INTRODUCTION TO ARAB COUNTRIES THAT SPEAK FRENCH
The Arab world consists of countries where Arabs make up the majority of the population and for all of them the Arabic language is the official language. Meanwhile, many of them have a second language like French and other minority languages called dialects.
French is a Romance language spoken originally in France,Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and today by about 175 million people around the world. French is still the most widely studied foreign language in many Arab countries but very rarely spoken as a native language.
Since independence, many Arab countries that were French colonized have pursued the use of the language by applying a policy of linguistic in their education system (fields like Sciences and Technology) and also in their bureaucracy. Today, many Arab schools and universities courses are taught in Arab and in French languages, which result the co-existence of the languages in many Arab Countries.
Some of them are called Arabophones and in same time Francophones which means that Arabic is spoken or taught as needed. For example the Formal or Modern Standard Arabic used in written texts and is understood by all Arabs, the Classical Arabic form of Arabic found in the Qur’an is primarily learned for reading and reciting Islamic religious and the Spoken or Colloquial Arabic which includes numerous dialects and differs throughout the Arab world.
The countries where Arab is an official language but French is also studied and spoken are most of them in Africa (Algéria, Comoros, Djibouti,Tchad, Marocco, Mauritania and Tunisia) and in Middle East like Libanon.
Beside that list, many others countries around the world use one of these two languages as their first language and the other one as a religious or an administratif language with many dialects like for example in Egypt (which has official ties to the Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie), Eruthrée, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Guinea, Somalie, Sudan, Sahara Ocidental. Many others African French countries and countries all around the world could make the list much longer than what it is.
Today, with the evolution of the world in term of education and linguistic, many countries have choosen to introduce French and/or Arabic languages in their learning system to increase langage skills but also to develop the availibity of education and information to anybody around the world. It is consider that those languages give the most choices today in term of any studies field (schools) or career (profession/work) around the world.
As most of the Arab coutries that speak French are located in North Africa and they have a very similar climate which is now extretremely complex. Many forces forces other than the greenhouse effect contribute to the swings in climate patterns. The climate in that part of Africa and most Arab countries is very dry and arid. Evidence is building that human influence is changing the climate of our planet. Therefore, reliable sources of water are vital and significant settlement is found only where water supplies are adequate.
Looking at an African map, it will show the major waterways of North Africa with climate zones. The point is that there are virtually no surface waterways throughout the North African regions, with the notable exception of the Nile in Egypt. The fertile areas of the Mediterranean coastline are hydrated by their proximity to the sea. The Atlas Mountains stretch from the Atlantic coast of Morocco all the way to Tunisia, and form a high barrier that wrings water from the clouds.
The dominant feature of North Africa is the Sahara desert (since Sahara means desert in Arabic we will usually just call it the Sahara), which covers approximately 8.2 million square kilometers (approximately 3.3 million square miles) from the Atlantic on the west to the Red Sea (or the Nile delta) on the east, from the Atlas Mountain and the Mediterranean on the north to the 16th parallel on the south.
Temperatures in the desert regularly top 130 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and can fall below freezing at night. Rainfall is scarce, more common in the southern regions than the north, but when it does fall, it often causes flash floods.
History
In the sixth century, the Prophet Muhammad, a religious reformer, preached Islam to the people and converted many of them to Islam. From 632 to 732, the Arab tribes, united under the banner of Islam, expanded into the Middle East, Africa, and others countries like Spain.
Less than one century after his death, the Muslim Arabs became the dominant social groups in most of the Middle East and North Africa. As a consequence, many of people of these regions adopted the Arabic language and Arab ways of life but also they combined it with the western culture, which is for most of them the French culture. Today, many Arab speak both languages fluently because the French people colonized them and give them the opportunity to be educated in French.
The Muslims showed tolerance towards the Christians and Jews, allowing them to practice their religions. Under Muslim Arab rule, the culture and arts of the Middle East and Africa flourished, especially in the tenth and eleventh centuries, which marked the height of power for the Muslim world. During this time, between 1095 and 1291, six crusades were waged by Europe against the Arab Empire, ending with the defeat of the Europeans.
By the early 20th century, much of the Middle East and Africa that had been under the control of the Ottomans came under the control of various European powers, especially the French and the British. After WWII, most of the Arab countries attained their independence from the European powers.
Contrary to popular belief, relatively few Arab countries possess petroleum and natural gas resources. Their natural resources include iron-ore, lead, phosphate, cobalt and manganese. Agriculture is the primary economic activity in the Arab countries. The most important food crops are wheat, barley, rice, maize, dates and millet. These are largely consumed within the region, while cotton, sugarcane, sugar beets and sesame are exported as cash crops.
Some Arabic countries, like the Maghreb economies, have made important strides over the past two decades. Stable macroeconomic conditions have been maintained over the last few years. As a result, these economies have seen some growth and have made some progress in reducing poverty. The Maghreb countries represent relatively small, fragmented markets, whose best chance for development lies in openness and integration.
