With Official Attendance… Syriac Culture Commemorates International Mother Language Day
On the morning of Saturday, February 21, 2026, the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts hosted a celebratory event for International Mother Language Day at the Syriac Heritage Museum in the Ainkawa District.
The event began with addresses from the Acting Director General of Syriac Culture and Arts, and a representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The speeches underscored the importance of the mother language and highlighted the commitment of the KRG’s Ministry of Culture and Youth—through the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts and its affiliated directorates and institutions—to supporting the Syriac language.
Following this, a short film about the Sureth (Syriac) language, directed by Rafiq Nouri Hanna, was screened, succeeded by a traditional folk dance performance by the Syriac Arts Troupe, which operates under the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts.
The event was attended by several notable figures, including: Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives; James Hesdo, member of the Kurdistan Region Parliament; Aydin Maruf, Regional Minister for Minority Affairs; Ano Jawhar Abdoka, KRG Minister of Transport and Communications; Omed Khoshnaw, Governor of Erbil; Arian Salahaddin, Deputy Minister of Culture for the KRG; Farhang Ghafoor, Advisor to the Ministry of Culture and Youth and Acting Director General of Syriac Culture and Arts; and Haiman Qader, Acting District Commissioner (Qa’immaqam) of Ainkawa. Also in attendance were numerous academics and intellectuals specializing in Syriac culture and language. It is worth noting that International Mother Language Day is an annual global celebration aimed at promoting awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as multilingualism. February 21st was designated as International Mother Language Day, a decision officially adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
