Doha: The Community College of Qatar (CCQ) celebrated the World Arabic Language Day with a host of activities organised by its faculty and students, commemorating the day when the United Nations approved Arabic as one of its six official languages in 1973.
The event was attended by Li Chen (pictured), Ambassador of China to Qatar; Dr. Mohamed Al Naemi, CCQ President, and the College Dean, Dr. Abdallah Hazaimeh, alongside a number of guests and Arabic language experts.
The activities ranged from interactive competitions and calligraphy exhibits to poetry recitations by students and speeches by experts that collectively defined this year’s theme “Our Language ... Creativity and Delight”, which aim at highlighting the aesthetic aspects of the Arabic Language, as well as its ability to incorporate new terminology related to arts and sciences.
As this year’s main speaker, Li Chen talked about his experience in learning Arabic, his efforts of teaching Arabic in China and finally the collaborative relations between Qatar and his home nation. The event’s acclaimed guest speakers also elaborated on key topics such as Arabic calligraphy and supporting creativity and intellectuals in Qatar.
Moreover, the ceremony featured a play written by celebrated Arabic Writer Tawfik Al Hakeem under the title “The Devil in Danger”, which was performed in collaboration with the Theatre Arts programme at CCQ.
Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Mohamed Al Naemi, said: “We convene today to celebrate the World Arabic Language Day, and it is out of both pride and duty that we carry the banner of our beautiful language, for its greatness is not limited to a single chapter in the history of languages, but extends in esteem as it is the language of Islam, our civilisation, and heritage.”
One of the event’s highlights was a speaking session on the making of the “Doha Historical Dictionary”, a momentous literary project that chronicles the origin, meaning and evolution of Arabic’s rich vocabulary over twenty centuries.
With the first phase set to be launched later this month, the project — which has generously received the direct support and sponsorship of the Amiri Diwan and the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – is considered an extraordinary accomplishment, after several attempts by different Arab nations to launch a historical dictionary of the Arabic language have failed.
Dr. Mohammed Al Obaidi, Deputy Executive Director of Doha Historical Dictionary Foundation and one of the project founders, pointed out that such attempts date back to the early 20th century, noting that the first phase of the project will available in electronic form, while the print version is set to be published with the launch of the second phase.
