JEDDAH, 28 October 2004 — Reactions differed among religious teachers, imams and students to the minister of Islamic affairs’ call for preachers to learn foreign languages.

“It’s important that Muslims learn Arabic because it is the language of the Qur’an,” said Abu Omar, a preacher who is also a member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. “Let us do our duty toward our language before learning others’ languages.”

A lecturer at Imam Muhammad University in Riyadh, who preferred to not reveal his name, said: “Preachers and many religious figures think that by learning a foreign language we’ll become susceptible to corrupt ideas from other cultures. Languages aren’t what makes us go bad.”

“Let us get through to our nations before reaching out to the world in foreign languages. Arabs don’t speak their own language well enough because all they care about is other languages. Foreign language expresses foreign thought,” said Abu Faisal, an elementary school teacher for religious studies.

Foreign languages are essential for preachers, confirmed Saleh Al-Asheikh, minister of Islamic affairs, during his visit to Al-Jazeera World Academy. The minister’s call contrasts the resistance, confusion and difficulties with integrating English language in the 6th graders’ curriculum.

“We must cross over to other cultures to clear the misunderstanding and lack of communication that is happening between us and the world,” said Noura Fadel, a religious teacher at a public high school. “Learning other languages will promote understanding and spiritual breakthroughs.”

According to Al-Eqtisadiah, a sister publication of Arab News, Saleh Al-Asheikh said Muslim preachers must learn other languages besides Arabic for several reasons: In order to communicate Islamic knowledge, to write and translate books and to spread Islam all over the world. During his visit to the academy he said it was important that preachers add to their knowledge and that the ministry focuses on sending its representatives for different courses to better their performances. “It is to the benefit of Islam to learn other languages.” The minister approved of the language academy pointing out the demands of the labor market for English language skills in countless fields.

“This calls for us to be more responsive in this area so that the Saudi individual will be more compatible with life and its developments. I’m happy that such educational programs and academies exist.”

The ministry granted the academy 120 grants for the intensive English language program.

On the same issue of English language education but on a different note, the Ministry of Education is currently looking into lessening the load for English teachers in the intermediate and high school stages so that they can fill in the deficit of English teachers in the elementary stages.

Sari Zahrani, an English teacher at one of the government boys’ schools, said: “I keep reading about how we’ll be financially compensated for taking on extra loads but most of us are skeptical about that.”

“Just teaching the regular classes can be hard, I’m not sure we’re going to be able to maintain the quality of our teaching this way,” he added.

Dr. Muhammad Al-Ahaidab, director of the English language project at the Ministry of Education, confirmed that the ministry is evaluating the experiment of 6th grade English language sending several experts to collect feedback and opinions from teachers and students and officials at government schools.

“This school year is still hectic,” said Suhad Omar, an English teacher at one of the girls’ schools in Jeddah. “My colleagues are still dealing with adjustments with the Arabic subjects. This is so unfair to the students and us as well. All these studies and evaluation should have been done before and not now.”

Dr. Al-Ahaidab said the ministry is working on modifying the structure of the English subject for intermediate and high school levels. He added that English language books for these school stages would change with the beginning of next academic year. Additionally training courses for English language teachers are being prepared.

He added that the ministry is currently striving to fill in the shortfall of English language teachers by having contracts with teachers inside and outside the Kingdom. And, he stated that the Ministry of Education does not have the right or authority to reverse the decision of the Council of Ministers.

“What I don’t understand,” an English language high school teacher told Arab News, “is how can we approve and encourage adults to learn English and yet still have all this mess about children learning English.”

Abu Tahani, a father of three frustrated with the English language issue in the Kingdom and a Cambridge graduate, said: “Is it a surprise that it’s such an issue for our children to learn or not to learn English? After all we’re practicing what we preach. The preachers were once children: Ignorance breeds ignorance.”