The World Celebrates Arabic

ALBAWABA - The international community is celebrating the World Language Arabic Day with a blustering enthusiasm and fanfare. 

The Day is marked on 18 December of each year as underlined by UNESCO because the United Nations organisation states Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, used daily by more than 400 million people as reported in the UAE-based Khaleej Times. 

This year the theme of the celebrations is "Arabic Language, a bridge between civilisations" and UNESCO has celebrated this day since 2012 and it coincides with the day in 1973 when the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the UN organisation.

In the diversity of its forms, classic or dialectal, from oral expression to poetic calligraphy, the Arabic language has given rise to a fascinating aesthetic, in fields as varied as architecture, poetry, philosophy and song. It gives access to an incredible variety of identities and beliefs and its history reveals the richness of its links with other languages, the Gulf daily adds.

Arabic has played a catalytic role in knowledge, promoting the dissemination of Greek and Roman sciences and philosophies to Renaissance Europe. It has enabled a dialogue of cultures along the silk roads, from the coast of India to the Horn of Africa, Khaleej Times continues. 

The social media has been talking about Language Arabic day at length. It highlighted the global importance of the language that is celebrated not only in Arab countries but all over the world because of its span.

Arabic is the language of the Quran and Islam. It is a medium of instruction in countries like Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia and India and in countries where there are large Muslim communities including in Africa.

This is what Arab News had this to say: The Saudi Kingdom has taken the lead in raising the profile of the Arabic language locally, regionally and internationally, promoting the language of the Holy Qur’an and having vast experience in teaching the Arabic language to speakers of other languages..."

The Saudi Ministry of Education is asserting its historic role in building a bridge between cultures and peoples and reiterating its contributions to knowledge and science, identity-strengthening, cultural diversity and world dialogue and peace," it continued.