Jack Lang is a former French culture minister who has launched a campaign to make Arabic widely available in French schools. He regards the Arabic language, he says, as a “treasure of France” that deserves a special place in the French curriculum. “It is our heritage,” he says.
No, The Greeks, the Romans, these are France’s – and the West’s – cultural “heritage.” The Jews, too, are part of the West’s spiritual heritage. The Arabic language, the Arabs themselves, have made no significant contribution to Western or French civilization. Arabic is the language of the historic enemy of the West, the language of Muslims, whose faith discourages free inquiry and encourages the habit of mental submission to authority. It’s the language of those who have been taught to regard themselves as the “best of peoples” while Infidels everywhere, including the French, are the “most vile of created beings.”
Now it’s hardly surprising that Jack Lang should have started such a campaign to encourage such exaggerated veneration of Arabic. He is not a disinterested scholar, nor a cultivated connoisseur of comparative cultures, but a bought-and-paid-for propagandist for the Arabs, the Arabic language, and — joined at the hip with the Arabs and their language — Islam. Jack Lang is, after all, the president of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, where he is handsomely paid out of the contributions of 18 Arab states. The Institut does not lack for funds. Its building was constructed between 1981 and 1987, and at that time cost $250 million — which is $500 million in 2020 dollars — making it one of the most expensive properties in the world. It is very well endowed. From his luxurious eyrie, Lang does the bidding of those who so lavishly fund his plush sinecure. His current campaign feeds the amour-propre – and the politico-cultural desires — of his Arab paymasters. This insensate promotion of the Arabic language (has he bothered to learn it himself? No, he admits he can’t even carry on a simple conversation in Arabic) is part of his task, as he attempts through lectures and exhibitions and colloquia at the Institute to convince the French that the Arab world is, as he puts it, “rich, dense, and passionate,” and to insist “how very far it is from the clichés that are being spread and published in the media in the West and elsewhere.” “Clichés,” he means, about “violence and terrorism” – where do people get these strange ideas that Arabs, and Islam, have anything to do with violence and terrorism?
Perhaps Jack Lang has forgotten, or wants us all to forget, the attacks by Muslim terrorists in Europe, after Muslim terrorists have many times struck in London and Paris, as well as in Manchester, Toulouse, Nice, Magnanville, Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Anspach, Munich, Vienna, Copenhagen, Malmö, Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Beslan. In America, we have not only endured the mass terrorism by Muslims in New York and Washington on 9/11, but since then, there have been terror attacks in New York (several times), Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Fort Hood, Little Rock, Chattanooga, San Bernardino, Orlando and many other places.
And there are more than 36,500 separate attacks by Muslim terrorists since 9/11 that Jack Lang has overlooked, that just might explain those “clichés” about Muslims and terrorism that he so deplores.
And what about Muslim violence unconnected to terrorism? Does Jack Lang not realize why the French associate Muslims to violent crime? Does the fact that the prisons of Europe are overflowing with Muslims — as in France, where more than 70% of all prisoners are Muslim, despite being less than 10% of the population — suggest that, despite the lavishing of every conceivable welfare benefit on Muslim migrants, their integration is not exactly going well?
Lang would like us to believe, as an article of faith, what his unwitting comrade-in-arms, Pope Francis, pontificated: “Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Quran are opposed to every form of violence.”
Lang goes further than Pope Francis. It’s not enough that the French should embrace this non-violent “understanding” of “authentic Islam.” They must also, in his view, be convinced of the enormous debt that French culture owes to the Arabs and to the Arabic language. It is that language, according to Jack Lang, which allowed the French, uncultivated barbarians until the Arabs came along to enlighten them, to become “open to mathematics, history, medicine.”
Lang has titled his latest book “La langue arabe, trésor de France” – “The Arabic language, a treasure of France.” This claim deserves examination. Just how valuable is this “treasure” that Lang wants to be taught in French schools, privileged above all other foreign languages, a mandatory subject? About 274 million people in the world speak Modern Standard Arabic, and another 100 million speaking dialects. But that makes it only the fifth language in number of users, behind Mandarin, English, Spanish, and Hindi. It’s a moderately useful language, if you are doing business in Arab countries (though the Arab elite in North Africa and Lebanon speak French, while the rich Arabs in the Gulf, the kind you are likely to do business with, have English as their second language) but not for anything else. It’s not the language of science, art, literature, music, philosophy, political science. For business purposes, it is not nearly as useful as Chinese, Spanish and, especially, English. Lang calls Arabic “a universal language,” but that usually describes a language whose users are spread widely over the globe. Arabic is limited in its geographic range to a contiguous swath of territory covering North Africa and the Middle East. English is a true universal language, indisputably the most important one of all, with 380 million native speakers and 750 million for whom it is a second language; it is the one which French people most need, and want, their children to master. Spanish, too, is a universal language, with 450 million native speakers on three continents, and 120 million non-native speakers. French itself, which has more than 300 million native or fluent speakers (and another 80 million for whom it is a second language), given its much wider geographical distribution, on three continents, has a stronger claim to being a “universal language” than does Arabic. And the prestige of French culture has made it the second language, with English, of diplomacy and international exchanges, from the E.U. to the U.N. to the IMF.
Lang says, in a sentence that should be inscribed in some Annals of Sublime Idiocy, that “Arabic has enabled French culture to open to mathematics history, medicine.” What can he possibly mean? When he refers to “mathematics,” what is he thinking of? He can only be referring to the fact that more than a millennium ago, some Arabs, or possibly non-Arab Muslims, in India, having studied the Sanskrit mathematicians, brought back what they discovered to the Middle East, and thence to Europe. What did they bring? A rudimentary knowledge of algebra, a branch of mathematics founded and first developed by Indian mathematicians, not Muslim Arabs, though it is true that Al-Khwarizmi further developed algebra and Al-Kindi disseminated to Europe the use of Indian numerals that, in transmission, became known as “Arabic numerals.” But the Muslims were more of a conduit than an original source.
The Arabic language did not “enable” French culture to “open to mathematics.” Almost all of the Arabic treatises mathematics remained untranslated, and therefore unread in Europe. There was a long mathematical tradition in France, going back centuries, that had nothing to do with, and had no need of, any putative “Arabic” influence to “open” French culture to mathematics. Jack Lang constructs this soi-disant Arabic contribution on the flimsy basis of “Arabic numerals” and “algebra,” both of which were borrowed from Hindu mathematicians. Or does Jack Lang know something about Arab mathematicians and their influence in France that has escaped the notice of historians? He is unfair to his own country’s rich history of mathematical achievement — it’s one of those fields in which the French have historically excelled. Think of the roster of outstanding French mathematicians: Rene de Fermat, Rene Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Pierre-Simon Laplace, Adrien-Marie Legendre, Augustin-Louis Cauchy, Evariste Galois, Rene Poincare are all world-famous. Think of the hundreds of others whose names you can find on-line by searching the Internet for “French mathematicians.” No one in France needed Arabic to be “open to mathematics.”
Hugo says
If the Germans had one WW2, Jack Lang would be petitioning for the German language to be made obligatory in all French schools, as part of French national culture. How long until his ilk are promoting the right to take french civil service exams in Arabic?
mortimer says
Is the Arabic language truly a ‘national treasure’ of France or is the French language the real national treasure?
Taqiyya on steroids, what?
There is no valid reason to teach children Arabic in France. I would say it is preferable to NOT WASTE THEIR TIME. It is more important for French students to learn English and German or Italian and Spanish or Dutch, even Latin, than learn Arabic.
gravenimage says
+1
revereridesagain says
+2
Rufolino says
Thank you Hugh for this assessment, it is a big shock to me. The trajectory of Europe is catastrophic.
Westman says
The mathematics that projected the West to dominance was CALCULUS, independently developed by Isaac Newton(English) and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz(French).
Need to go to the moon? Calculus. Need to design and economize a continuous manufacturing process? Calculus. Need to design accurate cannons? Calculus. Need to determine wind stresses on a tall skyscraper? Calculous. Need to dynamically model a new jumbo jet? Calculus.
No Arabic needed. What was the primary language of the greatest female Muslim architect, Zaha Hadid? English. Did she wear any of the Islam-required garb? No. Did she actually believe in Islam? Doubtful. Remaining Muslim is the cost to avoid persecution.
Arabic is a dead-end language spoken by less than a tenth of Islam; precisely, because Islam retards innovative thinking.
Jocelynn Cordes says
Thanks for referring to Zaha Hadid. Although I despise modern architecture she was most definitely brilliant. I didn’t know that her primary language was English, though, as she was Iraqi. And as for clothes, she loved the designer Issey Miyake because he was supremely sculptural–a nod to personal taste that is unavailable to the hijab-wearing Muslima.
mortimer says
Bribery is a normative part of Islam. Mohammed and his followers bribed fifth columnists to open the bellies of their targets.
