The College of Law and Politics at the University of Human Development assembled a panel featuring three of its lecturers to commemorate International Mother Language Day, which is on 21 February. The panel took place two days later at Professor Dr Ali Qaradaghi Hall. The speakers were Dr Kurdistan Salim Saeed, Dr Karwan Awrahman Ismail, and Dr Tahsin Hamah-Saeed Shamsaddin.

The focus of the panel was on the importance of protecting Kurdish, as it is directly related to the survival of the nation and its culture. A nation dies when its language is no longer spoken.

Among the issues raised by the speakers was the impact of globalisation on many native languages around the world. Globalisation causes the rapid death of many indigenous languages. The Kurdish language is undoubtedly being impacted and is under great threat. Proper actions must be taken.

Another issue highlighted by the panel was the responsibility of the Kurdistan Regional Government in promoting the Kurdish language, enforcing the existing laws aimed at protecting it, and standardising the language for official use. Families also have the responsibility to ensure that their children learn and receive education in their mother language. It is unfortunate to see that many Kurdish children in the diaspora do not speak Kurdish; their parents are to blame. This is a dangerous development and will negatively affect the future of the Kurds as a nation.

Education in the Kurdish language was another issue discussed by the panellists. No language can survive if it is not codified and properly used in education and literature. The more a language is used in producing literature and writing in general, the greater the chance for that language to grow and prosper. The Kurdish language has taken a significant step forward in that regard; however, it is not enough. More must be done. All languages are equal, and this must be acknowledged. No language is superior to another. The Kurdish people should be proud of their language and must work hard to increase its chances of survival and growth in the face of all the pressures from many enemies.