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SPEAKING IN FORKED TONGUES

Reader comment on item: Teach Arabic or Recruit Extremists?
in response to reader comment: not so fast

Submitted by Abu Nuwas (Saudi Arabia), Sep 14, 2008 at 15:38

Although the comments on this forum are generally way above the cognitive level found in other internet forums, they nevertheless prove over and over the jaw-dropping - even frightening - affects that the "dumbing down" movement has had in our culture as a whole.

... But back to the "response" to my comment:

Learning Arabic is not "paramount" to our national security. Linguistically, Arabic continues to be an underdeveloped,dying and unimportant language, despite "statistics" to the contrary. I can't go into why this is true here, as it would take a major essay to explain all this. A much better case can be made for the importance of Russian, Chinese, Baha-Indonesia, Malay, Japanese, Urdu and even boring ol' German over Arabic.

It is true that if you are a career person in the diplomatic or "intelligence" field (a misnomer if there ever was one), and you are going to be involved in the Middle East throughout your career, a knowledge of Arabic would be a very useful asset to have. But the same could be said about any world area. Thus if you are going to be involved in Latin America, Spanish and Portuguese would be essential to know. But how many of us are in those fields? Not even a drop in the bucket.

SIDEBAR: In addition, almost ALL diplomats, businessmen, intelligence people and so on that I have known in the Middle East, have done and are doing EVERYTHING they can to be assigned out of the area, permanently. Once they realize what living in the Middle East is really all about, they'll sell their mothers down the river to get out.

The other area where Arabic is essential, of course, is in the academic field. But most academic pursuits in this field deal with the Islamic Middle Ages. Take a look at any list of recent PhD thesis and you'll see what I mean. Again, there is a reason for why this is true, but again, I can't go into all that here.

Not only that - most "contemporary" thesis in the field deal with such non-issues as "Feminism in Egypt since Nasser", "Auto-Erotic Practices in Modern Sudan", Tattooing Customs in the Islamic Tradition" and similar brainless themes. May as well write a thesis on "The Importance of Hopalong Cassidy in the Chinese Great Leap Forward".

Bottom line: Arabic is not "paramount" to our national security except in a very few instances. (Russia continues to pose a far greater existential threat to US national security than a thousand Al-Qaedas ever could).

I feel sorry for the commentator to my original posting here on this issue. Anyone who thinks that Urdu is a "slight variant" of Arabic must be on some potent medication indeed. It's not even worth commenting on.

