Jack Lang pays tribute to the UAE's embrace of French friendship

Culture and language are key to an enhanced relationship between the countries

A strong message of hope and gratitude to the UAE has been recorded by one of France's most prominent political figures to mark the closing stages of a Ramadan, observed in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jack Lang, a former education and culture minister and since 2013, president of the Institute of the Arab World (IMA) in Paris, said he wanted to seize the opportunity at a troubled time for the world to declare his "profound respect" for the country, its Founding Father Sheikh Zayed and current leaders. He also warmly praised the UAE's promotion of an "Islam of enlightenment" with no place for extremism.

In the video, recorded in fluent if heavily accented English, Mr Lang said: "I am very happy and proud to speak to the people of the UAE. I admire your country. I admired Sheikh Zayed, who was a visionary [who] opened the way to the future.
"And today your country is a model for his engagement in culture, education, new technologies, ecology [and] development. The relations we have established with you are friendly and deep."
Mr Lang highlighted the creation of Louvre Abu Dhabi, with the significant involvement of the IMA, enthusiastic encouragement of the teaching of Arabic and the establishment of an international fund to restore priceless historic monuments "destroyed by fanatics in Syria, Iraq and other areas" where ISIS and similar groups operated.

The former minister, now 80, is a passionate champion of Arabic. In the face of fierce criticism from France’s right and far right, he has argued that the language should be made widely available in the French school curriculum.

A man wears a protective face mask takes part in a Friday prayer at the Tahara mosque in Marseille southern France. AFP

Imam Abderrahmane Ghoul speaks to his social distanced worshippers. AFP

A worshipper at the Tahara mosque in Marseille where lockdown rules allow only a handful of people inside. AFP

Men wear protective face masks for Friday prayers. AFP

Places of worship are mostly still closed in France. AFP

A man prays during a Friday prayer at the Tahara mosque in Marseille southern France, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP

Men wearing a protective face mask take part in a Friday prayer at the Tahara mosque in Marseille southern France, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. Places of worship are still closed in France but some of them are allowed to receive a very low number of worshippers if safe distances are maintained. / AFP / CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU

Men wearing a protective face mask take part in a Friday prayer at the Tahara mosque. AFP

Places of worship are only allowed to receive a very low number of worshippers if safe distances are maintained. AFP

In his book, La langue arabe, tresor de France (The Arabic Language, a French Treasure), published in February, he calls for a determined effort from government to expand its teaching and protect it from "ideological, demagogic and populist manipulation".
"In this period of Ramadan, I am happy also to say that we share the same values against fanaticism and obscurantism," he says in the video. "I wish that this period, during which we have to struggle against the pandemic, will give to both our countries a new hope, a new future. I am sure we will continue to co-operate actively."

Louvre was a 'great opportunity'

Interviewed by The National, Mr Lang recalled his attendance at the inauguration ceremony on Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017 with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and contrasted the "great success of this ambitious project", the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula, with the initial opposition that had to be overcome.

French artist M performs during the opening day at the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi on November 11, 2017. Christopher Pike / The National

SSheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, stand for a photograph while touring the newly constructed Louvre Abu Dhabi in September 2017. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Entrance to Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened its doors to the publi con November 11, 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal, visited the museum in November 2017, shortly after its opening. Saif Ghobash, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi and museum director Manuel Rabate was there during her visit. Courtesy Louvre Abu Dhabi

From April 2016: The first four stages of "flooding" the construction site starts. The process involved welcoming back water from the Arabian Gulf, which surrounds the museum today. Christopher Pike / The National

Francois Hollande, former president of France, visits the museum's construction site with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in December 2016. Christopher Pike / The National

On the E11, the Vincent van Gogh self portrait advertises Louvre Abu Dhabi in February. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Moroccan King Mohammed VI looks at a painting titled "Whistler's Mother" by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1871) as he visits the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum during its inauguration in 2017. ludovic MARIN / AFP

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed greet Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte at the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi. AFP

A visitor walks through a patch of light at Louvre Abu Dhabi. The museum's iconic done, designed by Jean Nouvel, filters natural light to produce this dappled effect. Christopher Pike / REUTERS

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy visits the museum's construction site with Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority in January 2016. Sarkozy has close ties to the project after initiating its intergovernmental agreement in 2007. Courtesy TDIC

