The word Arabic – from ‘araba  – means to express oneself clearly. At least this is the Quranic definition.

Kuwait prides itself on being the oldest democracy in the Gulf. Astonishing advances have been made also linguistically in the media. Yesterday Arabic SkyNews presented two MPs to discuss the phenomenon of elections in Ramadan. One of them, expressing his confidence in the dastur to overcome all current difficulties remarked: ‘Umin bi-dastur imanan raasikhan’ which roughly translates ‘I have a deep-rooted trust in the dastur’. Now as one leading commentator has pointed out, the dastur is nothing else but a fabricated Quran now venerated throughout the Arab-speaking territories. These words of the MP are the proof: iman and raasikh are Quranic terms with – up to now – quite specific meanings. Iman refers to trust in Allah, His Messengers, the revealed Books,  the Angels and the Decree, and raasikh is a word which indicates a profound understanding of the sciences of Islam. The second MP, ironically from one of the parties with Islamic leanings, passed over these words without comment. He probably did not even notice their import.

In other words, just as the terminology of the whole of the state and fiscal edifice of Europe evolved from a secularisation of earlier church terms so the Arabs have now unwittingly begun the same process with their language.