The Role of Media in Developing and Revitalizing Kurdish Language

Abstract

God created human beings with unique capacities that distinguish them from animals. The ability to learn and communicate using language is one of them. Acquiring more than one language is a virtue and a blessing to humankind. This enables them to communicate with other people from different nations, cultures, religions, and languages. When the mother tongue is suppressed and ousted by a new, dominant, acquired language, it is no longer a blessing. This will gradually weaken the mother tongue and ultimately will lead to the language's death. The Kurdish language faces the same dilemma since most Kurds acquired the Arabic language because of several reasons: firstly, it is their religion's language; secondly, they need to interact with the neighboring countries. Finally, Kurds went through the Arabization process by past regimes. Acquiring and using Arabic placed the Kurdish language in a danger zone recently since it gradually ousted Kurdish.  To Kurds, language is far more than just a means of communication, Kurdish language is the identity and pedigree of Kurds and a symbol of Kurds' unity. Many attempts have been made to save it from oblivion. In general, mass media played a vital role in this regard despite the absence of a standard Kurdish language. Television is the guardian of the Kurdish language and Kurdish unity.