Political and Legal Aspects of the Use of the Kurdish Language in Iraq

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Abstract

According to the Iraqi Constitution of 2005, Kurdish is an official language in the Republic of Iraq along with Arabic, and these languages must be used equally in all spheres of state activity. Note that the population speaking Kurdish is concentrated in the north of the country. The article examines the provisions of the Constitution concerning the scope of application of official languages and articles of the laws on official languages issued separately by the federal government and the government of the Kurdistan region. The actual implementation of the provisions of the Constitution and laws at both the federal and local levels is considered. Special attention is paid to the use of official languages in the field of education in Iraq and the Kurdistan region and the spheres of use of the so-called local official languages – minority languages in the areas of their residence.

About the authors

A. A Asylguzhina

Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: ayamyka@gmail.com
Applicant, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, Russia

References

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