The economies of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia share many features. In all three countries, agriculture is important; the state dominates the economy to varying degrees; and external trade regimes generally remain quite restrictive, despite more open trade with the European Union. The greatest structural difference is that Algeria is predominantly an oil-exporting country, while Morocco and Tunisia are more diversified.
Religious
Currently, there are more than 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide – about one-fifth of the world’s population. There are 44 countries with majority Muslim populations. There exist many more Muslims outside the Arab world than inside it, including the following countries: Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Bosnia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, North Africa (many others African countries), and America. For example, in Senegal, a West African French country, 90 % of the population is Muslim the rest of them is share between the others religious.
In the current Arab countries most of Arabs are Muslims and the rest are Christian (different branches of Christianity), with a small minorities of Arab Jew and others religious. Islam is the focal point of Arab society for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, permeating their culture at every level—political, social, economic, as well as private. In addition, Islam influences most of the Arab countries’ system of justice.
Traditional Arab values were modified in the 20th century by urbanization, industrialization, detribalization, and Western influence. Thus society has also been modified.
Most Arabs are farmers or urban dwellers. The majority of all Arabs live in small, isolated farming villages, where traditional values and occupations prevail. Village farmers venerate the pastoral nomad’s way of life. Urban dwellers live in towns and cities. They engage in business and commerce.
Urban Arabs identify themselves more by nationality than tribe. In cities and towns, men and especially women have greater educational and employment opportunities.
A second and important aspect of society is the family. The family unit is very important in Arab society. Individual Arabs are known by their family name. In many regions, Arabs distinguish themselves on the basis of descent, tribal affiliation and social or politics status. However, in most parts of the Arab countries, tribal life has given way to political structures similar to those found in most areas of Europe and America.
A third aspect of society is marriage. Most marriages are monogamous, in which one husband is married to one wife. However, the opinion of the family matters. The opinion of the father holds a lot of ground and is very important in marriage. In some Arab countries, once a woman marries, she maintains her own family’s last name instead to take her husband’s last name. Others will take just their husband’s last name depending on the country or sometimes both last names to facilitate their profession or others facts.
Religion plays an important role in all Arab countries and the predominant religion for the Arabs is Islam. Muslims follow the doctrine of the Koran (Islam’s Holy Book), which has rules that each Muslim has to respect.
It is customary to greet people with the words “Al Salaamu ‘Alaykum” which translates to “peace is upon you.” A handshake between men is appropriate for both formal and informal greeting. However, a handshake between opposite genders is acceptable in some situations depending on the circumstances.
Kissing on both cheeks between like sexes is more of an informal tradition usually reserved for family, close friends or acquaintances. Interaction between opposite sexes is restricted to a head nod accompanied by the phrase “Al Salaamu ‘Alaykum.” It is a good policy to adhere to the head nod technique mentioned earlier in order to avoid any unnecessary discomforts.
Addressing other people in the Arab world or French word should be done in a formal way if no prior introduction has taken place. Some Arab countries have a usual way to greet for example by adding the word “ustaath” or “Monsieur” to a male’s first name or the word “ustaatha” or “Madame/Mademoiselle” to the female’s first name or in some rural areas.
It would be advisable to address the males with the word “Akhee” standing for “my brother” or “mon frère” and females with the word “Ukhtee” denoting the phrase “my sister” or “ ma soeur”. In some cases, the use of last names solely is discouraged and could be confusing to some depending on again the country.
However, since French is part of the languages spoken in some Arab countries, it is very important to know that an Arab can mix both languages during a conversation. French will be also used by the media, the television and at work. Many new papers are also in French.
Following the Koran’s doctrine, the consumption of alcohol and the flesh of scavenger animals (e.g. pork products) are forbidden. It is therefore a good idea to avoid inquiring about pork products in local markets since this could be taken as an insult. Smoking and tea drinking is a favorite pastime, although smoking is more prevalent among males.
Coffee from overseas (America coffee) is less dominant in Arab society, although widely available in cafés and restaurants mostly in the form of instant coffee (referred to as Nescafé ). Arabic coffee is considered the norm in the countryside and is usually served in small cups. Arabic coffee in the rural areas denotes generosity. Refusing to drink the coffee or thé when offered could in some cases be misunderstood for unfriendliness on the part of the guest.
In Ramadan (Islam’s holy month), it is considered rude and disrespectful to eat and drink in public during fasting hours of the day. Such activities should be performed privately or in one of the few restaurants that would possibly be open for business. Once the fast is broken (normally following sunset), life goes back to normal and a person is free to eat and drink publicly (never alcohol though). Even moderate Muslims who normally consume alcoholic beverages would refrain from doing so during the holy month of Ramadan.
It is very important to be advisable to always eat and greet with your right hand. This is because a left hand in the less developed areas is still reserved for the “untidy” duties of life.
Photography is considered offensive unless prior permission is obtained from the parties involved. Generally, it would be advisable to refrain from photographing female subjects since this could lead to unnecessary problems.
