Iraqi lawmaker from the New Generation (Newey Nwê) Movement, Yusra Rajab, September 2019. Photo: NRT TV
BAGHDAD,— Iraqi MP from the New Generation (Newey Nwê) Movement, Yusra Rajab, called on Speaker of Iraqi Council of Representatives Muhammad al-Halbusi provide interpretation services for Arabic-speaking lawmakers so that Kurdish speakers can participate in debate in their own language and be understood by their colleagues.
During a session on Sunday, Rajab pointed out that Halbusi had promised the service last year, but that it was not yet available.
“I still have the same request and ask you to employ interpreters for us so that we can speak in our mother tongue,” Rajab added.
Under the constitution, Kurdish is an official language of Iraq.
In January 2019 Iraqi parliament has officially called for state-run Iraqi Airways and relevant authorities to add Kurdish language and offer services to travelers in in this language aboard planes.
The first Iraqi constitution, the Basic Law of 1925, in its Article 124 did not recognize the Kurdish language and avoided mentioning and acknowledging that speakers of this language are one of the components of Iraq.
Article 3 of the 1964 constitution stated that, “Islam is the religion of the state and the Arabic language is its official language.” This article blocked the way for an official acknowledgement of the Kurdish language while it mentioned in its Article 19 that, “this constitution recognizes the national rights of the Kurds, as part of the Iraqi people, and in a national and brotherly unity.” The same thing happened in the 1968 temporary constitution, which only recognized the Arabic language as an official language as stated in its Article 4.
The temporary constitution issued in 1970, which remained in force until the fall of the regime in 2003, was an amended form of the 1968 constitution. This constitution allowed the use of the Kurdish language in self-rule areas inhibited by the Kurdish majority. However, the regime Arabized many Kurdish areas and deprived their inhabitants from self-rule and from the freedom of using the Kurdish language.
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