22 Friday | fEBRUARY 25, 2011
Bye-bye
Vol. III, Issue 6
H! There!
T HE Muscat Festival has just got over, winter is on its
way out and the heat will soon be on us, but nothing
– festival or weather – dents the spirit of Team H!SQU,
and here we are with the sixth issue of our third year.
Assalam Alaykum! Did we hear someone say Mar-
haba? And that is precisely the issue we discuss in the
lead story of this issue. There is a growing trend among
the young generation to speak English, and that is good.
But the problem crops up when the new generation
slips into a ‘hi-bye-bonjour’ culture, showing disregard
and, in some cases, contempt towards Arabic. This
is not fine. Learn English, speak English …but don’t
eat, drink and sleep English at the cost of our mother
tongue.
Some animals are awesome, like the ‘tiger burning
bright in the forests of the night’, and when we eye
such beauty, we are left to wonder, like William Blake
did, ‘what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful
symmetry?’ Surely, Mohammed Abdullah is awestruck
by Fairown, the black, brutal king of the bulls in Barka.
Going to a test reading the wrong texts may not very
common, but there are instances when someone did
just that. So how did they find their way out? Just sat
and stared at the question paper or wrote a beautiful
poem on the answer sheet when they should have been
solving a problem in physics? Ahmed Ali Al Balushi gets
three to imagine this tough situation.
There are some fortunate people who turn their pas-
sion into their profession, and enjoy every moment of
their life! Team H!SQU strikes a chord with Dr Majid Al
Harthy, assistant professor in the Department of Music,
SQU, for whom music is both passion and profession.
Dr Rahma Al Mahrooqi’s articles have seldom failed
to inspire us, but this one about the role of reading is
special. Giving examples from her own rich life, she tries
to instil a love of reading in us. Read it, and then read,
read, read, read…
Happy reading!
Cheers till next month
Team H!SQU
H!SQU is brought out by the English and Translation Society at SQU. Email your
views/suggestions/articles to hi-ets@hotmail.com or hi@timesofoman.com. For
more information visit www.englishsqu.net
Editorial Coordinators
Ahmed Al Hadhrami & Sumaiya Al Kindi
Mr Wise
Wake up, my little
ones, and fill the pens
-- exams are round the
corner!
Friday | fEBRUARY 25, 2011 23
Dr Mohamed Hadi Trabelsi
Professor in the Arabic Department, SQU
the majors in humanities in Arabic, we would not
be able to do that. These subjects are from the
hi-bye
West, in Western documents, and those who learn
WE have two things here. The first is that of them, learn them in a Western culture in English.
globalisation and language. Globalisation does This is why it is not possible to make a simple
not threaten Arabic or any other language. Those decision to start teaching all those in Arabic. We,
who say that stand in a defensive position against instead, have to developed and develop Arabic
it. They are weak, not having built themselves to make it the language of culture that produces
their personality and thinking in a way to make material in different fields. If this happens, knowl-
themselves stand against globalisation or anything edge and sciences will move to Arabic and include
else. The problem is not in the language; it is in the Arabic terminology, a stage that will take time. It is
users of the language: people. We, therefore, have true that this year and the past years, the number
to seek to support Arabic, develop it and increase of students applied to study Arabic are few for a
A new trend that’s amusing for some and disturbing for others has cropped up: people are now increasingly heard replying to the areas where it is used. Arabic will spread if
we provide a wide cultural basis. It is weak to
simple reason: students and others have as their
number one priority finding a job. Seeing that
the traditional Arabic/Islamic greeting “Assalam Alaykum” not with “Walaikum Assalam” but with greetings devoid of religious think of every new movement like globalisation graduates in Arabic are not absorbed by the job
market, they choose a different path.
as being against Arabic. Not everything is against
This is realistic. We can, however, change
references, such as “Marhaba” or “Ahlayn”. Traditional Omani expressions such as “ta‘aqqabna ‘alaykum al-‘afiyyah” (May good us. We have to consider things wisely to build our
immunity. Today, we don’t have immunity because this by creating discussions with the job market
and concerned authorities, telling them to make
health follow you) and “qidamek al-Rahman” (God the Compassionate is before you) are slowly disappearing, being replaced we lag behind. We fell short once upon a time.
Secondly, globalisation is inevitable. Even if we speaking Arabic a requirement for every Omani,
regardless of his/her major. Only then will Arabic
with English and French words such as “hi”, “bye” and “bonjour”. Some have even stopped speaking Arabic, opting for English. want to teach engineering, medicine and many of
receive more attention and will students study it.