Jack Lang should get the COUNT JULIAN AWARD for TRAITOR-OF-THE-YEAR.
No Muzzies Here says
It’s insane. This is coming from a former minister of culture! He knows very well that France has a rich cultural heritage, and so do most Frenchmen.
What’s wrong with you, Frenchies? You were once so proud to be French. Now, half of you can’t even write your language correctly. I read your letters, emails and postings. I write French better than most of you today! This was not true 60 years ago! Don’t you remember la Grandeur de la France?
This cannot end well! Not only do you prostrate yourselves before your new overlords, but you plan to vow obeisance to him in his language as well?
Jocelynn Cordes says
A rich cultural heritage? I beg anyone to name a country other than Italy that has a richer one.
I’m at a loss for words. The French have the ballet, haute cuisine, wine and champagne, the encyclopedia, philosophy, political science, science and mathematics, couture, painting, sculpture etc. etc. I could be here all day. This is a bizarre defense to even have to make, like pulling out a proof that 2=2=4.
gravenimage says
+1
SB says
What has Jack been smoking?
James says
How much money is he getting from Muslim patrons? Or does he just want to stand out by being an independent thinker?
Claudius says
Yes, there were no “Arabic numerals”. They are Indian numerals, including the zero, which was invented by Brahmagupta in 628.
gravenimage says
+1
Jocelynn Cordes says
That’s why they are currently referred to as Indo-Arabic numerals. Besides, India gave us the zero.
Lavéritétriomphera says
Jack Lang is the president of the Arab World Institute (“Institut du Monde Arabe” or “IMA”) in Paris.
He said he does not want to leave the learning of the Arabic in the hands of extremist groups, propagandists and manipulators.
On another note, he has instituted the Day of Music to celebrate the summer solstice on 21 June, initiative that cannot be the liking of radical Muslims!
gravenimage says
With all respect, Lavéritétriomphera, Muslims will *definitely* see the spread of teaching of Arabic as a win for Islam, especially if it becomes compulsory.
Moreover, Lang has praised French monarch Francis I allying with the vicious Ottoman Empire. He has also said that any Frenchman who balks at this indoctrination of French children is motivated by “stupid xenophobia” and called them “agents of fear and hatred”.
The savvy Eric Zemmour has said that Jack Lang is a “useful idiot” aiding a process of “re-Arabising France in order to re-Islamicise it”. Lang retorted with rage that it is the schools that should be teaching Arabic.
It never seems to have occurred to him that there is no reason for French children to have to learn Arabic at all.
The odd thing is that Lang himself speaks very little Arabic, saying, “Sadly, I speak only a little Arabic, not well enough to hold a proper conversation”. So we *know* that he is not motivated by any love of the language.
Lavéritétriomphera says
@gravenimage,
Salut à toi,
We allied ourselves with the Ottoman Empire under Francis one because we were attacked practically on all fronts by the Europeans kingdoms and empires. It was a matter of international policy. Keep in mind Francis one has always been loyal to Rome unlike England’s Henry VIII.
I pointed out that Jack Lang contradicts himself. He has instituted the Day of Music to celebrate the summer solstice on 21 June 1982. This celebration is “pagan” and can only displease the radical Muslims and sooner or later these so called islamophiles will have to admit that there is a basic incompatibility between the Islamic culture and our western culture.
Figurative art, Artistic nudes, Cancan dance, to mention but a few, are part of french culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZsEdxKRmGw.
Jack Lang, former culture minister, is not credible.
Amitiés
Jocelynn Cordes says
Ugh, there’s a helluva lot more to your culture than that. You need to re-write that list. Even in mine above I forgot belles lettres–the French contribution to poetry and literature is immense.
gravenimage says
Lavéritétriomphera, I was not necessarily attacking Francis I here–all kings have complicated alliances, many of them ones of convenience. But note that Jack Lang is singling this out as his submitting to Islam, and he is in favor of this.
gravenimage says
All true, Jocelynn. France has one of the most impressive cultures in the history of the world; the idea that any of this is due to the arid language of Arabic is absurd.
Lavéritétriomphera says
@Jocelynn Cordes
@gravenimage
Bonsoir,
France and Italy are both daughters of Rome, they share the same culture and Jack Lang mixes everything up.
It is evident that we have a Mediterranean culture and non Islamic Mediterraneans can easily adapt to French lifestyle, but that is not the case for orthodox muslims who cannot accept a non Islamic environment without problems.
Therefore I stand by my word, our former culture minister Jack Lang should take a refresher course for all the possible themes including history.
