Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
The Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, affiliated with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, concluded the cultural event “Tarjama” that it held recently, in cooperation with the Arab World Institute in Paris, one of the world’s reputable institutions dedicated to supporting Arab culture and linking it with other human cultures.
The event was attended by Her Highness Princess Haifa bint Abdulaziz bin Muhammad bin Ayyaf Al Muqrin, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO and Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of France, and His Excellency Sheikh Salem Khalid Abdullah Al Qasimi, Permanent Representative of the State to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO”, and His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa Al Khalifa, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the French Republic.
The event came out with a set of recommendations that highlighted the importance of translation as the main bridge in introducing people to other cultures, and informing them regarding the projects of their thinkers and writers, and pointed to the need to develop a clear plan for translation from Arabic to French and vice versa, and included a set of initiatives to support intellectual and cultural fields It also encourages institutions and publishing houses to provide the necessary knowledge support, in addition to qualifying translators from both languages to understand the Arabic and French cultures, and to improve the quality of translation.
Gateway to modernity
Within the framework of the event, the Center organized a series of seminars and dialogue sessions, including a session entitled “The Arabic Language in France: Its Uses, Transmission and Spread,” in which His Excellency Jacques Lang, former French Minister of Education and Culture, President of the Arab World Institute, who considers pluralism a first value in language policies, participated. And he had valuable contributions to the Kalima project by translating his book “The Arabic Language is a Treasure of France,” Dr. Ali bin Tamim, President of the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, and Secretary General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, and Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Acting Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language. And Dr. Mujeeb Al-Zahrani, Director General of the Arab World Institute.
While the second session, titled: “Paris in Modern Arabic Literature,” discussed Paris’s status and presence in modern Arabic literature as a gateway to modernity. Lagrange, Director of the Qualification and Research Unit for Arabic and Hebrew Studies at the Sorbonne University.
cultural bridge
His Excellency Jack Lang, President of the Arab World Institute in Paris, said: “When we talk regarding the Arab World Institute, we are referring to the cooperation and harmony between the Arab and European cultures, and to the Institute’s role as a bridge between the Islamic world and Europe and seeks to promote and raise the status of Arab language and culture, which is a role He shares it with the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language.
Lang pointed out that this event is a fruit of the partnership between the two institutions in organizing conferences and cultural events and their efforts to promote the learning, acquisition and spread of the Arabic language in the world, praising the importance of cooperation between them to translate works issued in Arabic into French, in addition to translating French works into Arabic.
The SIMAH certificate is one of the most prominent initiatives of the cooperation agreement between the two parties, which is the Certificate of International Proficiency in the Arabic Language awarded by the Arab World Institute in Paris, and promoted by the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language in order to assess language proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic.
rich civilization
About the event, Dr. Ali bin Tamim, President of the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, said: “We have many important relations with the Arab World Institute in Paris, which have enjoyed a prominent presence in the field of modern Arabic literature and its symbols. The organization of this event serves the two civilizations through their languages, which have a rich history of communication. Influence and influence, manifested in all forms of life, art and science, to the extent that we can with confidence count hundreds of words circulating in French of Arabic origin, and perhaps the same in Arabic.
Ibn Tamim added, “During the event, we discussed the future of the presence of the Arabic language in France, which is the second spoken language in it, and we studied ways to consolidate its position to become a true expression of the details of the rich civilization that contains its vocabulary. With all the peoples and cultures of the earth, and we seek, through the recommendations that we came out with, to strengthen its position and presence as a bridge that defines global civilizations on our Arab and Emirati culture in a broader and more comprehensive way.”
Treasures of the World Library
Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Acting Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, said, “The event highlighted many topics, including the experience of the Kalima project for translation, which provided Arabic readers with treasures from the World Library in its multiple languages and cultures. He cooperated with a large number of prestigious French publishing houses, which resulted in the translation of more than 1181 books in many fields. Therefore, organizing these seminars enhances the frameworks of cooperation that brings us together at the Institute, supports the joint cultural movement, and embodies a model for cultural openness and cultural communication.”
Through these sessions and the partnerships that link it with major Arab and international institutions, especially the French, the Center seeks to shed light on the challenges of translation between French and Arabic and the history and future of the Arabic language in France. and emphasizing its role in achieving the aspirations and goals set.