When we read Arabic, we smell the scent of our homelands

A number of community champions in the Arab Reading Challenge 2025 confirmed that the initiative is a civilizational bridge that connects Arab students in the West with their roots and origins in their Arab world, and gives them an opportunity to discover the beauty of their mother tongue, and restore their connection to Arab identity and culture.

They told “Emirates Today” that mothers constitute the beating heart behind the children’s success in the Arabic reading challenge, and they are the real secret in preserving the Dhad language within Arab homes in the diaspora. In the midst of the crowding of languages ​​and cultures, the Arab mother remains the guardian of memory and identity, instilling in her children a love of the first word, and instilling in them belonging through stories and daily dialogues in the Arabic language.

In detail, the participants: Jannat Arkan Muhammad Al-Rumaima (China), Yara Musa Eid (New Zealand), and Zaid Sarhan (France) said: “The Arab Reading Challenge was never just a knowledge competition aimed at increasing the number of books read, but rather a civilizational and humanitarian project that restores respect to the Arabic language as a container of identity and a beacon of knowledge.”

They added: “In Western societies, where millions of Arabs live in multilingual and multicultural environments, the challenge has turned into a cultural lever that preserves the Arabic language in the conscience of new generations, and gives them a way to express their affiliation with confidence and pride.”

They pointed out that participating in the challenge was not just a reading competition, but rather an emotional and cognitive journey that brought back to them the sound of the first stories and the warmth of the language that unites them with their homelands, stressing that the Arabic book has become for them a window through which they look at their history, and a mirror that reflects their affiliation and pride in the language of the language.

He restored the Arabic language to its position

Raghad Muhammad Ziad Dodi (Netherlands), Muhammad Mavungal (India), and Sundos al-Hindi (Ireland) believe that the Arab Reading Challenge has restored the Arabic language to its status and elevation in Western countries, and made it present in the minds of new generations, as a living language that reflects Arab culture, values, and identity. They stressed that participation in the challenge was not limited to acquiring reading skills only, but rather it was a journey of strengthening belonging and pride in identity, as the Arabic language became for them a means of communicating with their roots, and expressing their thoughts and feelings freely and proudly, which reflects the role of the initiative in reviving Arabic and deepening the connection with it in Western societies.

Empowering children with the language

They said that mothers play a pivotal role in empowering their children with the Arabic language and enhancing their reading habit, considering that this role is the true guarantee of preserving their identity and belonging to their Arab homeland, which represents their roots and cultural origin. They explained that the mother in the diaspora is not just a cheerleader, but rather a linguistic educator and intellectual mentor, who instills in her children a love of the word and daily reading, and ensures that Arabic remains present in their lives, to form a bridge for them that connects them to their cultural origins, and confirms their connection to their motherland, no matter how far the distance.

Increasing challenges for the Arabic language

As for Tim Al Aliwi (Luxembourg), Nawar Maouad (Norway), and Baraa Radwan Al Zaeem (Brazil), they confirmed that the Arabic language in the diaspora faces increasing challenges, most notably the decline in its daily use compared to the languages ​​of the host societies. However, the Arab Reading Challenge was able to turn this challenge into an opportunity to revive the language through an interactive initiative that connects children to their cultural world and gives them a passion for discovery. And expression. He said: “When we read in Arabic, we feel that we hear the voice of our grandmothers and smell the scent of our homelands. Reading in Arabic is no longer just a school assignment, but rather a deep emotional journey towards the self and cultural belonging, which restores the members of the Arab communities to their roots and instills in them a love of the mother tongue and their pride in their Arab identity, so that every page written in Arabic becomes a window through which our souls overlook the authenticity of our heritage and the richness of our culture.

Advanced levels

Khadija Al Hosani, an arbitrator from the Ministry of Education, said: “The assessment of the level of children of Arab communities abroad showed advanced levels of reading, understanding and analysis, noting that the students were able to express their thoughts and opinions in Arabic fluently and clearly, despite the challenges they face in multilingual environments.”

She explained that this category of students has a unique ability to balance their mother tongue with the languages ​​of the host communities, which makes their participation in the challenge a rich experience that reflects their cultural affiliation and the strength of their Arab identity, in addition to enhancing their academic and personal skills.

She said that the competition this year was characterized by seriousness and enthusiasm, which prompted the students to present their best linguistic and cognitive abilities, whether at the level of analysis, understanding, or oral and written expression.

She stressed that the students showed a remarkable awareness of the importance of the Arabic language, not only as a means of communication, but also as a carrier of identity and cultural values. She pointed out that the ability to link reading and lived reality, and understanding the humanitarian and moral messages in texts, were among the most prominent indicators of success observed by the judges during the qualifying stages.

She stressed that the Arab Reading Challenge initiative is not just a test of linguistic skills, but rather an opportunity to enhance students’ self-awareness, develop their ability to think critically, and be open to other cultures while preserving their authentic Arab identity.

Khadija Al Hosani:

• Members of the communities… advanced levels and linguistic creativity.