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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rabbi Warren Elf

World Arabic Language Day.

Good morning.

Today is World Arabic Language Day.

The date coincides with the date in 1973 when the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the organization.

Arabic is the sixth most-spoken language in the world and is the official language for twenty two countries in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Many English words were influenced by the Arabic language and, as a former Maths teacher, I am fully aware of the use of Arabic terminology in Mathematics – Algebra being the most famous. It is even more prevalent in medicine, chemistry and astronomy.

Arabic is derived from the Central Semitic language family, which includes Hebrew, Aramaic, and Phoenician. Many years ago I learned the Arabic alphabet and was struck by how many Arabic letters have similar names to Hebrew ones. Because of the beautiful way it is written, the Arabic language is often used in poetry, philosophy, and song.

Calligraphy is an art form in Arabic and many Mosques and homes have religious quotations or the names of God beautifully inscribed around the walls and in picture frames – they will not have pictures or images but the Arabic calligraphy more than compensates.

The influence of Arabic language and culture on the West has been considerable and I wish that I knew more than a handful of words. In my dialogue here between communities on Israel and Palestine and my interfaith work an understanding of the language of others can be an important skill.

I pray to you God, aware we are children of many traditions – inheritors of shared wisdom and sometimes tragic misunderstanding. With the variety of languages, I see the common prayer of humanity; where people differ, let people wonder at human freedom; in their unity and their differences, may people be blessed by the uniqueness that is God. May this bring us closer to each other and blessing for the future.

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