Arabic Language and Power Identity in Lebanon

This paper discusses the linguistic construction of national identity in Lebanon and the political, social-cultural, and religious conflicts regarding Arabic language in Lebanon. The issue of politics of identity in Lebanon has been influenced greatly by Arabic and the introduction of other languages such as French and English.

Arabic Language and Power Identity in Lebanon
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Introduction
Over 200 million people speak the Arabic language in the modern world as their sole mother
tongue language with great dominance in the Middle East as well as North Africa. The Arabic
language has been officially adopted in these countries as the principal language in all operations
of the nation such as in education and administration1. After the Islamic conquests and
resettlement of the Arab tribes during the 7th Century, the Arabic language was established. The
Arabic language does not only serve as a symbol of national identity but also as a revered
language in the Christianity and Islamic religion. Therefore, it has become a unifying
denominator of the religious, cultural, and political identity. Lebanon commonly known as the
Lebanese Republic is a state in Western Asia whereby the influence of Arabic shaped their
history, cultural identity, political, ethnic, and religious diversity2. This paper, therefore,
discusses the linguistic construction of national identity in Lebanon and the political, social-
cultural, and religious conflicts regarding Arabic language in Lebanon. The issue of politics of
identity in Lebanon has been influenced greatly by Arabic and the introduction of other
languages such as French and English.
Religious ideologies, struggle for identity, and the Arabic language in Lebanon
The debate on Arabic language and the identity for the Lebanon people has been going on for
many years now. The issue has been going on from mid-19th Century to date especially in the
Middle East region. The Christians, for instance, in mid-19th Century, played a significant role in
1 A. Simpson, Language and national identity in Asia, Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 13.
2 F. Traboulsi, A history of modern Lebanon, Pluto Press, 2018, p. 33.

bringing out what is now known as the Arab renaissance (nahda). Majorly, nahda was cultural
and literary, but it influenced the development of Arabic greatly as a bond of national identity
over any religion3. At the time, Arabic was linked exclusively to Islam and, therefore, it resulted
into a lot of political unrest between the different groups. As such, the concept of nahda was able
to bring this contention into a rest.
Arabic is the mother tongue of Lebanese and, therefore, it was supposed to bring unity rather
than conflicts. Due to such issues and power for identity, these groups went ahead in resisting the
Turkification policies introduced by the Ottoman authorities in the administration and education
sector. The bone of contention was the power of identity and self-definition between religion and
Arabic language. Some elite Christians discovered that for unity to be brought forth, then, the
Arabic had to loosen ties with Islam and thereby allow Christians more association with the
language. By doing so, the Arabic became a marker or a sign of identity for both of the groups4.
It is important to note that there were other languages besides Arabic before the modern era. For
instance, there was Turkish, English, Russian, and French especially in the education systems
that was expanding mainly at the time. But there was segregation between these languages and
various groups of people5. Linguistic identity battle ensued between these groups where they
fought for the Arabic language to be the marker of their identity since it was their native
language from the beginning. Arabic acted as an identity for the Muslims where they took pride
3 A. Kaufman, A Reviving Phoenicia: The Search for Identity in Lebanon, IB Tauris, 2014, p. 19.
4 M. Al Batal, 'Identity and language tension in Lebanon: The Arabic of local news at LBCI. In
Language contact and language conflict in Arabic', Routledge, 2013, p. 115.
5 A. Hager, ‘Lebanon is more than a nation, more than a country. It is a message. Lebanon as a
model of Christian–Muslim relations', Journal of Beliefs & Values vol. 38, no. 3, 2017, p. 289.

in the fulfillment of their religious duties. Language acts as a strong symbol of ethnicity and,
therefore, it represents people’s identity especially for those that are politically separated.
Politics of identity and the Arabic language in Lebanon
When French assumed power in Lebanon, it announced that Arabic was the official language for
the Lebanese people but, in the year 1926, it amended the constitution declaring French to be an
additional official language alongside Arabic. It was implemented in the public and private
schools especially in the teaching of science subjects, social studies, and mathematics. On the
other hand, English could be used in the field of technology, business, and science and could not
be used to give a particular group identity nor was it a culture language6. The French mandate
ended in the year 1943 after Lebanon achieved its independence. However, up-to-date, the
French language competes with the Arabic language in the determination of cultural identity for
the Lebanese people. The competition is pronounced in the education sector and the arena of the
national self-definition. The political and civil war in Lebanon during the period between 1975-
1989, was as a result of Lebanon’s split identity that was known as bilingualism7. The hostility
intensified especially regards linguistic and cultural terms. The war ended in 1989 when the
various political parties and Lebanese parties came to an agreement that Lebanon was Arabic in
identity. The struggle in Lebanon continues over the national and language identity8. The
Lebanese linguistic politics, therefore, fight for the realignment of power regarding French and
6 R. Diab, 'University students’ beliefs about learning English and French in Lebanon', System,
vol. 34, no. 1, 2006, p. 86.
7 K. Shaaban and G. Ghaith, 'Lebanon's language-in-education policies: From bilingualism to
trilingualis', Language Problems and Language Planning, vol. 23, no. 1, 1999, p. 2.
8 Y. Suleiman, The Arabic language and national identity. Edinburgh University Press, 2003, p.
57.