Male-Female Relationships is not simple in Arab countries. Marriage is the only respectable context for male-female relationships. Dating, per se, is rare, and pre-marital sex is virtually unheard of. The number of children born out of wedlock is next to nil. In some countries, the boys and girls go to separate schools, though university classes are coeducational. Most Arab countries are socially conservative; as long as visitors recognize and respect this reality, they will feel most welcome. For example, if a foreign male visitor in Arab countries meets an Arab woman in a public place, such as a bookstore or a museum, and finds her interesting, he should forget about pursuing his interest, like just a simple invitation to share a cup of drink could have a negative perception. This would dishonor the woman and her family.
Since the Koran has marriage’s rules, it is forbidden for Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men and both Muslims and Christians seldom marry foreign men. For many Arab countries, an arranged marriage becoming less and less common is largely an arranged affair in some cases.
The mother or the aunt of the young man seeks marriage candidates preferably from among cousins, or failing that, from the daughters of close friends and neighbors whom she trusts with good attributes and qualities. If the candidate is found, a date will be set between the families following by a particular process and a period of engagement that some family members will handle. An Arab can marry outside of that inner circle but the family of the would-be fiancé must be known.
The Muslim do not necessarily marry in a mosque and neither is the marriage a large ceremony in the conventional sense. Rather, the couple obtains a marriage contract in an imam's office or at the home of the groom or at a family member’s home. In a marriage contract, an imam meets with the bride, groom and the parents and reviews the marriage contract to verify its validity. He recites certain suras (chapters) or ayat (verses) from the Qur’an and signs the documents to legalize the marriage. There is no party at this ceremony. The bride and groom return separately to their respective parents’ house, attended by their siblings, and perhaps their closest cousins and dearest friends. The parties could be held the same day or another day. Conservative Muslim families hold separate parties for the men and the women, as some of the women are veiled and should not be the focus of attention of the men.
Engagement procedures apply to both Muslim and Christian families. Muslim or Christian, a man or a woman is known as the son or daughter of so-and-so, the father or mother of so-and-so. Christians marry in the church and invite friends and relatives to attend the wedding mass following by a reception depending on the family in term of finance.
In other aspects, however, Christian and Muslim marriages do differ, especially if we are talking about a pious Muslim family.
The honor in an Arab family values their reputation. Honor is maintained through various avenues, two of which are (a) hospitality and (b) protection of the women.
In the Arab world, many husbands, fathers and brothers attempt to safeguard the purity and untouchability of their female relatives. This is not seen as bondage or restriction but as a shield for the family’s honor.
The Western visitor to an Arab country will want to keep the following in mind:
1. One never asks a man, “how is your wife?” Instead, one should generalize the question to “how is your family?”
2. The public is not the place for any show of affection between the two sexes, not even holding hands. However, it is completely acceptable for two men to greet each other by kissing on the cheek and walking hand-in-hand. This is by no means a reflection of a person’s sexuality.
3. Western attire is well known and widely used in most Arab countries, but some limitations exist. For example, short pants are unthinkable except for young children or athletes on the sports field. Men keep their shirts on regardless of the heat. Women are not required to cover themselves from head to toe, as is the case in Yemen or Saudi Arabia, but conservative dress prevails; mini-skirts, sleeveless blouses and low-cut sweaters are simply out of the question.
Hospitality
Arab hospitality is world famous, for visitors or foreigners are welcomed and honored. The host family will offer the guest the very best food and drink that they can afford and will go to great lengths to assure the comfort of their guest. When offered tea, coffee, or something to eat, it is the custom in many Arab countries to politely refuse it the first time. The host will offer a second time, and again, the guest, with the utmost delicacy, should turn it down. A third time, the host will ask, “Not even a cup of coffee?” or some such thing, and at this point, the guest should relent and gratefully accept his host’s generosity. This could be the same way when you are invite to share a meal.
The Arabic expression “ahlan wa sahlan” means “hello” or “welcome” and the host will probably repeat this phrase several times during the visit, as if to remind the guest to relax in the knowledge that the host is honored to have him there. It is not necessary for the visitor to bring a gift to his host, but it is acceptable and a nice thing to do. In the case of Christian families, a good bottle of wine or ‘araq (the local variety of anisette liquor) is appropriate, but not among Muslims, for whom alcoholic beverages are forbidden.
Grains, vegetables, and fruit form the basis of most Arab food. A famous Arab dish is hummus offered as an appetizer dip or with the main entry with other vegetables. Another very popular dish in the Arab world is labana, mostly prepared as a breakfast food. Vegetables are stuffed with meat and rice. Couscous from the Magrheb region is a typical Moroccan dish made of semolina and wheat flour and very popular around the Arab countries.
If prepared well, Arab food is a very healthy, low-cholesterol, low-fat food that is easy to prepare. The main course is usually followed by Arabic coffee or shay (Arabic tea) and with pastries.
Arab desserts are often comprised of honey-soaked pastry that is filled with nuts and other ingredients. One of the most well-known and popular Arabic pastries is baklaawa. Halaawat al-Jibna is another delicious doughy pastry that is filled with cream cheese and usually covered in syrup.