Arab League: Arabic Language is an Everlasting Soft Power and a Fortress Protecting Our Identity

The General Secretariat of the Arab League witnessed today, Thursday, the events of the "World Arabic Language Day" celebration attended by Ambassador Khaled Al-Manzalawi, Assistant Secretary-General of the League and Head of the International Political Affairs Sector; Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, Secretary-General of the King Salman Global Arabic Language Complex; Dr. Nazeer Ayad, Grand Mufti of the Republic; and Father Tadros Daniel, Professor of Arabic Language at the Coptic Theological Seminary and representative of the Egyptian Church.

Ambassador Al-Manzalawi explained in a speech delivered on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, that celebrating this historic occasion is not just a passing historical anniversary or a traditional protocol event, but rather a moment to stand in the sanctuary of the "Lady of Languages" to renew the covenant with the "vessel of civilization" that has expanded the Book of God in wording and purpose, never limited in encompassing the sciences of the ancients, nor in accurately describing a modern machine, nor in embracing the deepest human emotions in their finest sentiments.

He added: "We gather today while the whole world joins us in celebrating the language of the letter 'Ḍād' on its international day, to affirm an undeniable truth: Arabic has never been merely a tool for communication or a system of letters and words, but it is the spiritual homeland that inhabits us before we inhabit it, and the architecture of the soul that shaped our shared consciousness."

He continued: "Your presence today, in this unique assembly, is the most eloquent message; the Arabic language is the golden thread that connects the Al-Azhar turban and the ecclesiastical cap in a single inseparable cultural fabric, and it is the extended bridge over which our rich Arab heritage crosses to greet the global human conscience, affirming that this language is the language of tolerance, coexistence, and enlightened reason."

He also affirmed: "This year's celebration, in cooperation with our partners at the King Salman Global Arabic Language Complex, highlights 'Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers,' opening a wide window to the future. Today, in this blessed hall, we see bright faces of our expatriate children who have come to us from the farthest reaches of Asia and the westernmost parts of the earth; their colors differ, their ethnicities vary, but their tongues and hearts unite in love for the letter 'Ḍād.'"

He added: "Our strategic partnership today with a towering institution like the King Salman Global Arabic Language Complex is not merely a protocol cooperation between two institutions, but a strategic convergence of visions and a sincere unification of efforts aimed at presenting our language to the world in a modern style that keeps pace with the artificial intelligence revolution and digital transformation. We seek a language that does not merely reside on library shelves and in dictionaries, but a language that inhabits 'algorithms,' leads social media platforms, and addresses both Western and Eastern minds with the logic of science, the charm of eloquence, and the strength of argument."

He concluded: "Our Arabic language is the soft power that never ages and the last fortress that protects our identity from dissolving in the flood of globalization. Our gathering today with this diplomatic, political, religious, and academic elite is a declaration to the world that Arabic still is and will remain a language of peace, a beacon of dialogue, and a cradle of human creativity."

For his part, Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, Secretary-General of the King Salman Global Arabic Language Complex, pointed out that the Arab League has, throughout its long history, been a platform where the visions of Arab countries meet and a center that embraces political, cultural, and social initiatives that enhance cooperation, enrich dialogue, and contribute to building a joint Arab work system based on solid principles.

He affirmed in his speech that the Complex is pleased to have worked on a major linguistic initiative presented at the 32nd Arab Summit in Jeddah, represented by the initiative to teach Arabic to non-native speakers, which included areas of policy, computational linguistics, and Arabic teaching. The Complex has completed within this framework fifteen qualitative programs that enhance the presence of Arabic and facilitate its access to learners worldwide.

The event included discussion of four main themes that foresaw the future of the Arabic language, where the map of Arabic language teaching in universities and international centers was reviewed, in addition to exploring the main obstacles facing learners of Arabic as a non-native language and ways to overcome them, the role of artificial intelligence and digital transformation in facilitating the learning and dissemination of Arabic, and the session concluded with a review of pioneering initiatives presented by Arab institutions, foremost among them the King Salman Complex, to serve the spread of the language internationally.

The celebration also witnessed the opening of an accompanying exhibition showcasing the latest publications of the Complex, as well as a presentation of the main paths and most prominent platforms of the Complex.