| Author | Topic |
Iftikhar
UNITED KINGDOM
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 Topic initiated on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 10:33 PM 
Learn Urdu Not French
Learn Urdu Not French
Bilingualism is not a problem, it is an asset. As so many pupils in UK have English as a second language or alternative language. We should be celebrating the fact that we have such a diverse language culture in our schools. Indeed, we should try to encourage some of our monolingual native pupils to join in the learning of a community language. Five of the languages that are gaining in popularity are Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Urdu. The future for languages in the United Kingdom is very bright, if we abandon the notion that we have to stick rigidly to French and German.
Welcome to a brave new world in which pupils learn Urdu in all schools right from Nursery level. Bilingual Muslim teachers should be appointed in all schools who are well versed in Urdu Language. It is spoken and understood by nearly four million British Asian. It is a common language from Kabul to Burma. Lord Hasting was appointed the first Governor General of Bengal because he was well versed in Farsi and Urdu. It is a lingua franca in all inner cities where Asians are in majority. British education system has never taken keen interest in the teaching and learning of Urdu and majority of British born Muslim children could not learn to read and write. Credit goes to the Imams from the sub-continent who use Urdu in their Masajid and keep the Urdu language alive. But the British establishments with the help of the so called leaders are forcing Masajid to use English instead of Urdu. Indian and Pakistani films are being shown every where. There are nearly a dozen TVs Channels and radio stations broadcasting in Urdu/Hindi for 24 hours, entertaining Asians through out Western Europe. BBC has been requested to set up a TV Channel in Urdu/Hindi. Musical concerts are being arranged all over the country and top singers from the Sub-continent sing songs for the entertainment of the Public.
It is crucial for the Muslim children from the sub-continent to learn Urdu to keep in touch with their cultural roots. Most of Islamic literature and poetry is in Urdu and not in any other Indian Languages. Therefore, in my opinion, both Muslim parents and schools must teach Urdu so that the children can enjoy the beauty of Urdu literature and poetry. I would like to see even native children learning Urdu and not French so that they can learn to respect and understand British Muslim community through Urdu literature and poetry. The Independent news paper also asks for the teaching of Urdu instead of French in British schools for better race relations through a language.
Iftikhar Ahmad |
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oosman
USA
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Posted - Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 7:25 PM 
| I do not see much usefullness in learning Urdu if you are living in Europe. You are probably better off learning French or other European language so you can communicate to them the message of Islam. They do not understand Urdu and you cannot teach them Islam in Urdu. If you still don't want to learn European language, then you are better off learning Arabic than Urdu. Even in the sub continent, very few people speak Urdu. Leave a major city and I will be surprised if you can find people speaking Urdu. And there is a lot of in Arabic literature than in Urdu lit. Plus you can understand the Quran if you know Arabic. Urdu won't do you any good in this matter. |
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Iftikhar
UNITED KINGDOM
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Posted - Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 8:06 PM
Majority of British Muslims are from the sub-continent. They need to learn Standard English as an economic language. They need to learn Arabic language to recite and understand the Holy Quran. They need to learn Urdu to keep in touch with their cultural roots. If they know Urdu, they can read and write other regional languages with the same script.
There are Muslims in all European countries. They need to be well versed in the language of their respective countries along with Arabic and Urdu. |
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