President Barzani: Kurdish people are resilient to preserve their language, culture, and art

Shafaq News/ The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, inaugurated the Kurdistan Center for Arts and Culture in Erbil, vowing to continue defending the Kurdish language and heritage.

During his speech at the opening ceremony, Barzani highlighted the "rich and diverse history and culture" of the Kurds, which he said had faced systematic suppression throughout history.

"Throughout history, repression, humiliation, prohibition, deprivation, violence, and weaponry have been systematically used as policies to erase the Kurdish people, Kurdistan, and our culture. Yet, they have not succeeded in destroying the rich culture of this land."

He credited the Kurdish people's cultural resilience. "The secret to the survival of the Kurds and the people of Kurdistan, despite the many tragedies that have befallen us throughout history, is their desire and love for preserving their language, culture, art, and literature. The Kurds and the people of Kurdistan have set an unparalleled example."

Barzani pointed to historical Kurdish emirates and the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government as periods that fostered Kurdish cultural expression.

"We wouldn't have had poets like Melayi Jeziri (Kurdish: Melayê Cizîrî) and Ahmad Khani (Kurdish: Ehmedê Xanî) without the BoHtan Emirate (Botan) or poets Nali and Salim without the Baban Emirate," he said.

Furthermore, the Kurdish President cited the role of figures like Sheikh Mahmoud and Sheikh Abdul Salam Barzani in promoting the Kurdish language and culture.

"Under the late Sheikh Mahmoud, Kurdish journalism and writing began to flourish. In just one year, a revolution in the Kurdish language and culture took place in the Kurdistan Republic. After the 1970 agreement and the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government in 1992, all doors were opened to Kurdish language, art, and culture."

Barzani also mentioned Sheikh Abdul Salam Barzani's early 20th-century appeal to Ottoman authorities advocating for the use of the Kurdish language. "We cite these examples to demonstrate that language, literature, culture, art, books, films, and theater have been the backbone of our rights, demands, maps, and plans. We assure that we are fulfilling our responsibilities in this area," he concluded.