THIS refers to the article ‘Arabic Pakistan?’ (May 18) which seems to have drawn wrong conclusions on the basis of an argument that “every Muslim child and adult is fully immersed in expressions of religion and the use and sound of Arabic”. It is true that we hear Arabic several times every day during religious practices and ceremonies. And, yes, there is “a copy of the Holy Quran in virtually every single home”. But this is not reason enough to call us citizens of an ‘Arabic Pakistan’.

Children in our schools start learning English at the age of three and are taught the language till they graduate. In fact, many a household in urban centres talk to their newborns and infants in English with the conscious aim of making them used to the sound of the language. The federal and provincial governments keep trying to improve the teaching of English at all levels. But nobody, including the writer of the said article, ever says we are over-emphasising English. No one, including the writer of the said article, objects to the ‘Anglicisation’ of Pakistan.

If anything, we take pride in our linguistic abilities, and those who do not have this ability go out of their way to acquire it. This explains the mushroom growth of so-called ‘English language centres’ across the country.

The fact of the matter is that while “every Muslim child and adult is fully immersed in expressions of religion and the use and sound of Arabic”, and there is “a copy of the Holy Quran in virtually every single home”, we do not understand much of what these sounds mean. And that is why we do not find the true spirit of the religion in our attitude and conduct.

The plan of the Punjab government is only an effort to enable the people to know the meaning of what they hear or utter during prayers. If we are able to grasp the meaning of the verses we recite, we can hope to improve the way we live our lives by following the commandments.

Even from a materialistic point of view, an understanding of the Arabic language will give people a better chance of finding employment in Arab countries. A large number of Pakistanis work there already and send billions of dollars back home every year. We receive the largest chunks of our remittances from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Increasing the chances of our people getting more and better employment abroad makes logical sense.

Keeping in view these facts, we should welcome the initiative of the Punjab government. In fact, what has been planned is insufficient. The government needs to do more in this respect.

Mushfiq Ahmed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2021