Maitham Al-Harbi heads the “six official languages” committee of Iraq.. This is a dialogue about wha

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[size=52]Maitham Al-Harbi heads the “six official languages” committee of Iraq.. This is a dialogue about what he plans to do[/size]

[size=45]The poet Maytham Al-Harbi was recently appointed to head the Supreme Committee for Official Languages ​​in Iraq, which is linked to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Al-Harbi was born in Babylon in 1981. He holds a doctorate in Arabic language and literature from the College of Education - Al-Mustansiriya University, and has seven books in the fields of poetry and literary criticism.[/size]
[size=45]“Official Languages ​​Law” No. 7 of 2014 specifies Arabic and Kurdish as two official languages ​​in Iraq, and Turkmen and Syriac are considered official local languages ​​in densely populated areas. The law also refers to the Armenian and Sabian languages, and opens the way for the opening of schools that rely on these and other languages, but the law Article 17 talks about provisions issued by the Council of Ministers to implement the law, which is what the committee is currently focusing on implementing.[/size]
[size=45]Here is an interview with him about the work of this committee and its projects after he was appointed to head it:[/size]
[size=45]Implementation of the Languages ​​Law[/size]
[size=45]*What is the Supreme Committee for Official Languages ​​in Iraq, and when were you assigned to it?[/size]
[size=45]- First, I thank the 964 platform team for the opportunity to communicate and dialogue, and I say: It is a higher committee, linked to the Council of Ministers, which was formed by Diwani Order No. (50 of 2014 AD), in accordance with the Official Languages ​​Law No. (7 of 2014 AD); In application of Article 4 of the Constitution.[/size]
[size=45]It is an indication of the state’s care and respect for national and linguistic diversity in Iraq. Its goal is to consolidate the human dimension of its civilizations in its new federal era, and to enable the basic components of our country to express their needs and requirements in their authentic languages.[/size]
[size=45]We were assigned to chair it by the end of February 2024 AD. In order to follow up on the implementation of the aforementioned law, and to prepare draft instructions issued by the Prime Minister, according to which its duties and quorum are determined.[/size]
[size=45]Its previous administration, thanks to our professor, Dr. Rahim Aliwi, completed the tasks and quorum paper, and it was published in the Iraqi newspaper Al-Waqa’i.[/size]
[size=45]Now the committee is completing instructions that will facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the Official Languages ​​Law and the implementation of the terms of its national program.[/size]
[size=45]*Where is the headquarters of this committee located, and who are its members?[/size]
[size=45]- Currently, the committee is holding its meetings, in the building of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, with the membership of my professors Dr. Raya Omar, representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and Dr. Walid Abdullah, representative of the House of Representatives, with a supportive national working group representing all components of Iraq and its multiple official and local languages, From our people and brothers, the Turkmen, Syriacs, Armenians, and Sabian-Mandaean, with elite linguists, academics, and those with specializations close to the work of the committee and its tasks in education, science, and culture.[/size]
[size=45]The Committee is informed by the heritage of the Iraqi state’s laws, over a hundred years, in addition to international laws and agreements, most notably: the Iraqi Basic Law of 1925 AD, in Article (16) thereof, and the Local Languages ​​Law No. (74 of 1931 AD), which urges the implementation of a policy ( Multilingual education), in addition to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, where in Article 2, states are required to ensure respect for the human rights of all individuals within their territories and subject to their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, including discrimination based on The basis of language. Article 17 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates that States parties to it are obligated to encourage the media to pay special attention to the linguistic needs of the child who belongs to a minority group.[/size]
[size=45]Social state[/size]
[size=45]*What is the cultural and national dimension that can be achieved through this committee?[/size]
[size=45]- The committee and the outputs of its work represent a national mechanism that receives the attention of the Prime Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, and the attention of officials in the General Secretariat. It is a distinctive impact and an important strategic reflection on thinking about the state’s social industry, when it is concerned with caring for forms of intangible cultural heritage for all its people, such as: customs, traditions, and rituals, where multilingualism is an essential element in harmonious communication between members of society, and it encourages tolerance. ; It ensures effective and fruitful participation in supporting the national development process, and ensures full and fair treatment of all official and local languages ​​in our country.[/size]
[size=45]Museum and atlas[/size]
[size=45]*What are the most important projects you will work on?[/size]
[size=45]In addition to the committee’s executive requirements, after resuming its work, it designed a promising and comprehensive national program, which is under study in the ongoing periodic meetings. Its goal is to draw the attention of our society to the urgent need. To preserve, revive, and celebrate its multiple and rich languages.[/size]
[size=45]The draft program included discussion of a group of ambitious projects concerned with languages. As the material carrier in the free expression of the needs of our society, the most prominent of which is: the project to establish (the Iraqi Dar Al-Alsun), in which the official languages ​​are in the form of administratively structured departments, concerned with preserving the cultural research of the Iraqi spectrum, and which issues a peer-reviewed periodical magazine, and in which awareness-raising activities are implemented in coordination with our universities. With a sustainable program for (translational linguistic professions), as well as the establishment of an electronic platform for the culture of multilingualism, and the establishment of (the Permanent Official Languages ​​Museum), by benefiting from global expertise in this field, and currently the committee has begun work on implementing the project (Atlas of Official Languages). in Iraq).[/size]
[size=45]Work smoothly[/size]
[size=45]*How can you overcome the expected bureaucratic obstacles facing your work?[/size]
[size=45]-The most notable obstacles are the confrontation with terrorism, and the compelling circumstance of the Corona pandemic. Currently, the committee continues its work with high fluency with the support of the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General, Dr. Hamid Naeem Al-Ghazi, and his deputy, Dr. Farhad Nimatullah Hussein, and the support of the sincere and professional administration of the Cabinet Affairs Department, in addition to keeping up with The work and its steps were strengthened by the Advisor to the Prime Minister for Cultural Affairs, Dr. Arif Al-Saadi, and the support of elites, opinion leaders, and supporting institutions.[/size]
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