Aug 18, 2015

On his visit late last month to Sanandaj, the capital of Iran’s Kurdistan province, President Hassan Rouhani made an important announcement. For the first time, Kurdish language studies will officially be offered to university students. With the opening of a Kurdish Language and Literature program at the University of Kurdistan, Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution — based on which regional and tribal languages are allowed to be taught in schools — will finally be fully implemented.

Kurdish Language and Literature programs are already available at many well-known universities, academies and institutions around the world. In this vein, Iranian Kurds expected the establishment of such a program in Iran as well, and have long urged the implementation of the Iranian Constitution. Rouhani’s announcement is seen as the fulfillment of a key and long-standing expectation of Iranian Kurds. This change does not only affect academic studies, but also the publishing of news in the Kurdish language by the official Islamic Republic News Agency. It is helpful to frame this development in the context of Rouhani’s performance in the June 2013 presidential election, during which he won a majority (71%) of the vote in Kurdistan province.

Despite some opposition from the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, the Kurdish Language and Literature program will start in October. Bakhtiar Sadjadi, chairman of the council responsible for the implementation of this course, has said that 40 students have already been enrolled for the next academic year.

Although these developments have been welcomed as an important step by the government, some believe it should have occurred years ago. As’ad Ardalan, a political analyst and professor of international law, told Al-Monitor, “It could be regarded as a significant point in the eyes of those who do not know the history behind it and are not aware of the latest developments in the requirements and status of Kurds in other countries in the region.” Ardalan added, “For those who are engaged closely with the issue of the rights of Kurds, it is deemed to be an ordinary act that should have taken place at least 36 years ago, after it was authorized, or at least 15 years ago, after its feasibility was assessed and it was due to be carried out.” In Ardalan’s opinion, “What matters is teaching the Kurdish language based on the Iranian Constitution. That means not only teaching Kurdish, but teaching in Kurdish.” He deemed the distinction of “significant importance.”

Some interpret the progress on minority rights as a sign of Rouhani’s moderate domestic policies moving in line with his foreign policy, which seeks constructive engagement with the world. However, Ardalan does not see any link with advancements on the international stage — with specific reference to Iran’s July 14 nuclear deal with six world powers. He argued, “The creation of this program is just a little move toward a legal expectation that should have been met almost 40 years ago, on the grounds that although it is part of a cultural development, we cannot yet regard it as a starting point for any other political, economic and even social developments.”