Slow Death, Identity Erosion, and the Lingering Effects of the Faith Campaign to Eradicate the Syriac Language

By Jamil al-Jamil | Poet and Activist

The injustices faced by Syriac-speaking Christians do not only include discrimination, segregation, killings, and massacres — they extended to the deprivation of their right to practice their identity and traditions. Many came to believe that their geography was their only shield against recurring oppression. To this day, more than 100,000 Christian men and women struggle with reading, writing, and speaking the Syriac language due to its exclusion from education and public use — despite being an integral part of their cultural and historical heritage.

The Syriac Language: A Legacy Under Threat

Syriac (in Eastern Syriac: ܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ ܣܘܼܪܝܵܝܵܐ, Lešānā Suryāyā; in Western Syriac: ܠܶܫܳܢܳܐ ܣܽܘܪܝܳܝܳܐ, Lešono Suryoyo) is a Semitic language derived from Aramaic, with some scholars considering it a natural evolution of the latter. Aramaic, the root language of Syriac, emerged in the first millennium BCE and became the dominant lingua franca of the Fertile Crescent by the sixth century BCE. It gradually evolved and took on the name “Syriac” in the fourth century CE, coinciding with the spread of Christianity in the Levant.

Syriac is the native language of Assyrians, Syriacs, and Chaldeans, particularly in Iraq and Syria, serving as a crucial unifying factor among these communities. However, its use was not confined to them; numerous Christian scholars and clergy wrote in Syriac, and it even became a liturgical language for some Mongol tribes that had converted to Christianity, as well as the Christian community in Kerala, southwestern India.

Systematic Suppression of Syriac in Iraq

Previous Iraqi regimes did not encourage Syriac speakers, largely because the language was a significant marker of Christian identity in the country. Under Saddam Hussein’s rule, Syriac was banned from education in most Iraqi provinces, except in Erbil [Arbca’ilo] and Duhok [Nohadra], where it was still taught — albeit in limited and remote areas such as Sarsink, which maintained Syriac education in schools. In contrast, in provinces like Nineveh, Baghdede [Qaraqosh / Hamdaniyah], Babel, Basra, and Maysan, where Christian communities were present, Syriac was effectively prohibited.

This ban and the restriction on public use led to the gradual erosion of the language, leaving it in a precarious state. Were it not for the Church’s commitment to preserving it through religious ceremonies and liturgical practices, Syriac might have vanished entirely.

From 1979 onwards, the decline of Syriac education and usage in Iraq accelerated. Many Christians residing in Baghded, Mosul, Basra, Maysan, Babel, and Anbar lost proficiency in the spoken dialect of Syriac, known as Sureth. They also became unfamiliar with Syriac script and grammar — except for families who frequently visited Christian villages in the Nineveh Plain or areas in Erbil and Duhok.

The dominance of Arabic and Kurdish in regions where Christians lived further contributed to this decline. Most Iraqi Christians became fluent in Arabic due to its mandatory use in schools, government institutions, and daily life, while those in Kurdish-majority areas also had to learn Kurdish. This linguistic shift, driven by forced Arabization and Kurdification policies, placed Syriac on the path to extinction.

Legal Protections: A Dead Letter

Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stipulates that ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities in a country must not be denied the right to enjoy their own culture, practice their religion, or use their language. This right is granted to individuals within minority communities, in addition to the fundamental rights they share with the general population.

However, in practice, these protections have remained theoretical, with no substantive measures taken to address the marginalization of Syriac. Instead, Iraqi Christians have found themselves increasingly compelled to prioritize Arabic and Kurdish over their native tongue due to social integration pressures and systemic linguistic policies.

Efforts to Revive Syriac Amidst Governmental Neglect

Akad Mrad, Vice President of the Union of Syriac Writers and Intellectuals, is one of the key advocates for promoting Syriac language and literature in Iraq. He states:

“For years, books printed in Syriac were banned, and even speaking or learning the language was prohibited. We have worked tirelessly to teach Syriac through all available means, yet government support remains nearly nonexistent. We have called for Syriac to be recognized as an official language and included in school curricula and government institutions, on equal footing with Arabic and Kurdish.” 

The fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 saw an increase in Syriac-language schools in northern Iraq, particularly in Nineveh Plains and the city of Duhok, as well as in some Christian villages within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). However, these schools have received little to no government funding, effectively turning them into institutions that symbolize the slow death of the Syriac language. The language’s inclusion in official documents remains superficial, primarily for international image-building rather than genuine linguistic preservation.

For instance, in Kirkuk [Kerkeslokh], Syriac is listed as an official language alongside Arabic, Kurdish, and Turkmen. However, government offices do not conduct any official transactions in Syriac. Meanwhile, in the Kurdistan Region, Kurdish remains the sole working language in all administrative dealings.

Post-2003: A Bleak Future for Syriac

Syriac is one of the most significant Semitic languages and the language spoken by Jesus Christ, making it an essential component of Christian heritage and identity. However, social, cultural, and demographic shifts in Iraq have pushed it toward extinction, further threatening the freedom of belief and expression for Christians.

Following the fall of Saddam’s regime in 2003, several centers for Syriac language education were established. Yet, these institutions have struggled with weak government support. Even when Syriac was introduced into school curricula, there was a severe shortage of qualified teachers and proper institutional backing. Syriac has yet to be integrated into official government documents or recognized as an administrative language in federal or regional institutions.

Issam Yako, an activist working to promote the Syriac language since 2003, states:

“Through our experience and efforts, we have seen some minor improvements in Syriac education through workshops and activities. However, our calls for government promotion of the language have gone unanswered. We have urged authorities to establish a Directorate for Syriac Culture and to create cultural and educational centers, but funding remains scarce. The reality is that Arabic continues to be prioritized, while other languages receive little attention.” 

The Struggle for Linguistic Survival

Hundreds of Christians have been deprived of their native language due to legal restrictions and political marginalization. Many cannot even pronounce Syriac words correctly, while others have lost all comprehension of their ancestral tongue.

For those who remained in Iraq, linguistic and cultural identity remains uncertain. Many of their daily experiences reinforce the idea that Syriac is being deliberately sidelined. Even at community events, signs, slogans, and banners rarely include Syriac script, depriving Christians of visible recognition and reinforcing a sense of neglect.

The Uncertain Future of Syriac in Iraq

Religious institutions have warned that the threats to Syriac language and identity continue to grow. Iraqi Christians who have emigrated to Western countries are rapidly losing fluency in their mother tongue, assimilating into new linguistic environments. This erosion of language is accelerating the disappearance of a key component of their historical and cultural identity.

For those still in Iraq, the future remains uncertain. Without meaningful efforts to integrate Syriac into the educational system, official documentation, and daily public life, the language risks being permanently erased. The slow death of Syriac is not just a linguistic tragedy — it is the loss of an entire historical and cultural identity.

Jamil al-Jamil is a poet and activist who lives in the Nineveh Plains town of Baghdede (Qaraqosh / Hamdaniyah), Iraq. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram.