Students of Arabic flocking to Syria

[Harold Schiffman]

Students of Arabic flocking to Syria
By Zeina Karam

Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria - It may seem like an unlikely place for students from
the United States or Europe, but Syria has been rapidly gaining ground
as a destination for foreigners who wish to learn Arabic.
 Syrians point to the young foreigners in the capital as proof that
their country - which is under U.S. sanctions and on its list of state
supporters of terrorism - is not the closed, anti-American rogue
nation often depicted in Western media. The market for learning Arabic
could flourish even more if ties between Syria and the United States
warm after Syria attended last month's Mideast peace conference in
Annapolis, Md.

 U.S.-Syrian political wrangling "doesn't concern me. I'm here to
learn Arabic, and this is what I'm doing," said Alexander Magidow, 23,
a student from Minnesota. "I like living here: It's easy to meet
people. The people in general are very friendly and helpful."  Magidow
arrived in June as part of the Center for Arabic Study Abroad program
funded by the U.S. Department of Education. He has lived elsewhere in
the Mideast and brushes off the stormy politics, though it once
worried his family.  "After a year in Jordan, my mom sort of calmed
down and wasn't concerned about it anymore," he said with a grin.

 The Center for Arabic Study Abroad, which has long had a program in
Cairo, Egypt, opened its first full-year program at Damascus
University this year, with eight students - joining other institutes
that draw several thousand foreigners a year.  Arabic studies have
generally increased along with the West's interest in the Middle East
since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. The U.S.
military and other institutions are seeking more Arabic speakers
because of the antiterrorism effort. Muslim converts or Muslims from
non-Arabic-speaking countries are also trying to learn the language of
the Koran, Islam's holy book.  Egypt, a U.S. ally that is more open to
the West, remains the biggest draw for foreign students, with
thousands studying at American University in Cairo and smaller private
centers. Tunisia and Morocco also have programs, and Lebanon's
American University in Beirut has a small Arabic-language summer
program for foreigners.

 But Damascus is seeing a growing demand. Syria has gradually been
opening up to foreign businesses, meaning an increase in foreign
workers who want to know the local language.  The main reason,
however, is simply the discovery that Syria is an option despite the
tensions with the West. The U.S. has accused Damascus of supporting
terror for its backing of Hezbollah, Hamas, and other militant groups
and of letting insurgents across its border into Iraq.  President
Bashar Assad's regime also has been accused of human-rights abuses,
but that has little direct effect on foreign visitors.

 Though nestled between violence-wracked Iraq and Lebanon, Syria sees
very little turmoil or crime, in part thanks to the heavy-handed
security control.  "I often get letters from graduates who tell me how
much their image of Syria changed after living here," said Ahmad Haji
Safar, director of the Arabic Teaching Institute for non-Arabic
Speakers. "They become our ambassadors."  "One American told me
honestly that he had expected to see streets packed with
Kalashnikov-toting, bearded men in galabiyas," he said, referring to
the traditional Arab robe.  The institute, which receives some
government funds, takes up to 1,200 students a year from up to 60
countries. Safar said that the numbers of students were rising and
that the school had to turn away 100 applicants this year for lack of
room.

 Ghassan al-Sayyed, deputy director of the state-funded Arabic
Language Center at Damascus University, said Syria's low cost of
living and "well-preserved Arab character" are draws.  "Plus, not many
locals here speak English," he said, "which helps the foreign students
make quicker progress."

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20071223_Students_of_Arabic_flocking_to_Syria.html
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