Time passed and more than twenty-five years passed, spent by Mohammed, an Arab Muslim, and his wife Noura in a country where they only heard Arabic in their home. However, they succeeded, with God’s help, in keeping the promise they made to themselves. Their children grew up fluent in Arabic, understanding and reading the Holy Quran, in addition to the children’s success and mastery of the language of the country they were in. They pledged from the first day they arrived to preserve their identity and the Saudi Arabian Islamic culture on which they would raise their children. This would be their responsibility at home, and they remained very keen on this with their children. The language spoken there was always Arabic, and they set aside a Quranic session on Fridays that did not stop, no matter the circumstances. This is how the family preserved its culture and civilization in the foreign country throughout these years, as they believed with firm convictions and values that their children’s roots must be strong and their affiliations clear, so that they would not be exposed to the risk of assimilation into the new culture in which they were forced to live.
After all this absence, the family returned to their homeland, proud of their achievement and the successes they had accomplished, to which they added their adherence to their values, language and identity. The surprise was that their children who had returned from abroad spoke Arabic and read the Quran with better eloquence than their cousins living here!! and who were enrolled in international schools where they studied in English. Also, their Arab Muslim fathers, unfortunately, spoke to them in English inside and outside the home to the point that they began to speak Arabic with difficulty and with a broken accent... Mohammed and Noura were overwhelmed with astonishment and amazement at this situation ...
Let us think together out loud, our homeland Saudi Arabia has a special quality that distinguishes it from the whole world and is the crown of its status. My country is the cradle of revelation and the Qiblah of Muslims . If we are like this, how and when do we provide educational opportunities for the sons of the nation who constitute its extension and carry its features, so that they may understand and comprehend this status and what their origins are and draw from the wellspring of their Islamic and Arab culture. Don’t they need to know about the great events that took place on this holy land from which the Seal of the Prophets emerged and upon which the last revelation and the last of the heavenly books were revealed, and in it is the holiest place on earth and the Qiblah of Islam and Muslims, and to which all Muslims of the world make pilgrimage.
We live in a country that belongs to the Arab world, and this is another unique feature added to Islam. Our country officially bears the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and even in English its name is: “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” This means that Arabic is an attribute that is attached to the name of the country and its entity like the eye is attached to the head. The language of the state in its constitution is Arabic, and the language of our original land is Arabic. So this is a description that is inherent in our Saudi identity. So what happened and what will the situation be in the future with generations that are killing their language with their own hands and severing their connection to their roots, while their families neglect to teach them Arabic and the fundamentals of religion?!
On the day we celebrate our beloved homeland, let us reflect and review ourselves. How have we strengthened this uniqueness, identity, values, and affiliations in the souls of our children? Let us look far into the future. Do we see that this generation that learns, thinks, and lives its life in English will remain Arab? And if they do not master Arabic, how will they read their book and their civilization? How will they delve into the treasures of this great heritage, to which they are entitled? Will their inability to read in Arabic not deprive them of much?!
And when this generation of spectators grows up, is there a chance that Arabic will become foreign in its own land and among its own people? Don't we need a moment of reflection and self-examination?
I salute every mother and father who educates their children about their roots, cares for and teaches Arabic to them, and takes pride in their heritage and civilization. I encourage them to continue on this path despite all the difficulties in a time when Arabic is no longer the language of science or the world. Rather, it will remain the language of religion and homeland. Your efforts will strengthen identity, strengthen roots, and produce good results.