Mustafa Hijri’s Statement on International Mother Language Day
Mustafa Hijri, Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, issued a statement on 21 February to mark International Mother Language Day.
The statement reads
On International Mother Language Day, we reaffirm the fundamental right of the Kurdish people to education and learning in their own language.
Persian as a so-called official language, upheld and enforced by state power, has never spread naturally among the nations within the geography of Iran. Instead, it has been imposed on others through a policy of coercion. The assimilationist policies of successive Iranian regimes have failed and will continue to fail to erase our linguistic, historical and cultural heritage.
We stand with all oppressed nations in Iran and continue to fight for our national rights, including education in our mother tongue.
I express my gratitude to all teachers, students and activists in Eastern Kurdistan who have paved the way for the development of the Kurdish language despite the obstacles and oppressive policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
