Zagros Institute pushes for standardized southern Kurdish dialect in Iran
Shafaq News/ The Kurdish language and literature have not been given therecognition they deserve in Iran, according to Kamran Rahimi, director of theZagros Institute of Sciences and the Zanst Cultural Association.
Rahimi, born in Ilam in 1971, is a professor of Persian and Kurdishlanguage and literature, as well as a prolific author and researcher. His worksinclude numerous publications, research papers, and translations featured inboth Iranian and international journals.
"The goal of the ‘Zanst Zagros’ Institute and the ‘Zanst’ CulturalAssociation is to establish a standardized version of the Southern Kurdish(Faili) dialect based on an inductive approach," Rahimi told Shafaq News."It is crucial to elevate and preserve the Kurdish language."
Rahimi explained that the establishment of the institute and associationwas the result of two decades of work, culminating in their official launch in2021. "We aim to develop educational materials, create a standardizedteaching dialect, and provide Kurdish language and literature instruction underArticle 15 of the Iranian Constitution," he said.
Despite the lack of funding, the institution has completed 33 culturalprojects at both local and international levels. "These projects includepublishing books and magazines, participating in conferences, and organizingspecialized workshops," Rahimi noted.
"So far, we have completed five book titles through the efforts ofour members, and we have five additional academic and educational works pendingapproval," he added.
The association also seeks to encourage literary and linguisticcontributions in Kurdish, in line with Article 5 of the Iranian Constitution.It does so through initiatives such as hosting storytelling and languagecourses, organizing literary critique and evaluation sessions, holdinglinguistic conferences and discussions, honoring distinguished Kurdish literaryfigures with awards, establishing a platform for publishing Kurdish-writtenworks through linguistic and literary editing services, and developing and standardizingKurdish writing guidelines for academic and public institutions.
Rahimi stressed that another key goal is to enhance the academic andliterary competence of members and enthusiasts by offering courses onPersian-Kurdish comparative linguistics, joint Latin transcription, literarycriticism, and Kurdish literary history.
The long-term goal of these efforts is to collaborate with literary andacademic experts to establish a standardized Southern Kurdish dialect suitablefor education and communication. "This will contribute to the developmentof Iranian languages in cooperation with the Academy of Persian Language andLiterature and the ‘Kurdish Academy,’ following lexicographic and linguisticconsistency principles," Rahimi said.
The institute is also working on specialized academic publications andsecuring official permits to further its research and educational outreach.
The institute’s charter outlines broader goals, including trainingskilled professionals in cultural fields, fostering entrepreneurship amongyoung artists, and developing standardized cultural and artistic programs."We aim to identify and nurture existing and emerging talents whileexpanding and refining cultural activities," Rahimi said.
The organization offers short-term training courses in story writing,book critique, editing, proofreading, and text analysis, with a focus on properwriting principles.
Rahimi noted that the institute is led by a 17-member main council,comprising university professors, managers, lawyers, writers, and artists fromKurdish regions. The general membership stands at around 200, with 20 distinguishedhonorary members.
Additionally, eight independent working groups within the institute haveproduced 860 publications and 36 educational and scientific video materials.Membership is open to the public and academics who meet specific criteria.