Arabic for the economic development of the country. Right now, Lebanon has embraced
multilingualism whereby Arabic is no longer the symbol of identity, but French, as well as,
English have taken hold of the cultural and language identity.
Social-cultural ideologies and the Arabic language
During the last half a century, the language situation in Lebanon and the struggle for identity
remains to be an issue up-to-date. The socio-cultural ideologies surrounding this issue is of
uttermost importance for the socio-linguistics especially in understanding the colonialism and
national identity9. In the whole region of the Middle East, there has been an undying issue on the
role that social, cultural, and political ideologies play in the struggle of the power of language
and national identity. There are four languages in Lebanon that make up the Lebanese social and
cultural scene. Two of these languages (English and Armenian), does not play a significant role
in the conceptualization of Lebanon’s national identity10. The English language became known in
Lebanon in the 19th Century where it was adopted as a global language in international relations
and business. Armenian language, on the other hand, is only used by the Armenian community in
line with keeping their social and cultural identity alive.
The other two languages which significantly influences Lebanon’s social and cultural identity is
the Arabic and French. The Arabic language is usually supported by the Muslims and is
associated with the Pan-Arab cultural identity11. The role of the French language in Lebanese
9 K Dirani, 'Exploring socio-cultural factors that influence HRD practices in Lebanon', Human
Resource Development International, vol. 9, no. 1, 2006, p. 91.
10 B. Dajani and F. Omari, 'A Comparison between the Arabic and the English Language',
Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 82, 2013, p. 702.
11 N. Ostler, 'The Arabic Language and National Identity, A Study in Ideology', 2007, p. 74.

cultural scene propels it into the outside of the Arab orbit as well as lodging it in the inside
sphere of Western and non-Islamic Mediterranean culture. The introduction of French, therefore,
rejuvenated the long-established multilingual tradition which was there during the times of
Phoenicians. French was accepted in Lebanon on the pragmatic grounds. It was to act as a
medium for cultural and spiritual expression in enabling the Christians such as the Maronite’s to
keep in touch with their fellow Christians in the West such as French. The French language was
not only accepted and used by the Maronite but also by the Muslims and other Christian
denominations members in their social and cultural interchange. On the cultural grounds, French
denotes the literary hybridity and linguistic of the Lebanese through replacing mono-literary and
mono-linguistic articulations of the national identity12. When two or more languages interact,
there usually a probability of three linguistic phenomena occurring; interference, borrowing, and
codeswitching. The Arabic language, as such, was faced with these challenges where it
experienced interference and codeswitching from the other languages.
The Arabic Language and Lebanese national identity
Contrary to the belief of many, especially Christians, Arabism does not pose any political threat
on the identity of Lebanese people. In fact, Arabism was culturally adopted and promoted in the
19th Century by Christians who fought for Arabic to be a unifying factor between the two
groups13. The Arabism, therefore, is not a tool for Islam promotion. Otherwise, Arabic
12 J. Dueck, The claims of culture at empire's end: Syria and Lebanon under French rule, Oxford
University Press, 2010, P. 57.
13 Y. Suleiman, 'Charting the nation: Arabic and the politics of identity', Annual Review of
Applied Linguistics, vol. 26, 2006, p. 129.

proponents would have forged links and created bonds with other non-Arabic speaking countries.
However, it was meant to fulfill its cultural role as well as facilitate its civilization mission to
other Arabic nations. Language remains typically to be a strong marker of identity for nations.
When a country begins to acquire and adopt foreign languages as well when there is an increase
in literacy levels in native languages, then the citizen’s sense of self-identity and community
develops. Therefore, the competency of the students in literary Arabic, English, or French
impacted significantly in their political, religious, and cultural formation14. Most of the European
philosophers during the 19th Century identify the language as a common unifying factor for
citizens as it acts as a national identity factor. In other parts of the Middle East language as well
signaled cultural heritage, intellectual development, spiritual afflictions, and social status.
Both Muslims and Christians understood the significance of language and the role it can play in
the formation of either personal or communal identity. The Christians and Maronite’s took
French as their primary marker of Theo-political self-identification while Muslims treated Arabic
as an anchor of culture and religion. Due to the power of language and the power of identity that
it carries, there was a spur of rivalry especially between the Christians and Muslims as well as
between the Protestant and Catholic institutions15. The language identity as well created a
significant gap between men and women and girls and boys. Many elite families, for instance,
prevented their daughters from learning literary Arabic such as the fusha but encouraged them to
learn other foreign languages. Fusha was typically seen as a language to be used in the public
affairs or to be mastered by the men. Women by learning such a language would act as a means
14 R. Diab, 'Lebanese university student’s perceptions of ethnic, national, and linguistic identity
and their preferences for foreign language learning in Lebanon', Linguistics Journal, 2009, p.
108.
15 D. Womack, 'Lubnani, Libanais, Lebanese: Missionary education, language policy and identity
formation in modern Lebanon', Studies in World Christianity, vol. 18, no. 1, 2012, p. 9.

