This Saturday, July 27, 2024, the International Conference on the Arabic Language was held at the Islamic Institute of Dakar, initiated by Professor Mouhamadou El Moctar Dieye, researcher at the Islamic Institute of Dakar and representative of the Islamic University of Minnesota in West Africa. . His aim is to re-establish the Arabic language in Africa and the world. This third edition took place under the theme “Challenges and Perspectives of the Arabic Language”.
, The status of graduates in Arabic as well as the expansion of the Arabic language around the world is a matter of concern for Arabic speakers around the world. Especially in Senegal, those who we commonly call Arabic are marginalized. This is a common observation that has always been a topic of debate in the country. And the reason for this is none other than Senegal being a French-speaking country despite having roots in the Arabic language.“, Renowned Professor Mouhamadou El Moctar Diaye.
He pursues: ” It is the graduates of Molière’s language who are privileged to the detriment of the Arabists who struggle to integrate the Senegalese administration. They have been sidelined simply because they think in Arabic and write in Arabic. And yet in the days of our ancestors around the 11th century, Arabic was the writing language of Senegalese intellectuals, who were mostly Muslim. Thus, in universities like Kouki, Pir or even Fouta, Arabic was the language of writing and teaching of the scientists and researchers of the time. It was because of the slave trade and colonization that imperialists like France invaded our countries and destroyed the entire civilization that existed there. After this, they opened their schools and fought against Arabic,
The representative of the Islamic University of Minnesota in West Africa recalls that ” The arrival of sheikhs like Ahmadou Bamba came into being. And they had to face a formidable settler who had no other purpose than to destroy this Arabic-speaking culture that had taken shape. This continued with the advent of independence where we saw the rise of French-speaking leaders who advocated total submission to France and its derivatives throughout their reign. As a result, the Arabic language has slipped to second place and we are witnessing the birth of Arabs who are marginalized by the system despite the fact that they are graduates of major Arab universities around the world. Arabic-speaking intellectuals like Sidi Lamine Niasse wear the garb of an Arabic-language fighter and compete with French-speaking intellectuals with the creation of the Walfadjri press group.,
According to him, a fight, ” Which lasted for quite some time before we saw the recognition of the Arabic baccalaureate by our authorities. A recognition that has still not been realized because until now, Arabic language graduates are struggling to enter the job market in Senegal,
That is why researchers like Professor Mouhamadou El Moctar Dieye have taken the lead in continuing the fight. With the support of the Islamic University of Minnesota, the professor, who represents the ” Prestigious » Academy, Battles in West Africa « body and soul » With our Arabic-speaking brothers « For the recognition and integration of Arabic graduates in the job market,
On this momentum, they organized this conference on the Arabic language, which was held this Saturday, July 27, 2024. In the presence of several researchers from African universities such as Morocco, Mali, Nigeria, the debate centered around the challenges and perspectives that await researchers and graduates of the Arabic language.
According to Dr. Ahmed Sakhir Mbaye, Secretary General of the Islamic Institute of Dakar, ” The challenges facing Arab graduates are enormous. With the current number of Arab graduates constantly increasing, the challenge of integrating into the job market is one of the biggest challenges facing Arabs. It is the state authorities that should play a facilitating role with regard to the integration of Arabs into the employment sector.,
Along the same lines, Professor Mouhamadou Moctar Dié, as well as most of the speakers, spoke about the importance of creating universities reserved specifically for the Arabic language and how this would make it possible to better offer Arabic speakers the possibility of furthering their studies in training for professions in line with the modern world.
Professor Dieye also mentioned the foundations of the Arabic language that must be upheld. To diagnose the real problems of Arabs in Senegal with the aim of finding more adequate and more effective solutions to the difficulties associated with the expansion of the Arabic language in our countries,
Also, during this conference, researchers looked at how to incorporate Arabic into Senegal’s education system, which would be a great way to facilitate the expansion of the language.
, And we must remember that at a certain point Arabic was taught in schools. But for years it did not yield any results“, according to Professor Dieye.
Thus, he believes that the conclusions of this conference ” will be handed over to the authorities of this country. And with this new regime, which has also established a special direction for graduates in Arabic, these findings will be able to help the authorities better understand the difficulties associated with the Arabic language and provide solutions as quickly as possible.,