Deputizing for the President of Yarmouk University, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Musa Rababa, sponsored the cultural event "International Day of the Arabic Language", which takes place on the eighteenth of December of each year, organized by the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the Faculty of Arts at Yarmouk University. Rababaa stressed that this celebration is an embodiment of our awareness of the sacred status of Arabic, pointing out the association of the Arabic language with our identity, history, and culture. He also stressed the necessity of developing a forward-looking vision through which the Arabic language functions as the primary means of contributing to the creation of world culture.
In return, the head of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Dr. Bassam Kattus, gave a speech in which he said that there are several means to refresh the status of Arabic, including the use of the language in creative writings, which highlights the role of poets, novelists, storytellers, and playwrights in contributing to the prosperity of language. He then stressed that to love your language, when not accompanied by sufficient practice, is not enough to maintain cultural identity and heritage, pointing out the importance of expressing our love of Arabic by using it with pride and confidence.
The Malaysian student, Muhammad Akhwan, also delivered a speech on behalf of non-Arabic speaking students, in which he emphasized the importance of the Arabic language across the globe. He indicated that the Arabic language maintains the speakers’ religion, history, and cultural unity, calling for preserving the Arabic language to build the world’s future and achieve its success.
During the event, the student Majed Mallouh recited "Rhymes for Muallaqat" by Mahmoud Darwish and another poem by the students Raneem Mutlaq and Zahraa Al-Muqdadi. The event also included a poetic duel in which students Abdullah Nawafleh, Abdullah Al-Zoubi, Moath Khawaldeh, Ward Al-Jamra, Hamza Bani Yassin, and Ali Ababneh participated.
On its second day, the cultural event included a symposium entitled "The Arabic Language in a Changing World" moderated by Dr. Bassam Qatous, with the participation of Dr. Youssef Bakkar, who talked about "The Arabic Language in the Islamic World" and Dr. Abdel Qader Al-Rabai’, who talked about "The Universality of the Arabic Language".
