Kurdistani Diaspora Confederation Reaffirms Commitment to Kurdish Language on Mother Language Day

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, observed on Feb. 21, 2026, the Kurdistani Diaspora Confederation (KDC) extended congratulations to Kurds worldwide and underscored that preserving the Kurdish language is essential to national survival.

In their statement, the KDC described the mother tongue as far more than a tool of communication. “For our nation, the mother tongue transcends its function as a mere instrument of communication. It constitutes the foundational pillar of our cultural authenticity, the quintessence of our collective consciousness, and the ultimate guarantor of our enduring presence on the global stage,” the statement read.

Approaching the issue with what it called a deep sense of “national and historical accountability,” the confederation reaffirmed its commitment to preserving Kurdish language and identity within the diaspora and to opposing pressures of cultural assimilation.

“We are unequivocally convinced that our viability as a distinct nation is directly contingent upon the vitality of our language,” the statement added, stressing what it described as a paramount duty to transmit the heritage of the Kurdish language “in its most pristine form” to future generations living in exile.

Marking the day, the KDC pledged to mobilize all available resources to ensure Kurdish remains a living presence in the homes and consciousness of Kurds across the diaspora. It emphasized the importance of raising generations educated in their mother tongue and imbued with a Kurdish spirit to remain “an integral and inseparable component” of the nation.

Feb. 21 is recognized globally as International Mother Language Day, established by UNESCO in 1999 at the request of the Government of Bangladesh. The date commemorates the 1952 killing of Bengali demonstrators who were protesting the imposition of Urdu as the sole official language of Pakistan — an event that later became a catalyst for Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.

For Kurds, the day carries additional resonance. Throughout the twentieth century, policies promoting “one state and one language” exposed Kurdish communities to assimilation campaigns, including Arabization, Turkification, and Persianization. In response, academic and cultural efforts emerged to safeguard the Kurdish language and secure its transmission to future generations.

International Mother Language Day now serves both as a global call to protect linguistic diversity and, for Kurds, as a reaffirmation that language remains the vessel of identity, memory, and national continuity.