FICRT celebrates World Arabic Language Day and claims its "adaptive capacity"

Arabic has become one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Today, it is estimated that more than 400 million people speak Arabic, and it is also the official language of 26 countries. This language, a connector of nations through culture and religion, has often been considered a fundamental pillar in the development of knowledge and civilisations. Therefore, on 18 December 1973, Arabic was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly as the sixth official and working language, and since 2012, World Arabic Language Day has been commemorated on this date.

However, the Arabic anniversary in 2021 is of particular interest, as it comes just days after Unesco declared Arabic calligraphy an Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In a nomination entitled 'Arabic Calligraphy: Knowledge, Skills and Practices' that was approved this week at the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 16 Arabic-speaking countries requested the inclusion of this age-old artistic practice on Unesco's list.

Thus, on the occasion of World Arabic Language Day, the Foundation for Islamic Culture and Religious Tolerance (FICRT) hosted a virtual conference which called for the promotion of the use and dissemination of this language, and emphasised its role as a bridge-builder between cultures. The event was attended by representative figures of the Arabic language in Spain, including Jumaa Al Kaabi, Director General of the FICRT; Mohammed Dahiri, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Complutense University of Madrid, and Ignacio Ferrando Frutos, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Cadiz.

Jumaa Al Kaabi, director general of the foundation, was responsible for opening the conference and, during his speech, highlighted the links of the Arabic language with religiosity, tolerance and coexistence. "The Arabic language allows us to enter a very rich world, very diverse in its writing, its literature and its poetry," said Al Kaabi, referring also to its relevance in the religious reading of the Koran. Similarly, Mohammed Dahiri reiterated the importance of this language in "the transmission of knowledge", as well as in "the improvement of dialogue, understanding and the construction of peace between nations".

The event also received institutional support from the United Arab Emirates, through the head of the Department of Economic, Political and Media Affairs of the UAE Embassy in Spain, Sara Al Mahri. The Emirati diplomat claimed the Arabic language as a 'language of identity', and, on behalf of the UAE, urged the undertaking of 'projects and initiatives to strengthen the use and positioning of Arabic'.

Ignacio Ferrando Frutos, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Cadiz, gave the third and final talk. In this intervention, he gave a very illustrative and didactic explanation of the influence of Arabic on the Spanish language and its contribution to the creation of new words in our language. In this respect, Ferrando Frutos highlighted the "undeniable role of Arabic in the progress of humanity", arguing that - in contrast to the accusations that the language of Islam is a "fossilised" language - it "is perfectly capable of evolving and adapting". In this way, the professor offered many examples of the "creativity" of the language, which has given rise to "enormously interesting neologisms", although there may be "lexical proposals that do succeed, and others that do not".

"The Arabic language is a cultural monument of the utmost importance, it has a formidable capacity for adaptation", concluded Ferrando Frutos; "and a brilliant future awaits it, provided that its speakers and defenders join forces to make it so".

Finally, during the closing ceremony of the event, Jumaa Al Kaabi reiterated the fundamental role of Arabic as a "language of tolerance and harmony", and highlighted the need to create a linguistic catalyst centre for Arabic, like the Instituto Cervantes de la Lengua Española (Cervantes Institute of the Spanish Language). He also put on the table the project of a 'specialised committee that will cooperate with teachers, academics and the FICRT foundation in the development of programmes for the teaching of Arabic as a foreign language, and which will work through the reinforcement of the values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and respect'.