Construction for Louvre Abu Dhabi began in 2009 and reached its final stages in 2016. Christopher Pike / The National

The inauguration ceremony of the museum on November 8, 2017 was attended by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces (centre), King Mohamed VI of Morocco (right) and French president Emmanuel Macron (left). Hamad Al Kaabi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Portrait of a woman by Pablo Picasso on display at the Louvre. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Bust of Faustina the younger, Roman Empress on display at the Louvre, from November 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Louvre Abu Dhabi opened its doors to the public on November 11. Christopher Pike / The National

A visitor takes a photo of Leonardo da Vinci's 'La Belle Ferronière' at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A visitor at the modern and contemporary section of Louvre Abu Dhabi, from November 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Jacques-Louis David's 'Napoleon Bonaparte Crossing the Alps', depicting the French stateman's crossing through the Great St. Bernard's Pass in May 1800. Chris Whiteoak / The National

An Emirati man shows visitors traditional weaving techniques for fishnets during a UAE National Day Program at Louvre Abu Dhabi in December 2018. Antonie Robertson / The National

An aerial view of Louvre ABu Dhabi. In 2018, the museum announced that it welcomed more than one million visitors in its first year. UAE residents represented 40% of the museum’s visitors, with Emirati nationals ranking in the top two visitors in this category. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority looks at the Monumental Lion sculpture on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi in February 2018. Christopher Pike / Reuters

epa07953447 Visitors gather under the building's main dome during a preview of the exhibition '10,000 years of Luxury' at the Louvre Gallery in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 27 October 2019. The exhibition also includes a 8,000-year-old pearl of just a few millimeters in diameter that has been discovered during archeological excavations on the Marawah Island near Abu Dhabi. Some 350 extraordinary pieces from around 30 countries spanning several millennia are shown at the exhibition that reportedly opens on 30 October. EPA/ALI HAIDER

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, September 17, 2020. The U.A.E. flag proudly waves at the Louvre Abu Dhabi on a Thursday afternoon. Victor Besa/The National. Section: Standalone

Senior adviser to the US president Jared Kushner being shown a replica of the Abrahamic Family House, a planned interfaith prayer site, at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Twitter/ @USAinUAE

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, June 25, 2020. The Louvre , Abu Dhabi after 100 days of being temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Victor Besa / The National Section: NA Reporter: Saeed Saeed

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, September 17, 2020. The garden area outside the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa/The National. Section: Standalone

“Many in France were not so happy and inside the Louvre, there were conservatives who felt anxious about it,” he said. “I remember explaining in French publications at the time that this really was a great opportunity for both countries, as has been proved by the popularity of the museum.”

The joint venture of the UAE and France to protect heritage sites in conflict zones was launched in 2016 by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Francois Hollande, then president of France, at a conference in the UAE capital. The US$100m (Dh367m) fund is supporting the creation of safe havens for endangered artefacts and the transport and restoration of treasures damaged by war in Syria, Iraq, Mali and other countries. The destruction by ISIS of the Baal Shamin temple in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, among other monuments, was condemned as a war crime by the UN cultural agency Unesco.
Mr Lang said long-established cultural collaboration between the UAE and the institute includes strong support from Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, for the institute's expanding language courses and the introduction of the first international certification of standard modern Arabic, the Certificat International de Maitrise en Arabe (CIMA).
Among the institute's artistic projects inspired by the UAE were a 2018 exhibition focused on Abdul Qader Al Rais, a pioneer of the country's modern art, and a collaboration in the previous year with the Sharjah-based Barjeel Art Foundation.
Discussions are being held with the Sheikh Zayed Book Award on setting up a literary event on the institute's digital cultural channel, #LImaALaMaison (the IMA at home), launched when the Covid-19 lockdown caused public spaces to be closed. Further partnerships are planned, building on existing strong relationships with the Dubai-based art collector, Farhad Farjam, and participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, now postponed until next year.
The IMA was inaugurated in 1987, delivering a project intended by successive French presidents to improve Franco-Arab relations in the post-colonial era. As a further gesture, the square where it is located in Paris's fifth arrondissement was renamed Place Mohammed V in 2003, honouring the Moroccan king who ruled from 1957 to 1961 and is seen as the father of modern Morocco. The institute has been closed since March, when Mr Macron ordered a national lockdown, but has run a number of online events and courses including internet access to its collections.