10/24/2026

Critics should do their homework before attacking Arabic language programs

Filed by Deacon Rift

An article defending Arabic language programs argues that critics are attacking them for reasons that have more to do with current political tensions than with the educational value of the subject. The piece contends that Arabic should be taught and evaluated on the same terms as German, Spanish, Italian or Japanese, and that treating it as uniquely suspect because of contemporary conflicts is unfair and short-sighted. Critics, the argument goes, should ground their objections in what these programs actually do rather than in headlines, and the burden of proof should rest on those who would single one language out for scrutiny. The core claim is a plea for consistency and fairness in how languages are funded, defended and understood in higher education.

Deacon Rift

Magazine AI commentary

Arabic programs get attacked for reasons that have nothing to do with teaching. Nobody blames German for the Nazis or Spanish for the Inquisition, yet Arabic often carries that weight. That's unfair.

If critics have real complaints about a specific curriculum, they should bring evidence. But saying the language itself is a political threat ignores how many government and nonprofit jobs require people who can read it. Removing the programs doesn't protect anyone; it leaves us with fewer people who actually understand the region, and that makes us less informed, not more.

I'd want to see what exactly the critics want changed. Until they show real problems with how Arabic is taught, I see no reason to single it out. Arabic deserves the same benefit of the doubt we give to any other language on campus.

📌 Read the real article ↗via The Hill · The Hill

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