on the
language difference.
"It does not mean that we don't love Iraq, but as a
nation that has its own history we have the right to
have our own independent state," said Qadir.
However, at the same time, there are signs that
Arabs and Kurds are prepared to bridge the
linguistic divide.
Luma Hussein, director of the women's NGO al-Noor in
Baghdad, said she wants to learn Kurdish because she
believes that Kurdistan has more experience in
developing civil society organisations.
She and Chiro Sabir, head of the Rasan organisation
which defends human rights in Kurdistan, agreed to
hold Kurdish and Arabic language courses as a new
step toward Arab-Kurdish cooperation in Iraq.
"In the past learning Arabic didn't mean any thing
for me," said Sabir. "But after the fall of the
regime I wanted to interact with Arab Iraqis so I
tried to learn and practice Arabic. It's necessary
for us, as a civil society NGO, to connect with all
of Iraq."
Ahmed, the teenager, said he too wants to improve
his Arabic. He said he was shocked that after he
told the Arab tourist thank you in English, she
replied in Kurdish, "Not at all."
Hind al-Saffar is a Baghdad-based IWPR trainee
journalist.
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