The Arabic language is a pillar of the cultural diversity of humanity. It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, used daily by more than 450 million people. World Arabic Language Day is celebrated every year on 18 December since 2012. The date coincides with the day in 1973 that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the Organization.
Geographical, Religious Importance of Arabic
Arabic speakers are distributed between the Arab region and many other neighboring regions such as Turkey, Chad, Mali, Senegal and Eritrea, as Arabic is of utmost importance to Muslims; it is a sacred language (the language of the Qur’an), and prayer. Other acts of worship) in Islam are not performed without mastering some of its words. Arabic is also a major liturgical language for a number of Christian churches in the Arab region where many of the most important religious and intellectual works of the Middle Ages were written in Arabic.
The Arabic language allows entry into a world rich in diversity in all its forms and images, including the diversity of origins, tastes and beliefs. It has also created, in its various forms and styles, oral and written, classical and colloquial, and its various prose and poetic scripts and arts, wonderful aesthetic verses that captivate hearts and minds in various fields, including, but not limited to, engineering, poetry, philosophy and singing.
Historical Influence of Arabic on Other Languages
For centuries of its history, Arabic has prevailed as the language of politics, science and literature, and has directly or indirectly influenced many other languages, such as: Turkish, Persian, Kurdish, Urdu, Malaysian, Indonesian and Albanian, and some African languages such as Hausa and Swahili.
It has also influenced some European languages, especially the Mediterranean ones such as Spanish, Portuguese, Maltese and Sicilian.
In addition, the Arabic language has also been a catalyst for the production and dissemination of knowledge, and has helped to transmit Greek and Roman scientific and philosophical knowledge to Europe during the Renaissance. It has enabled intercultural dialogue along the land and sea routes of the Silk Road from the coasts of India to the Horn of Africa.
Role of United Nations in Promoting Arabic
In support and promotion of multilingualism and multiculturalism in the United Nations, the United Nations Department of Global Communications – formerly known as the Department of Public Information – adopted a resolution on the eve of the celebration of International Mother Language Day to celebrate each of the six official languages of the organisation. Accordingly, UN decided to celebrate the Arabic language on 18 December, as it is the day on which General Assembly resolution 3190 (XXVIII) of 18 December 1973 was adopted to include Arabic among the official and working languages of the United Nations.
The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of the history, cultures and development of the Arabic language.
Related Topics :
World Arabic Language Day: Ithra Celebrates Epistolary Literature
King Salman Academy Launches Digital Toolkit to Celebrate World Arabic Language Day
UNESCO, Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation to Mark World Arabic Day
King Abdulaziz Public Library Celebrates World Children’s Day
