Arabic in Belgium

[Larissa]

Some civil rights campaigners in Belgium have suggested making Arabic, which is spoken by 300,000 people in the country, an official language alongside
Dutch, French and German. German is spoken by 70,000 people in Belgium.

[Pete]

It would only increase cosmopolity of the country, and decrease discrimination.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Great suggestion, finally some unity.

But ofcourse the inpowerd white males will do everything to keep belgium "pure".

[oki]

your forgetting(along with the AIL and these civil rights people) that most presumed arab are from marocco originally and are in fact berbers and speak berber language ,not arab.they are not arabs.

[Dhul Fiqar]

So what if they're not Arabs? All Maroccans speak Arabic, but only about one third are in any real touch with the old Berber ways and can understand Tamazigh.

It's like saying Italians in Swiss should lobby for Latin to be an official language instead of Italian.

--- G.

[deimos]

You can be sure that arabic will not become an official language.And I also think its not a good idea: IF arabic was introduced as an official labguage, there would have to be an arabic speaker in every public office in Belgium(because immigrants live everywhere in belgium, not like the germans who only live in the east). Thats quite expensive. And every immigrant speaks french or dutch.
Not to mention the reaction of the population...(and the vlaams blok)
btw: I am not racist or anti immigrant. My father was a refugee when he came to austria.

[Larissa]

Let me say I just got this info from another forum, and I don't know if it's accurate or not, but I'm not claiming anything in particular. I found it interesting and that's why I posted here. So we can comment, like we are doing.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

WHere is your argument?

Only thing I heard is the price and the reaction of the population?

This sort of things should make it easier for the orginal inhabitants to accept immigrants from arabic country's. And also easier for Arabics to live in Belgium.

[deimos]

I think its accurate. Its no surprise that the immigrants in belgium were the first to come up with that idea.

It's like saying Italians in Swiss should lobby for Latin to be an official language instead of Italian.
I hope that this never ever happens. I told my latin teacher that latin won't play any role in the future. She rejected and we bet.

[oki]

Quote: from Dhul Fiqar on 3:12 pm on Mar. 12, 2003
So what if they're not Arabs? All Maroccans speak Arabic, but only about one third are in any real touch with the old Berber ways and can understand Tamazigh.

It's like saying Italians in Swiss should lobby for Latin to be an official language instead of Italian.

--- G.


why? are those Italians in swiss speaking latin?
what's the sense of making arab an official language if most of the people it's ment for don't speak arab?why not make berber an official language then?

this is a program point of the islamic arab league.that's why it's on the political agenda.I don't know if you're aware of this,but berbers in marocco are beeing repressed by the arab majority.young berbers in belgiumholland overlook this fact because they were born here,but ask their parents.

[Dhul Fiqar]

Christ, it's you again. Look, I know there is a small minority of people in Morocco and Algeria who are insanely anti-Arab and believe they are trying to take over the world. I also know you are one of them and seem to have mental problems, so I'm not going to argue with you.

The point is that 99% of the people in question don't give a shit about your Berber politics. They speak Arabic, they are Muslims, they are for all intents and purposes Arabs.

Now, to make sure you don't try to pollute this thread with your issues, please refrain from commenting on anything other than the following facts:

All or at least 99% of Moroccans in Belgium speak Arabic. A small percentage of them might speak A LITTLE Tamazigh.
There is no earthly reason for you to suggest that Tamazigh be used instead of the much more widely understood Arabic. No, wait, there is one reason: to hijack this thread and turn it into a Berber vs. Arab one. Make your own, ok?

--- G.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Woe, a very strong post.

I can't understand how a nationalist can ever considering himself to be leftist.

[Dhul Fiqar]

Indeed.

A lot of terrible things have certainly happened to the Berber people, but that is no reason to anally cling to the past and hate all Arabs forever. These are very related and similar peoples anyway.

Can't we all just get along? :biggrin:

[redstar2000]

Gee, lots of currents in this thread, aren't there?

Let's start with why Belgium should exist at all. Isn't "Belgium" really parts of three different countries (Holland, France, and a little bit of Germany) jammed together who have never really accepted the idea of "Belgium" at all? Isn't there a continuous history of emnity between the Walloons and the Flemish?

Then there is the Arab/Berber thing...isn't it true that Berbers are oppressed by Arabs in Morocco, Islam notwithstanding? Shouldn't the Berbers have their own country?

One reason that I personally dislike nationalism is that it's messy.

:cool:

[Zombie]

Quote: from Dhul Fiqar on 2:02 am on Mar. 16, 2003
Can't we all just get along? :biggrin:


i wish dude :cool:

anyway, i was thinking that such a project in Belgium would be rather difficult. mainly cos of the many dialects the Arab langage has. I, coming from Lebanon, don't really share the same dialect as a Morrocan or an Iraqi... talking to them would be like,to a certain extent, a French trying to understand what a Quebecois is trying to say (well yeah I've seen it...lol) so "which" Arabic are we going to 'officialize' then?

I ran across this article that deals briefly about MSA (modern standard arabic) and how it could be a solution..
http://www.pacificarabic.com/resources/mod...rndialects.html (http://www.pacificarabic.com/resources/moderndialects.html)

[Pete]

"a French trying to understand what a Quebecois is trying to say (well yeah I've seen it...lol) so "which" Arabic are we going to 'officialize' then? "

The glories of franglais!

[Sinistra]

I don't think that atrabic should be oficialised , if the morocans want arabic to be an official language , go back to maroco ... belgium is a flemish,frenck,german country , and it will never be a part of arabia . if there are imegrents they should speak one of those three languages .

to th answer of wich arab to choose , don't forget that there is an official arabic wich is the old arabic , and from it the dialects were made .

[oki]

Quote: from Dhul Fiqar on 3:15 pm on Mar. 14, 2003
Christ, it's you again. Look, I know there is a small minority of people in Morocco and Algeria who are insanely anti-Arab and believe they are trying to take over the world. I also know you are one of them and seem to have mental problems, so I'm not going to argue with you.

The point is that 99% of the people in question don't give a shit about your Berber politics. They speak Arabic, they are Muslims, they are for all intents and purposes Arabs.

Now, to make sure you don't try to pollute this thread with your issues, please refrain from commenting on anything other than the following facts:

All or at least 99% of Moroccans in Belgium speak Arabic. A small percentage of them might speak A LITTLE Tamazigh.
There is no earthly reason for you to suggest that Tamazigh be used instead of the much more widely understood Arabic. No, wait, there is one reason: to hijack this thread and turn it into a Berber vs. Arab one. Make your own, ok?

--- G.


I have no idea what youre talking about.me again?I never ever talked about this subject before,I am not a berber at all but sort of white and dutch.do you accuse all people that don't agree with you of beeing nationalists?that's like calling someone that opposes the Israeli gouv. an antisemite.

I don't buy your facts,about the 99% at all.arab only binds most because it's the language of Islam.do you actually know what is going on in belgium at the moment?the rightwing org. on both sides are getting more and more extreme.this demand of making arab an official language is a demand that came from the european arab liga.they are extremists.they are a religon based,arabs only organisation.morocco let the berbers go to europe back in the 70's to get rid of them.just like most "turkish" people here are actually kurds.it's important to keep these things in mind.

sinistra,the berber language is not an arabic dialect.

[oki]

and I don't hate arabs at all.what's up with all the accusations?I don't get iot.cant I not agree with you?