Chinese women embrace Islam after learning Arabic

Copyright 2005 Financial Times Information

By Daniel Bardsley, Staff Reporter
Chinese women embrace Islam after learning Arabic

A programme to build links between Arabs and Chinese residents in the UAE
has attracted dozens of people. "Now that I know some Arabic, I can
connect with Arab people better. I can carry on a simple conversation
with them ..."

Authorities said they are delighted with the response to a new scheme to
teach Arabic to some of the 80,000 Chinese people living in Dubai.
Chinese women who have lived in the UAE for as long as eight years are
now learning their first words of the country's official language.

Many are thinking of embracing Islam after their newfound language skills
gave them the chance to read the Quran in Arabic. The Women's New Muslim
Section at the Islamic Affairs Department began its Arabic lessons for
Chinese women last month. The free-of-charge programme - which involves
twice-weekly lectures until the end of the year now has 25 students with
more expected to join.

Huda Al Kaabi, Head of the Women's New Muslim Section, said it was
important for expatriates to be able to communicate with Arabs. "We want
to help women in their businesses and in their lives here in the UAE," Al
Kaabi said. "Most of the Chinese cannot speak English usually they can
only speak a Chinese language [Mandarin or Cantonese] so it is useful for
them to connect with the people of Dubai.

"Most did not know anything about Arabic and Muslim people before they
started the programme." Similar programmes to teach Arabic to Russian and
Filipina women have been held before, but this is the first time Chinese
women have been given the chance.

The lessons are given by Sefia Kamal, a 37-year-old Chinese women, who
was a Muslim before she left her native country. She said the lessons
included teaching the history of Arabs and Arabic and also allowing
students to gain a better understanding of the country in which they are
living.

"Some of the women are in business, some of them are managers and some
work in hotels. There is a wide variety," Kamal said. Chinese men have
asked to join the programme and Al Kaabi said in future Arabic lessons
could be offered for them.

Fewer than half a dozen of the women learning Arabic are Muslims, but many
have said they are keen to learn more about Islam.

Xu Zheng Rong, a 45-year-old from China, who joined the programme last
month, has embraced the religion, changing her name to Wafa. "Now that I
know some Arabic, I can connect with Arab people better," she told Gulf
News. "I can carry on a simple conversation with them and tell them what
I feel."

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