A War of Words: Language and Conflict in the Middle East: 19 (Cambridge Middle East Studies, Series Number 19)
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 6/10/2004
EAN 9780521837439, ISBN10: 052183743X
Hardcover, 286 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm
Language: English
Yasir Suleiman's 2004 book considers national identity in relation to language, the way in which language can be manipulated to signal political, cultural or even historical difference. As a language with a long-recorded heritage and one spoken by the majority of those in the Middle East in a variety of dialects, Arabic is a particularly appropriate vehicle for such an investigation. It is also a penetrating device for exploring the conflicts of the Middle East, the diversity of its peoples and the diversity of their viewpoints. Suleiman's book offers a wealth of empirical material, and intriguing, often poignant illustrations of antagonisms articulated through pun or double entendre.
1. Introduction
2. Language, power and conflict in the Middle East
3. When language and dialects collide
standard Arabic and its 'opponents'
4. When dialects collide
on the banks of the River Jordan
5. When languages collide
between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean sea
6. Language and conflict in the Middle East
a conclusion.