By Obliterating the Language of the Qura’n.. They Wanted to Destroy the Arab Identity and Remove Its Heritage

By Obliterating the Language of the Qura’n..

They Wanted to Destroy the Arab Identity and Remove Its Heritage

Arabic language represents cultural entity, civilizational heritage, and great identity that unifies Arabs. Language is the greatest connection, the beginning and end of the story through which history is made; features of civilizations are formed; and epics and heroisms are created. Arabic is the language of the Holy Qura’n. It fought to survive, and resisted the streams of removal, alienation, and abandonment. Language is identity, and identity is language. Language is the belonging prop, permanence of survival, and fortress of purity. If you try to destroy a nation, start with their language.

Arabic also remained the master of languages in Arab and Islamic world during middle ages. Arabic was the crucible that embraced cultural, intellectual and literary heritage. It was rather a civilizational container of all spectrums of the nation whether it was political, religious or sectarian.

Arabic went through a dangerous turning point only when fragmentation swept the Arab body, and greed pervaded the Arabian land controlling the hearts of foreigners and non- Arabs. Arabian land became the desire of invaders and aspiration of tyrants including Crusaders, Tatars, Mongols and Turks. Then, the legend of Arabs ended, and weakness was deeply rooted in them. Their language became weak so its literature lapsed, and its flow declined. In addition, it was swept by waves of removal, distortion, and counterfeiting. Those ages were called the Era of Decadence.

Arabic Language was the master language during middle ages.

Turks coming from Central Asia settled in Anatolia. Then, they assailed Arab countries which they took over one after another. Invading Ottoman Turkish State dominated the present and future of Arabs invoking the illusion of the Caliphate and the Universal Dome of Islam. However, much corn lies under the straw that is not seen, a letter of a Turkish officer addressing his colleague was found that in (1912), in which he stated: “make Arabs the target of your bullets, and be eager to get rid of them because killing them is for our benefit”.

Ottoman racist practices started to increase until Ottomans began to practice their racism not only against Non- Turks but also against Turks themselves. Therefore, a long time has passed in their state while Turks did not have any advantage at Sultans of Bani Othman. They were classified in a parallel framework of everything that was underdeveloped and barbaric. The word (Turk) had the connotation of contempt and inferiority, villager, ruthless peasant, ignorant Bedouin, or the one who adheres to religion or the rules of morality. They saw Turks as Zimmis (free non- Muslims enjoying Muslim protection). The word Turks implied every disgusting and unpleasant thing. Notwithstanding, they used to precede Turks over other races. If that was the extent of their racism against Turks, how was it against Arabs?

Arabic embraced the arts of cultural, intellectual and literary heritage.

Racist classification was evident in formal way during Ottoman Empire. Muhammad Al-Fatih issued a Law which stated that anyone who drinks wine shall be flogged, whether he was Urbanite or Turkish, two lashes and one dirham shall be taken from him as a monetary penalty. This ethnic classification and stratification regarding Law shows us that there was racial discrimination between Urbanites and Turks classifying Turks as inferiors, and discriminating them as the least civilized ones with the least status in Ottoman society at that time.

Arabic language was the first target in Arab and Muslim lands. Attention of Ottomans was drawn towards it. Arabic and Persian were the two prevailing languages in Turkey before the establishment of Ottoman Empire, especially during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who included Turkish language as a third language. Over time, Turkish language became the official language of the country not only in Turkey but also in various countries that were colonized by Ottoman Empire including Arab countries.

Suleiman the Magnificent has included Turkish Language along with Arabic and Persian languages.

Turkish language became the alternative language of Arabic, the language of the Holy Qura’n, within occupied Arab countries. Racist discrimination became evident against Arabs. Turkifying the Arabs’ identity and removal of Arabic heritage were fundamental principle in Ottoman policy. The main goal of Ottoman invasion was to spread Turkish identity and obliterate Arabian heritage by replacing Arabic language by Turkish language.

The aim of Ottoman invasion of Arab countries was to spread the Turkish identity.

1. Asaad Dagher, Arab Revolution: Introductions, Causes, Results, (Cairo: Hindawi Foundation, 2012).

2. Sohaila Al- Rimawi, Jma’iah Ala’rbiah Alftaah Alsriah- Drasah Wthaa’kiah 1909- 1918 (Amman: Majdalawi House, 1988).

3. Sati’ Al-Husari, Arab Countries and Ottoman Empire, 2nd edition (Beirut: Dar El Ilm Lilmalayin, 1960).

4. Naguib Azoury, The Awakening of the Arab Nation, translated by: Ahmed Bou Melhem (Beirut: Arab Institute, R&P).

5. Talal Al- Tarifi, Ottomans, Not a Tale Invented, 4th edition (Riyadh: Eatlaf House, 2020).