JEDDAH, 28 January — Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Abdullah ibn Abdul Mohsen Al-Turki has called for joint efforts by African governments and public institutions to establish Arabic as a leading language in the continent.
Speaking in the Chadian capital, Ndjamena, where he chaired a symposium on the future of Arabic language, Dr. Al-Turki said such efforts require the cooperation of all African governments as well as non-governmental organizations.
"Being the language of the Holy Qur'an, Arabic should be taught at all levels of education and projects ensuring its spread across Africa supported," he said.
The King Faisal University in Chad organized the three-day symposium in cooperation with the Federation of Islamic Universities. Senior Chadian government officials including the county's prime minister attended. Dr. Al-Turki is chairman of King Faisal University board of trustees.
The meeting recommended the introduction of unified curricula using Arabic as the medium of instruction at different levels of education, an MWL statement said.
The delegates called for supporting the government's efforts in cooperation with King Faisal University to arrange for more Arabic teachers from various Muslim and Arab countries to be sent to Chad to help implement the country's education projects. It called for closer cooperation between higher education institutions in the Muslim world and Chadian universities and colleges. The Arabization of official government documents, the media and correspondence in public institutions was also urged.
The symposium recommended holding similar events in other African countries every three years.
At the end of the conference the delegates issued the "Ndjamena Document" in which they called on the Chadian government to introduce Arabic and Islamic culture in elementary and secondary schools and for more Chadians holding degrees in Arabic to be employed in public posts.
The document called for the formation of a committee from the Chadian Ministry of Education, King Faisal University, the MWL, the Federation of Islamic Universities and other Islamic educational and cultural institutions to help the government carry out its educational projects.
The declaration also pledged support for an going project to protect Arabic language from being written in letters other than its original alphabet.
On the sideline of the symposium the board of trustees of King Faisal University held its second session chaired by Dr. Al-Turki who thanked the university rector, Dr. Abdul Rahman Omar Al-Mahi, for his efforts to develop the university.
The board reviewed a report on the activities of the universities and the problems it faces. It also called for the creation of four new colleges including Shariah and law, economics and administration, medicine and agriculture. (A.W.B.)
