A War of Words

The 2004 book investigates how language articulates socio-political conflicts in the Middle East.

Suleiman's 2004 book considers national identity in relation to language, the way in which language - in this case the Arabic language - can be manipulated to signal political, cultural or historical difference.Yasir Suleiman's 2004 book considers national identity in relation to language, the way in which language can be manipulated to signal political, cultural or even historical difference. As a language with a long-recorded heritage and one spoken by the majority of those in the Middle East in a variety of dialects, Arabic is a particularly appropriate vehicle for such an investigation. It is also a penetrating device for exploring the conflicts of the Middle East, the diversity of its peoples and the diversity of their viewpoints. Suleiman's book offers a wealth of empirical material, and intriguing, often poignant illustrations of antagonisms articulated through pun or double entendre.