Sometimes when I meet a group of ambitious young girls wishing to study computer sciences, medicine or foreign languages, I ask them about their command of Arabic. I also ask them how much they know about Islam, general culture and information. Unfortunately, the answers are almost always disappointing. A large number of the young women have not used Arabic for a long time — some since they left secondary school — and their last encounter with the language was when they took their final examinations.
Throughout the summer holidays and well into the second semester of college, these girls who are studying highly specialized studies have not written anything in Arabic. An even larger number said they do not like to write in Arabic because the language is difficult. Some said they had benefited from studying Arabic at school but are not strong in writing the language and expressing themselves clearly in Arabic. A third group openly admitted that they strongly disliked Arabic grammar.
The conclusion I have reached from my questioning is that this is not an isolated phenomenon but rather signals a growing and alarming trend among our youth, especially college students. The matter needs more than a passing comment in a newspaper. It is so complicated and so important that it must be addressed seriously. We simply cannot just sit by and let things spin out of control.
Arab News From the Local Press 2 March 2003