Go ahead, "annmarie", continue your "studies" of Arabic and Urdu. I'm sure you'll do fine in the end. But I strongly suggest you first take a remedial course in basic standard English so you can express yourself beyond the 3d grade level.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (59) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Your view on teaching Arabic language [190 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Peberlyn MoretaFeb 28, 2008 08:37121305
WHAT PRECISELY ARE WE WAITING FOR? [440 words]Geno M.Sep 17, 2007 00:43109025
Assaults on non-muslims in Europe? [117 words]AstoundedOct 17, 2008 18:32109025
"Astounded" at your naivete [838 words]Geno M.Oct 17, 2008 20:19109025
language is the key [195 words]Rebecca MouldsSep 11, 2007 23:25108615
Reply to Rebecca and Yuval [1066 words]Abu NuwasSep 13, 2007 00:14108615
Thanks for the clarification [96 words]Rebecca MouldsSep 13, 2007 16:52108615
How Can American Citizens learn "defensive Arabic language"? [14 words]Geoff TaskerSep 10, 2007 12:45108432
Sorry, You Can't. [428 words]Abu NuwasSep 10, 2007 20:33108432
just like they do in Israel [78 words]yuval Brandstetter MDSep 11, 2007 04:46108432
please write your article [168 words]Rebecca MouldsSep 12, 2007 17:11108432
not so fast [62 words]annmarieSep 11, 2008 12:28108432
SPEAKING IN FORKED TONGUES [504 words]Abu NuwasSep 14, 2008 15:38108432
Interesting analysis by Abu Nuwas [235 words]Geno M.Oct 20, 2008 13:59108432
Islamist Linguistics (or) A Tisket, A Tasket [870 words]Abu NuwasOct 21, 2008 09:51108432
the tip of the ice-berg [85 words]yuval Brandstetter MDSep 9, 2007 11:57108357
Inevitable... [396 words]GlennSep 9, 2007 10:11108349
The Ultimate Irony [91 words]Godot (recovered Muslim)Sep 7, 2007 15:05108113
arabic as an instrument of imperialism [65 words]G.VishvasSep 7, 2007 14:36108107
Arabic as a language is programmed against infidels, Jews, the West and non-Islamic faiths [156 words]R. K IyerSep 11, 2007 08:35108107
Languages of Mid-East Christians [97 words]DaywonoDec 4, 2007 00:35108107
neccessity [33 words]oladiti abiodunDec 31, 2007 11:40108107
what does arabic offer? [73 words]G.VishvasJan 1, 2008 08:31108107
Ring Around The Rosy... [342 words]ABU NUWASSep 7, 2007 01:23108006
Where It is All Headed. [237 words]M. ToveySep 10, 2007 12:16108006
Just thinking [58 words]dfwhite19438Sep 6, 2007 16:36107959
Teaching Arabic [93 words]InfidelSep 6, 2007 15:25107954
Read and Study, don't be ignorant [246 words]ArabianOct 27, 2007 09:01107954
It's going to be difficult Arabian [122 words]Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemiOct 28, 2009 18:00107954
Can't our public schools do the job? [136 words]PatSep 6, 2007 14:48107950
You are quite right Pat [57 words]Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemiOct 28, 2009 18:16107950
Cut federal funding of these towns [70 words]CarolSep 6, 2007 09:13107922
Between Jihadoxication and freedom [248 words]HarrakSep 6, 2007 00:09107901
What's this Harrak? [34 words]HomefrontSep 7, 2007 04:20107901
An interesting observation Harrak [46 words]Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemiOct 28, 2009 18:23107901
Some Americans want to ... the Moslims [82 words]f.shaSep 5, 2007 23:41107898
Light and Truth [10 words]JWSep 5, 2007 23:33107896
Teaching the Islam religion in public schools, and using civil service agencies to promote Islam [202 words]Rachel Garber, PhiladelphiaSep 5, 2007 22:41107895
Ah but he was a good Christian [78 words]Y Brandstetter MDSep 11, 2007 04:56107895
To Rachel Garber [79 words]Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemiOct 28, 2009 18:33107895
USA lost it's compass [245 words]Jay OuelletSep 5, 2007 21:26107889
Hanging Heads [71 words]InfidelSep 6, 2007 15:45107889
Agree with Jay [341 words]shaynaSep 7, 2007 15:08107889
NYC School Chancellor [85 words]Gary MullennixSep 5, 2007 21:18107888
I agree with Mr.Mullennix [42 words]Nick SpartaOct 3, 2007 10:32107888
wolves in sheep's clothing [192 words]Rebecca MouldsSep 5, 2007 20:42107887
THE ANSWER [86 words]jennifer solisSep 6, 2007 00:04107887
Double-dealing singlemindedness [237 words]Nick4693Sep 5, 2007 20:11107883
Curriculum and fidelity [147 words]David W. LincolnSep 5, 2007 18:34107879
We are to blame eventually [47 words]sincereeffortsSep 5, 2007 18:27107878
Collapse from within [197 words]jennifer solisSep 5, 2007 16:47107871
Teach Arabic...why? [133 words]TiaSep 5, 2007 16:46107870
Religious schools supported by taxpayers [143 words]janusz KowalikSep 5, 2007 16:23107868
Taxpayer funded? [63 words]AyasshaSep 5, 2007 15:58107861
Public also means Public Information [167 words]GautieriSep 5, 2007 15:34107860
Turtle and the Scorpion [70 words]marciSep 5, 2007 14:48107849
Taxpayers Funding Islamic Schools [71 words]tabingins911Sep 8, 2007 21:27107849
How Ironic, Since Khalil Gibran Was Brought Up Christian [37 words]AnneMSep 5, 2007 13:33107830
Teach The Arabic Language, Keep The Political And Religious Agendas OUT [77 words]AnneMSep 5, 2007 12:58107825

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