From: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no (Elie Dib Wardini) (Elie Dib Wardini)
Subject: Re: Story
Organization: UiO
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 10:48:47 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.192148.15699@m.cs.uiuc.edu> soufi@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Khaled
S. Soufi) writes:
>I have said many times Elie before that it doesn't matter to me what
>race or origin you are or want to be.  The point remains that what has
>been established in Lebanon will not change just because you don't
>like them!  I am talking about Lebanon being a member of the Arab
>League, having Arabic as the official language of our government, the
>official language of ALL legal documents (bills of sales, marriage
>licenses, etc.), and the official language spoken on the streets, of
>course, with a variety of Lebanese accents (no Alphaleb on Earth could
>emulate them all).  I can't imagine how you could visualize that a
>'khodarji' would drop his Arabic someday and start yelling "cucumber"
>and "squash" in, say, Phoenician.  I'd like to see you someday suggest
>that to a 'khodarji' while he is holding that big knife they use to
>cut bananas!

Khaled, again it is a mtter of attitude. THere are many things that I do not
want to change. I do not want that Lebanon withdraw from the Arab League. BUt
Lebanon should be a pluralistic society with a pluralistic identity. THis measn
that Lebanon's membership in the ARab league should not be done to the
detriment of Lebanon's pluralism. Therefore Lebanon should not subscribe to the
Arab league system of education (as an example).

If I manage to convince the Khidarji or not, is a matter that will be shown
with time. Yet it is your attitude that matters: will I be called
"isolationist", "traitor", "Zionist agent" and the rest of your favorite
titles, if I tried to convince people of my system? Will you even allow me to
do it? How wil you treat those who agree with me?

>I think you ought to sit down and talk with Mr.  Barre Ludvingson more
>often.

Yes, I will do so, I hope you too get to meet him!


etc.
>I am simply against using another language to replace Arabic.
>Sort of what Mr. Barre Ludvingson was explaining in his eloquant post.

Khaled, I do not want to replace anything with anything. I just want to have
the freedom to choose. I understand what Mr. Ludvigson says, therefore I will
never interfere in the work of those who would like to use the Arabic alphabet
to write Lebanese Arabic or just to write classical Arabic.

In fact Khaled, I have helped teach people Classical Arabic to more people than
you could imagine. I have contribted in my little ways to inhancing the
knowledge of Arabic in my little mileux, ues Classical Arabic with its Arabic
script. I have in fact helped very many people acquire the necessary software
and hardware to be able to write Arabic on their mashines.

Yes, this is some bragging, but I personally am not attached to the Arabic
Alphabet. I am not gainst it as such, but mot being attached to it puts me in a
different baot than you. THerfore, you are free to do what you please. Yet I
ant the freedom to do what I please.

THis means that if I want to use the Latin Alphabet to write Lebanese Arabic, I
should be allowed to do so. And If those who wsh to do so, manage to bring
about a vialble system, and show a genuine willingness to use this system, the
Lebanese government should adapt. NO you do not throw classical Arabic, nor the
Arabic script out of the window, you jast make room for all your Lebanese
citizens!

This I believe is important as a matter of principle. Arabic language as
official language, fine with me, but I want to communicate in another language
with my government. THis should not be a priviledge, but a right, especially if
the language concerned is my mother tongue!

>-- 
>+-----------Khaled Souf

elie wardini
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon