World Arabic Language Day: Challenges of Identity and the Labor Market
Every year on December 18th, the world celebrates World Arabic Language Day, an international occasion with profound significance that transcends mere symbolic celebration, reaching the very core of the nation's cultural and civilizational identity. This date commemorates United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3190 of 1973, which added Arabic to the list of official and working languages of the United Nations, recognizing its status as a cornerstone of humanity's cultural diversity and a language spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide.
Field survey: Identity versus market demands
Coinciding with this global event, a field survey conducted by Al-Youm newspaper revealed a worrying reality for those passionate about the Arabic language. Opinions showed a popular consensus that Arabic faces real challenges in its own homeland, particularly in the job market, which has become dominated by English. Participants, both citizens and residents, emphasized that protecting the Arabic language is not an intellectual luxury, but rather an absolute necessity to safeguard national identity from being eroded by the sweeping forces of globalization.
The paradox of education and the labor market
In a striking paradox reflecting the depth of societal awareness, Ahmed Al-Shehri, an English teacher, fiercely defended the centrality of the Arabic language. Al-Shehri described the mother tongue as a "vital necessity," as essential as food and drink, emphasizing that the pursuit of foreign languages to keep pace with technological and scientific advancements should not be used as a pretext for marginalizing or replacing the national language in daily interactions.
For his part, Ahmed Abdelbaset pointed to the economic challenge, warning against the dominance of foreign languages in the financial and business sectors. He called for the mandatory use of Arabic in markets and commercial centers, along with the use of translators for international communication, to ensure that Arabic remains a living and productive language and not merely a heritage language.
The language of the Quran and social responsibility
Teacher Haitham Shihab al-Din quoted Hafez Ibrahim's famous poem lamenting the fate of the Arabic language among its own people, emphasizing that Arabic possesses remarkable flexibility and a remarkable capacity to absorb modern achievements and scientific terminology, and that the shortcomings lie with the speakers, not the language itself. Yazid Kamal al-Khayyat concurred, affirming that memorizing the Holy Quran is the divine guarantee for the language's survival, but he cautioned against the need for a conscious balance between the demands of work and the preservation of the Arabic language, calling for a more active role for families and mosques in fostering sound linguistic development.
Enhancing the visual presence of language
In a related context, Talal Al-Adilani drew attention to the importance of the language's "visual identity," expressing his regret that many are unaware of the significance of the occasion. He called for a greater presence of Arabic in signs, shop names, and street names, to assert its authority in the public sphere, likening language to clothing that distinguishes nations and reflects their civilization.
The strategic importance of the Arabic language
These demands take on added importance in light of the geopolitical and cultural transformations the region is witnessing. Arabic is not merely a means of communication, but a vessel of thought and a repository of Arab and Islamic history. Preserving it is a fundamental pillar of Arab cultural security and a tool for enhancing the soft power of Arab states on the international stage. Strengthening the position of Arabic in labor markets and scientific research is a strategic step to ensure the independence of cultural decision-making and to achieve independent civilizational advancement, free from linguistic and intellectual dependence.
