On the last International Arabic Language Day, on the 18th of December 2020, Ahmad al-Tayyib, the Grand Imad of Al-Azhar, announced in Facebook and Twitter that Arabs should protect their language and be proud of it, and that the Arabic language issue is an issue of identity and existence for the Arabs and Muslims. All well and good, except when he comes to say: “[Arabs should be proud of their language] because it is the language ‘chosen by Allah to proclaim his message to all humanity’.” There are many who disagree with this, if by “Allah” is meant God.
Anyway, that may be their faith, but what we strongly disagree with is what he had to say next: “Arabic is the ‘master’ of all the languages of the world!”
No, Sheikh, your Arabic language is not master of our Coptic language or any other language in the world, for that sake, even the languages of the tiniest tribes in Africa or South America.
But Arabs and Muslims have the habit of not being satisfied by simply glorifying their things – they are always unhappy unless they, in the process of glorifying themselves, denigrate and put down other peoples’ things. Language is an example, but this is rooted in their religion. Their common cry at war and peace is “Allahu akbar” which translates into “Allah is greatest [greater than yours]”. Nothing will satisfy them until they make you feel inferior and them feel superior – it is part of the Arab supremacy which we hate much and fight with all our power.
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