Qatar- Language and history key to building national identity

(MENAFN- The Peninsula)

DOHA: Language and history play a key role in helping build a nation’s identity a seminar on Qatar’s national identity was told on the opening day yesterday.

In a paper at the event that ends today former education minister Dr Mohamed Abdul Raheem Kafoud said studies confirm the link between language and society as a social phenomenon that preserves identity.

Language and history are among the most important elements in forming a nation’s identity. Thus identity is linguistically socially culturally and psychologically significant Kafoud said.

The seminar is being held under the patronage of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.

This is the second edition of National Identity seminar organised by Qatar Heritage and Identity Centre. The event is sponsored by Vodafone Qatar and eminent local and international academics and experts are discussing aspects related to national identity and ways to preserve it.

Issues include family and identity effects of demography and the role of education curricula and schools in preserving identity. The seminar consists of two successful case studies from Turkey and Morocco.

“The overwhelming success of the first edition in 2014 also organised by the centre and the important recommendations it came up with made us think of hosting a second edition” said Dr Khalid Youssef Al Mulla Executive Director of the centre.

The centre believes that education is the core of the state’s sustainable development on social economic political and humanitarian levels.

“So we aim to target the role of educational institutions in preserving national identity.

“We want to highlight the role of public private or even foreign institutions in preserving our language national identity and our Gulf Arabian and Islamic sense of belonging with openness to all noble humanitarian values” said Al Mulla.

“The call to promote national identity is a requirement of any modern country. Identity is what distinguishes an individual in and out of his country and what grants privileges and responsibilities.

“Arabic language urged us to organise this media educational and cultural campaign. It is the language of the Holy Quran and forms the core of the values and traditions of the GCC nationals and civilisation.

“The campaign embraces identity and pride in the Arabic language as a means of strengthening and empowering national identity”said Dr Khalid bin Salem Al Ghassani GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Cultural and Media Affairs.

Dr Kaltham Al Ghanim Director Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences discussed the role of education in promoting national identity and said: “Every individual has his own personality. However they all share a cultural and national identity which is marked as one of the most important educational moral and civil goals of a country.

“The most important stage in forming an individual’s religious cultural and national identity is from kindergarten and continues all the way up to grade 12.

“It is necessary for students to participate in educational activities that focus on national identity strengthening their sense of belonging and glorifying their cultural and civil symbols and elements.

“Another way to raise a student’s sense of pride is by allowing them to represent their countries in cultural media and international projects” added Dr Al Ghanim.The Peninsula