To a certain extent Francis one was right, in addition to trade agreements and a control over holy Christian places in the Ottoman Empire, he mandated the ottomans to fix the problem with the Habsburg and the England’s Tudor. When the turcs attacked the holy Germanic Roman Empire, the Teutons gave us a break and Francis 1 could focus on his main goal: restaure France in her entirety (ancient Gaul)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Ottoman_alliance.
gravenimage says
Lavéritétriomphera, I mostly agree with your last post.
But the idea that our allying with the horrors of Muslim invaders against our own neighbors is nothing I will *ever* agree with.
If you read Robert Spencer’s book “The History of Jihad”, you will see how often lands were lost–sometimes forever–to Islamic conquest because Infidels were foolishly allying with them against their own people. *Ugh*.
Lavéritétriomphera says
Bonsoir gravenimage,
One can raise the question if Jack Lang was paid for talking rubbish:
https://www.challenges.fr/monde/comment-le-qatar-a-achete-des-politiques-francais_434048.
History is packed with improbable alliances. Anthony Shirley became the Shah Abbas the great’s representative, and he was well received by the Holy Roman emperor. Given the circumstances, there are indications that Rudolph II thought about an potential alliance with the Islamic Persia to take effective action against the French and the Turks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Shirley.
I bet Iranians and turcs are continuing to mistrust one other even if they are in principle Muslims but that is another story.
Even Romans noticed that Gallics and Germans did not get on well together. That it is still the case today, and we are both Europeans with a long-established Christian tradition. The Algerians cannot
stand the Moroccans and both are Muslim North-Africans, but these two countries are full of free thinkers (I heard). The Kabyles remember they were Catholics who have been forced to convert to Islam.
Some turcs think the fall of Constantinople in 1453 was not a good thing, possibly even a disaster.
Therefore I disagree with this statement: “ lands were lost–sometimes forever–to Islamic conquest“.
Best wishes from France Toulouse
Amitiés
Wellington says
Not only a useful idiot but a well-paid useful idiot.
And I suppose learning Arabic by the French is important in one respect because Arab Muslims mean to eventually be the masters of France, a “work” already in progress.
Lavéritétriomphera says
In France I know that the learning Arabic is in the hands of extremist Islamic activists just like anywhere around the world.
gravenimage says
The idea that only the filthy Infidels are forced to learn Arabic using taxpayer money that Jihadists will be defanged is pretty questionable.
Lavéritétriomphera says
Jack Lang promotes his own agenda.
gravenimage says
Unfortunately, that agenda endangers France, whether that is his intent or not.
James Lincoln says
Wellington says,
“Not only a useful idiot but a well-paid useful idiot.”
I don’t have any stats / references, however I have a “hunch” that there is more money to be made as a high profile muslim apologist than as a high profile anti-jihadist.
And to top it off, the muslim apologist is not personally at risk for those pesky “death threats”.
Leftists have no problem “selling out” to islam – they’ll take the money and run…
Peter Dale says
Jack Lang says what he does because he is paid to say it. He acts in a very similar way to a practitioner of the world’s oldest profession. I doubt very seriously if many of the French people share his view. Rather it is the view of the Parisian coterie of so called-intellectuals and journalists. Michel Houellebecq exposes this mind-set in his novel Submission. It’s worth reading. By the way, he was prosecuted for writing the book because it was deemed to be anti-Moslem. He won.
Lavéritétriomphera says
“I doubt very seriously if many of the French people share his view.”.
+ 1
spiro. says
It doesn’t matter when your leadership sells out your still underdog in your own country
Lavéritétriomphera says
Jack Lang is not a leader but the problem you are raising has been mentioned, and in a way your thinking is right. Some say the government leaves homeless people without proper attention, but takes responsibilities for refugees. That is probably one more reason which heighten the existant social tensions in France.
Giacomo Latta says
”It is our heritage”
Celtic and latin are the heritage of France. If Arabic is your heritage then what are you, Jack?
owensgate says
The first act of a cultural takeover is the redefinition of the concept of “heritage”.
mortimer says
Jack Lang should be forensically audited.
OLD GUY says
Check where his money is or has come from. Islam always changes or destroys history and culture when it invades an enemy nation. How sad if the French culture and society is destroyed by the Islamic political “religion” that is invading through migration of the islamic army.
libertyORdeath says
Pretty funny that a culture that actively suppresses and destroys history that doesn’t fit into their ideology is responsible for opening up France to the study of history.