In an outstanding academic achievement, Kurdish researcher and linguist Adil Hassan Rashid has earned a PhD with the highest distinction from the University of Rouen in France. This success followed the presentation and defense of a profound and original dissertation dedicated to the linguistic analysis of the Kurdish Genocide, in which the voices of victims and survivors formed the foundation of a world-class scholarly study.
The Kurdish Genocide, carried out by the former Iraqi regime against the Kurdish people in 1988, remains one of the darkest chapters in human history. While the genocide has often been discussed from political and historical perspectives, this new research—conducted at the highest level of European academia—opens a new avenue for understanding its wounds through the disciplines of linguistics and psychology. It also brings the voices of the victims into international academic circles and helps preserve the collective memory of a nation from being forgotten.
The researcher, who is originally from the city of Duhok, successfully defended his dissertation, which focused on the mass extermination of the Kurds during the 1988 Kurdish Genocide. Using discourse analysis and drawing on survivors’ testimonies alongside official documentation, his years of academic work culminated in being awarded a PhD with the highest honors and receiving special commendation from the examination committee.
This comprehensive dissertation, the result of meticulous fieldwork and detailed analysis, is divided into three main sections.
The first section, comprising 454 pages, is devoted to an in-depth linguistic analysis of the speech and expressions of individuals who survived the Kurdish Genocide.
The second section, spanning 401 pages, presents a comparative analysis based on extensive field research. The researcher relied on 38 audio recordings collected in the Kurdistan Region, which were later translated into French as linguistic evidence. A notable feature of this section is the diversity of the testimonies, which are categorized according to age, geographical region, and religious affiliation—including Muslims, Christians, and Yazidis. The participants themselves also represent a broad spectrum, ranging from ordinary civilians and Peshmerga fighters to the statements of prominent leaders of the time, such as Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani. This diversity paints a compelling picture of the religious coexistence that existed in the affected regions before they were subjected to genocide.
The third section, consisting of 327 pages, is based on historical documents, military archives, and evidence confirming the use of chemical weapons during the attacks.
One of the most distinctive aspects of this research is its focus on the formation of collective memory among survivors. Through a careful and scientific approach, the study demonstrates how language becomes a tool for expressing suffering and psychological trauma. It also highlights the impact of the Arabization policies on the language of survivors, showing that certain words and expressions from that period remain embedded in their everyday speech as enduring markers of historical trauma.
Another important finding of the study is the significant linguistic difference between generations. The second generation of survivor families, who grew up during the period of stability in the Kurdistan Region and benefited from Kurdish-language education, use a more standardized and distinct form of Kurdish. This reflects the considerable educational and social progress achieved within Kurdish society and illustrates how the language itself has evolved over time.
The examination committee, composed of seven French professors and researchers, expressed admiration for the dissertation’s precision, originality, and scholarly depth. They awarded the researcher the highest doctoral distinction and encouraged him to continue his academic work while strengthening research collaboration between European and Kurdish universities, with the aim of further preserving the collective memory of the Kurdish people.
The Kurdish researcher concluded by expressing his deep appreciation to the examination committee for recognizing the importance of the case of the victims of the Kurdish Genocide and for providing a high-level academic environment in which such a sensitive and significant subject could be discussed.