Alya Al Ismaili, fifth-year student at the College of Arts and Social Sciences, SQU, discusses the new ‘hi-bye-bonjour’ culture with
peers and professors at SQU Morrow and Castleton indicate that, because of the influence of
Dr Hassan Shuqair
the Arabic mass media today, local variations of the Allah lexi- Linguistics professor in
the English Department, SQU
con are being reduced in the Arab world. Satellite television and
I
S speaking English is viewed as being
modern and fashionable in Oman? Are
we trying to make a status state-
the Internet also decrease the wide varieties of regional Arabic I ALWAYS believe that language derives its power
from its speakers, not from its beauty. So, once
we have power of any sort (political, social, cul-
ment with our English skills? Do those dialects and the range of the Allah lexicon within those dialects. tural, economic, etc.) only then can we strengthen
Omanis who flaunt English as their first not only our language but also our image (how
language think they sound more sophisti- A reduction in the use of “Arabic politeness formulas” resulting the world sees us). This takes me to the second
cated than others? point; i.e. how we see ourselves. We seem to
There are perhaps no quick, easy or from urbanization, secularization and a European-American influ- suffer from a permanent “inferiority complex”
unanimous answers right now for these which makes us always believe that whatever we
questions, but I think the questions are ence is also mentioned. In this context, the authors discuss how have is inferior to what others have. This is why
worth taking a hard look at. They deserve our young boys and girls like to listen to Western
the attention of all — from parents to Western ”arrogance” encourages the Islamic world to merge its songs (though more than 90% of them do not
students, educators, the intelligentsia and understand them) and watch western movies
policy makers — because there is strong cultural, linguistic and political traits with those of the West which also they cannot follow without subtitles… construction through coloniSation.” GlobaliSation
can be a natural process which can be absorbed
evidence of an unhealthy trend gaining We seem to have been driven to believe that we
without threatening any element of our language
ground in society. No one is denying the are “backward” so we must have some outside
or culture but Only if we respect our inheritance
importance of English and the need for help to “guide” us. That is why we call imperial-
and value our culture, history and language.
us to attain a certain proficiency in that because of the influence of the Arabic mass media Although some might see this study as based on ism “Isti3maar”, which literally means “seeking
language, but should we do so at the cost today, local variations of the Allah lexicon are being a “conspiracy theory”, I find it eye-opening since it
of our mother tongue? I do not need a reduced in the Arab world. Satellite television and explains how Arabic is changing and reveals some
moment’s hesitation to answer this query, the Internet also decrease the wide varieties of factors that bring about that change.
and my answer is a firm and loud “No”, regional Arabic dialects and the range of the Allah As an Omani, Arabic is part of what defines me.
because I believe we could always keep lexicon within those dialects. A reduction in the use Forsaking it means losing a major part of my identity. Zainab Al Mahrooqi
pace with the world without denying or of “Arabic politeness formulas” resulting from ur- My language is rich in beautiful expressions; College of Commerce and Economics
dumping our roots. banization, secularization and a European-American the Arabic expressions that are carelessly being
It was a study, entitled “The Impact
of Globalization on the Arabic Language”
(2007) by John A. Morrow and Barbra
influence is also mentioned.
In this context, the authors discuss how Western
”arrogance” encourages the Islamic world to merge
abandoned and stigmatized are not empty words
but contain noble thoughts, such as in the traditional
Muslim greeting “Assalam Alaykum” (may peace
T HERE are many factors that led to the domina-
tion of English over Arabic. Nowadays, a
majority of people use English terms such as “hi”
Castleton, that sparked my interest in the its cultural, linguistic and political traits with those be upon you) which could disarm those with a and “bye” to greet each other. This phenomenon
issue. The study discusses how Arabic is of the West. resistant attitude, or the wish of safety in the is due to various reasons, including the growing
being “undermined” through globalization The loss of the Allah lexicon in Arabic, according departing words “Ma’ Salama” (may safety be with trend of imitating the West and the study of
and examines the strong link between to the authors, has social consequences as well. you), which establishes a relationship of peace, most courses in English, especially in universities,
Arabic and Islam and attempts being made Morrow and Castleton write that the Allah lexicon understanding and care for others. colleges and private schools. Housemaids who
to weaken it both in the past and present. appears countless times in the speech of Arabs It’s at this point that I thought it’s good to speak with our kids in English actually sow the
The authors believe that politi- everyday. Thus, its loss would not only mean the discuss the topic with my peers and professors, seeds of this English passion in generation next
cally motivated efforts are being directed weakening of religious bonds, but also the loss of and here is what they said to the question, “Do you right from childhood. Arabs nowadays write Ara-
towards creating a secular Arabic. They Arabic-Islamic identity and of cultural diversity. It think globalisation threatens the Arabic language, bic words with English numbers and letters, so
also argue that the cause of the loss of the could be a sign of the coming of linguistic homoge- especially since it helps spread English, which has Assalam Alaykum (peace be upon you) is written
neity. “2slam 3ale5om”. is: keep speaking Arabic and try to avoid anything
Allah lexicon in Arabic is due to “cultural, become the dominant language in many fields
semantic, and political imperialism”. The Finally, to “slow down the decline of Arabic”, like education where the medium of instruction of Most people, especially the younger genera- that may lead to the death of Arabic. Arabic
impact of modernisation and Westernisa- the authors highlight steps to be taken in terms of major courses such as engineering and medicine is tion, think that doing this is just being modern. is the language of the Holy Quran and without
tion on the lexicon through popular culture policy making, advertising and education, thereby English. Your chances of landing a job now depends I consider all this as factors contributing to Arabic Arabs will not be able to preserve their
is also considered. spreading awareness about this issue and increas- on your skills in English as much as it does on your marginalsation of Arabic. My advice to everyone history and civilisation.
Morrow and Castleton indicate that, ing the status of Arabic. educational qualifications!”