President of the Arab World Institute (IMA) Jack Lang arrives for the Chanel Women's Fall-Winter 2019/2020 Haute Couture collection fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 2, 2019. AFP)
President of the Arab World Institute (IMA) Jack Lang arrives for the Chanel Women's Fall-Winter 2019/2020 Haute Couture collection fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 2, 2019. AFP)
President of the Arab World Institute (IMA) Jack Lang arrives for the Chanel Women's Fall-Winter 2019/2020 Haute Couture collection fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 2, 2019. AFP)
President of the Arab World Institute (IMA) Jack Lang arrives for the Chanel Women's Fall-Winter 2019/2020 Haute Couture collection fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris, on July 2, 2019. AFP)

Ex-minister on a mission to put Arabic into French schools and hearts


Colin Randall
  • English
  • Arabic

One of France’s most respected political figures has launched a campaign to make Arabic lessons widely available in French schools as part of a struggle to protect the language from “ideological, demagogic and populist manipulation”.

Jack Lang, 80, a former education and culture minister and president of the Institute of the Arab World in Paris, describes the language as a “treasure of France”, but one afflicted by a lack of public awareness of its place in national and international history.

Arabic is the world’s fifth most commonly spoken language, with 430 million users in more than 60 countries.

Four million people speak it in France, but even among those with roots in the Maghreb or other Arab-speaking areas, everyday use of both classic and modern versions is negligible.

Only one French pupil in 1,000 has access to Arabic lessons at primary school and only two in 1,000 at secondary level.

Mr Lang has urged the French government to order a massive increase to "restore to Arabic its place in public education and beyond that, its recognition and dignity in our society".

France was the first European country to promote the use and instruction of Arabic five centuries ago when King Francois I forged an alliance with the Ottoman Empire stretching from Turkey to South-West Asia, South-East Europe and North Africa.

The empire was headed in the 16th century by a ruler known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and Al Qanuni or "lawgiver" in the Islamic world.

Mr Lang says a programme to extend Arabic needs to be long-term and no longer vulnerable to “electoral transitions and partisan affiliations”.

He told The National his successors at the education ministry had failed to follow through reforms he introduced from 2000 to 2002 to boost the number of Arabic teachers and courses.

But, he said, even people fuelled by “stupid xenophobia”, who resent hearing or seeing unfamiliar languages, should recognise the practical advantages of widening Arabic’s availability in public education.

Marie-Claude Quignon, a French visual artist , working in a Palestinian refugee camp. Courtesy Marie-Claude Quignon
Marie-Claude Quignon, a French visual artist , working in a Palestinian refugee camp. Courtesy Marie-Claude Quignon

“If it is not taught in school, the only places to learn will be in religious settings where the risk of Islamist influence would be higher,” he said.

The Arabic language and cultures cannot be reduced to Islam

In a furious exchange on the French television channel CNews, Mr Lang was accused by a right-wing writer, Eric Zemmour, of being a “useful idiot” aiding a process of “re-Arabising France in order to re-Islamicise it”.

Mr Lang threatened to leave the studio but retorted: "You are the agent of Islamicisation. You'd leave the teaching of Arab in the hands of propagandists and manipulators whereas I want language teaching to occur inside the school."

In his book, La Langue Arabe, Tresor de France (The Arabic Language, a French Treasure), Mr Lang describes the language as a "the beautiful unknown".

He writes: “When you learn Arabic, you get a host of versions. The unsophisticated reader must enter into this complexity, what linguists call diglossia, the coexistence on a given territory of several varieties of the same language, with different uses.

“This is one of the paradoxes of this beautiful language: modern and classical Arabic have never been used as mother tongues. No one has ever spoken modern Arabic to their children, nor has anyone ever spoken in Quranic Arabic in everyday life. Everybody has continued to use their own dialects to communicate orally.”

He is critical of what he identifies as a tendency to regard Arabic and Arab culture as unavoidably linked to religion.

In flowery terms, he says the language has become an object of contrary fixations, “for some discredited, quarantined by merchants of fear or hatred who cling to a stunted conception of what France should be; for others, a vector of rupture”.

Mr Lang said the study and recognition of the Arab world and cultures is more necessary than ever.

But if the Institute of the Arab World were being created today, he believes there would be calls for it be named the Institute of the Muslim World as the even though a majority of Muslims are not Arabs.

“The Arabic language and cultures cannot be reduced to Islam,” he says.

“In a secular framework, such as advocated by republican law, what better way to transmit elements of culture than through learning the language? It is through language learning that we discover the multiple aspects of a civilisation.”

The French education ministry did not respond to The National's request for comment.

The IMA has already acted on Mr Lang's commitment to Arabic, having run courses for all ages and levels for more than 20 years and more recently offering an internationally recognised certificate, so far allowing 500 students to sit for qualifying exams in France and other countries, including the UAE.

Mr Lang is not among them.

“Sadly, I speak only a little Arabic, not well enough to hold a proper conversation,” he said.

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'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile

The biog

Born: High Wycombe, England

Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels

Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.

Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.

Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.

((Disclaimer))

The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Price: from Dh155,000

On sale: now

Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS

2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)

2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi

3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne

4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi

4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

CREW
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