As every year, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, the Public Relations and Communications Department at Beirut Arab University organized the 13th Classical Arabic Language Recitation Competition on its campus in Beirut.
The President of the Board of Trustees of Wakf El Bir Wal Ihsan and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University, Dr. Ammar Houry, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Dr. Walid El Bukhari, represented by Mr. Hassan Al Mohammadi, the Ambassador of the State of Tunisia to Lebanon, Burawi Al Imam, represented by Minister Commissioner Moustafa Assakri, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Lebanon, Ashraf Dabbour, represented by Ms. Samah Mohammad, the Chargé d'affaires of the Sudanese Embassy, Ms. Sara Idriss, the Chargé d'affaires of the Iraqi Embassy, Amin Abdel Ilah Nasrawi, represented by the Second Secretary, Mr. Mohannad Shobar, the President of the University of Balamand, Dr. Elias Warrak, represented by Dr. Hanna El Nakkat, the President of the Lebanese University, Dr. Bassam Badran, represented by Dr. Soha Samad, the President of Saint Joseph University, Prof. Salim Daccach, represented by Prof. Toni Kahwaji, the Director General of Social Welfare Institutions – Dar Al Aytam Al Islamiya, Mr. Bashar Kouatly, represented by Ms. Salwa Al Zaatari, attended the competition, along with the Secretary-General of Beirut Arab University, Dr. Omar Houri, Faculty Deans, Directors of Departments and Centers, the Director of Public Relations and Communications, Ms. Zina Ariss, and a large crowd of students, families of contestants, and interested individuals.
This year's competition was entitled "Comparing the Schedule of the New Generation in a Stable Country and a Country Lacking It," in which 17 participants representing Beirut Arab University, Lebanese University, Tripoli University, American University of Beirut, Saint Joseph University, Antonine University, Notre Dame University – Louaize, and Holy Spirit University of Kaslik competed. This year's jury consisted of actress Takla Chamoun, poet Nizar Francis, and Dean Dr. Mohammad Amin Farshoukh.
Following the Lebanese national anthem, the university anthem, and a presentation about the event, Ms. Rima Shehab introduced the competition, stating: "We die so our homeland lives. How could the dead die? And how could the one who is buried live? We are the homeland. If we are not living in dignity, safety, respect, and freedom, neither we nor the homeland should live."
Shehab continued: "It is not easy to be a Middle Easterner. It is not simple to be born and live in this place. Despite the beauty of the geography surrounding us, we carry a long history of endless human suffering."
In his speech, the Secretary-General of Beirut Arab University, Dr. Omar Houri, noted, "Beirut Arab University, or the University of Arabs as we like to refer to it, has never abandoned its role in disseminating the Arabic language and culture and in encouraging young women and the youth to delve into it."
Dr. Houri continued, "This is a day where we renew adherence to our language, to our identity, to our culture. Today is a day where we meet young women and men from the Lebanese universities to confirm that our language is alive and does not die, that it is young and does not age, that it is intelligent and keeps pace with natural, even artificial, evolution and is true at all time."
Dr. Houri added, "This competition is an initiative, a step in the way, that the University adheres to and considers to be a general call for all concerned persons to join hands and cooperate to return our mother tongue to its natural place and make it a tool for sustainable development."
After each student presented his three-minute text orally, the Secretary-General distributed the University Medal to all the participants. The prizes were also awarded to the winners, as follows:
- The first prize, $1,000, was awarded to the student Nour Hijazi from the Lebanese American University.
- The second prize, $600, was awarded to the student Mahmoud Joumaa from Beirut Arab University.
- The third prize, $300, was awarded to the student Rebecca Abou Assi from Notre Dame University - Louaize.
The Secretary-General also honoured the jury by granting them the University's Shield as a sign of appreciation and recognition of their achievements.
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