DAILY TELEGRAPH: I have been living in Tunis, the Arab world's most "progressive" capital, for almost a month. Amid disturbing notions of a clash of civilisations, I have come to learn Arabic in a city where the call to prayer alternates with the gyrating sound of Shakira. I am not alone: the war on terror has fostered a new fascination with Arabic, which isn't as hard as people like to think.
It's a phonetic language, so once you have mastered the alphabet and vowel system, street signs, advertisements and even television subtitles unfold like magic. It's a joy, when travelling in the Middle East and North Africa, to be able to move beyond shukran (thank you) and salaam aleikum (peace be upon you). That last notion, one feels, is wearing slightly thin anyway - even with Tony Blair as Middle East peace envoy.
In conversation, the first thing you notice is the amount of time even the most secular Arabic speaker spends thanking God. They praise Allah so often it's a wonder there's time to do anything else. After almost every single task, whether it's finishing a meal, having a drink of water, completing a project at work, running an errand, talking about the future or simply exchanging pleasantries, it's alhamdulilah, inshallah or bismillah. People never seem to get tired of it. Praising Allah is a full-time job in Tunis (more) By Rosemary Behan
Mark Alexander
