Arabic, Self and Identity: A Study in Conflict and Displacement Review

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Arabic, Self and Identity: A Study in Conflict and Displacement ReviewYasir Suleiman's latest book, Arabic, Self and Identity, is one of the most interesting and moving books I have read over the last few years. One perhaps does not expect an academic book about language, published by a leading university publishing house, to be also 'moving', but Suleiman has an added value that makes his work so distinctive: He has the guts to write about himself, the academic depth to bridge between the conflicts of language and the languages of conflict, and the originality to make his readers find themselves, their societies, their daily life, in different analyses that deal with the sociology of language in the Middle East.
It is a very readable book, if one relates to the style of writing, and it will undoubtedly open a series of questions about the inter- and intra-connections between language, politics and conflict. Another important element in the book is the primary sources used by Suleiman, which serve as an anchor for much of his analyses. This, for example, can be seen in the linguistic landscape of different streets in the Arab world, (analysis of shop signs) and the depth of analysis that follows: from the script used to the outline of the sign. Suleiman so uncovers the layered nature of identity and its internal conflicts as reflected by the use of languages: those we speak and those we put on the display windows of our shops and souls.

Another interesting part of Suleiman's analysis is that he does not limit his research to what is 'there' but at least as important to what is absent. From the book's cover (a simple street sign in Jerusalem) one can realise the fascinating journey on which Suleiman takes his readers. Through this voyage one better comprehends how a street sign just outside our window can reflect the history of our city and tell us both the story of its municipality and the power struggles between its people. The same is true with some 'small' stories told by Suleiman which grow in importance in front of our eyes. The story of Elias Kusa, for example, a Palestinian lawyer from Haifa in the 1940s, is a good example to the sensitivity, humanity and the analytical perspective used by Suleiman.
The human aspect of the book stems throughout its pages. It is not the personal insights only (such as the experience of Suleiman as an Arabic teacher in Qatar) and the analyses of local, national, pan-national and religious identities studied from self-reflections, but the topics Suleiman chooses to deal with. For example, the analyses of the 'political' and the 'self' through our most personal and immediate identity: our names. Suleiman's analysis of Arab names in different political situations and socio-political conditions is thought-provoking, and as with other parts of the book also this one deals with the Middle East but has the ability to tell a much greater story. From personal names to place names, and from shop names through noms de guerre to military operation names, Suleiman analyses what is so exposed and so much concealed.
I can go on and elaborate on many other topics mentioned in the book, but will leave this for the academic reviewers. I can only reveal that in the most personal experiences of Suleiman - which were the exact opposite of mine - I identified with his writing in the clearest way. This, for me, as an Israeli, demonstrated the strength of Arabic, self and identity. I also realised the significance of the study of Arabic and its sociology in attempts to analyse the Middle East and the Arab world. Suleiman's work so fill in a gap that was in front of our eyes all this time, without us knowing it was there.Arabic, Self and Identity: A Study in Conflict and Displacement OverviewArabic, Self, and Identity uses autoethnography, autobiography, and a detailed study of names to investigate the links between conflict and displacement, and between the Self and group identity. In the process it raises questions about trauma and globalization, underscoring the complex roles of language and identity in society.Yasir Suleiman frames his findings against a far-reaching critique of the dominant, correlational approach in Arabic sociolinguitics. He argues that this approach does not sufficiently explore the link between language and the major narratives of identity and conflict in the Middle East. Instead he advocates for combining this approach with qualitative studies that are nevertheless aware of the limits of interpretation and the positionality of the researcher. This combined endeavor, Suleiman says, can generate a richer understanding of the sociopolitical underpinnings of language, and help to bridge the gaps between the various disciplines that converge on language as a field of investigation and analysis.

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