Backlash as ministry bans Kurdish-language exams at universities in disputed territories

KIRKUK — Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has ordered universities in Kirkuk, Mosul, and Diyala to prohibit students from taking exams in Kurdish, reversing a longstanding policy that permitted instruction and assessment in the language. The decision has sparked condemnation from Kurdish lawmakers, academics, and cultural institutions, who say the move violates constitutional guarantees.

A letter dated July 23, distributed to several universities, states that all exams and instruction must be conducted exclusively in Arabic or English. “In light of legal opinion and based on the instruction of the Ministry of Higher Education, it is not permissible under current regulations to use the Kurdish language for exams,” the directive reads. Issued by the University of Kirkuk’s Planning Division, the letter also warned that universities in violation would “bear the legal consequences.”

The order has drawn criticism for allegedly violating Article 4 of the Iraqi Constitution, which recognizes both Arabic and Kurdish as Iraq’s official languages and guarantees the right to education in other languages, including Turkmen, Syriac, and Armenian.

“The decision by the Ministry of Higher Education is unconstitutional,” said Dr. Nahla Afandi, a Kurdish member of the Higher Education Committee in Iraq’s Parliament. “Kurdish is an official language in Iraq, and no one has the right to ban it. This decision contradicts Article 4 of the Iraqi Constitution and violates multiple rulings by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, which affirm equality for all Iraqis.”

Afandi said the directive sets a dangerous precedent and vowed to take legal action. “We reject this and will take a firm stance. If necessary, we will bring the matter before the courts.”

The Kurdish Academy, a prominent institution for Kurdish language and cultural studies, also condemned the decision. “We denounce the Ministry’s decision banning the Kurdish language in higher education institutions located in Kurdish-populated areas outside the Kurdistan Region’s administration,” it said in a statement. “We consider it a racist decision and demand its immediate withdrawal. The Ministry of Higher Education should apologize to the Kurdish people.”

964 media attempted to obtain further comment from ministry spokesperson Haider Al-Aboudi but has yet to receive a response beyond a copy of the directive.

The controversy follows earlier tensions over language policy. On Dec. 19, 2024, Kirkuk University sparked protests by prohibiting law students from answering exam questions in Kurdish. The university enforced the change as mid-year exams began, prompting Kurdish students to block access to exam halls in protest.

Students and lawmakers argue the latest directive undermines cultural rights in Kurdish-populated areas outside the Kurdistan Region’s formal jurisdiction.