of improving their political and social status which was contrary to the Lebanese cultural and
social setting. Radical changes that occurred in the social and religious settings led to various
outcomes such as bilingualism within the families, mental dependency specifically on the foreign
languages, emigration, and religious conversion.
Arabic language- the most preferred language in Lebanon
Many people have accused the Arabic of being a language of Islam and, therefore, this impacts
the societal outlook on this language as well as other languages. Interesting, the non-Arabic
speakers believe the Arabic language is a unifying factor and increases the Islamic faith. Arabic
remains to be the most preferred language in Lebanon and a potent symbol of Arab-Islamic
culture16. It is used as the primary language in several of the primary and secondary schools and,
therefore, it gives the students an attachment with the Islamic principles. The Arabized students
offer significant support to the Islamist movement and also colossal mistrust toward the West. It
has been shown that Arabic and Islam are usually complimentary as well as mutually
reinforcing. For instance, Arabized individuals are more familiar with the Islamic symbols,
cultural referents, and linguistic styles which they find to be more persuasive. Many Arabic
countries use the power of the Arabic language to drive national identity, modernization,
uniformity, and authentication17. As the Arabic aims to enhance linguistic and cultural national
identity, other languages as well such as French seeks to create a sense of identity as well.
Therefore, the conflict for language power and identity between these groups keeps on widening
within the borders of Liberia as well in other Middle East countries.
Conclusion
16 A. Shivtiel, 'The Arabic Language', 2004, p. 27.
17 D. Gordon, The Republic of Lebanon: nation in jeopardy, Routledge, 2016, 67.

Due to embracement of other languages such as French and English in schools and
administrative work, it has caused the Arabic language to lose much popularity in Lebanon. The
fact that the political force such as Pan-Arabism was not active anymore in fighting for the
Arabic sociopolitical identity, it then meant that the Arabic language was losing its grip in
Lebanon. Political, social, and religious conflicts played a significant role in shaping linguistic
identities in Lebanon as well as the larger Middle East. It is clear that social-cultural, political,
and religious ideologies influence the struggle that has been in Lebanon for many years over
power and language identity. Usually, language is a powerful force behind any identity
formation in a country. Introduction of other languages in schools such as French and English
influenced the intellectual horizons and the wider economic aspect of Lebanese students.
Reference List
Al Batal, M., 'Identity and language tension in Lebanon: The Arabic of local news at LBCI. In
Language contact and language conflict in Arabic', Routledge, 2013, pp. 109-133.
Dajani, B. and F. Omari, 'A Comparison between the Arabic and the English Language',
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Diab, R., 'Lebanese university student’s perceptions of ethnic, national, and linguistic identity
and their preferences for foreign language learning in Lebanon', Linguistics Journal, 2009, pp.
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Diab, R., 'University students’ beliefs about learning English and French in Lebanon', System,
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Dirani, K., 'Exploring socio-cultural factors that influence HRD practices in Lebanon', Human
Resource Development International, vol. 9, no. 1, 2006, pp. 85-98.
Dueck, J., The claims of culture at empire's end: Syria and Lebanon under French rule, Oxford
University Press, 2010.
Gordon, D., The Republic of Lebanon: nation in jeopardy, Routledge, 2016.
Hager, A., ‘Lebanon is more than a nation, more than a country. It is a message. Lebanon as a
model of Christian–Muslim relations', Journal of Beliefs & Values vol. 38, no. 3, 2017, pp. 286-
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Kaufman, A., Reviving Phoenicia: The Search for Identity in Lebanon, IB Tauris, 2014.
Ostler, N., 'The Arabic Language and National Identity, A Study in Ideology', 2007, pp. 73-75.

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Simpson, A., Language and national identity in Asia, Oxford University Press, 2007.
Suleiman, Y., 'Charting the nation: Arabic and the politics of identity', Annual Review of Applied
Linguistics, vol. 26, 2006, pp. 125-48.
Suleiman, Y., The Arabic language and national identity. Edinburgh University Press, 2003.
Traboulsi, F., A history of modern Lebanon, Pluto Press, 2018.
Womack, D., 'Lubnani, Libanais, Lebanese: Missionary education, language policy and identity
formation in modern Lebanon', Studies in World Christianity, vol. 18, no. 1, 2012, pp. 4-20.