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We were in Iraq, so we presumed that Arabic remained the common language, but the trip to the Kurdish region, my first since before the war, taught me that Arabic will only go so far.
A pattern emerged. Person after person, especially the young, spoke almost exclusively Kurdish, struggling with Arabic if they spoke any at all. This, too, is a legacy of Saddam Hussein's rule...
Kurdish Language Line Drawn in Iraq
Seeded on Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:00 AM EST
Article Source: The New York Times- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (1)
I found this article to be a bit presumptuous that Arabic would be spoken everywhere, despite the history of the Kurdish protectorate. Language is such a core element of a group's identity that people would naturally want to learn the tongue of their ancestors.
But if the author is making the point that it would be useful to know another language as well, in this Arabic, given the region they are in, then I would support it strongly.
Here's an interesting perspective on not speaking Kurdish in Turkey, where they are the minority.
- 3 votes
#2 - Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:14 AM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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