In this new monograph, Yasir Suleiman builds and expands on his earlier work (Reference Suleiman2003, Reference Suleiman2004) on the relation between language and identity in the Arab world. A qualitative study, it provides a deep and detailed analysis, supplemented by acute observations about the intricate and subtle ways in which politics, self, identity, and language integrate and collide in the Arab world.

Ch. 1 is a brief introduction that outlines the aims of the book and strings the various chapters together using the common theme of “Self.” Suleiman highlights the differences between the present book and his previous work, in which the symbolic function of language was examined in relation to national (“group”) identity. He shifts the focus to personal, or individual identity, the Self, which he proposes to examine in relation to the symbolic function of language, and within the context of a larger sociopolitical entity. In order to do so, Suleiman adopts a qualitative approach to language and draws on a set of data that is somewhat different from the one used in his earlier research: In addition to data from the internet, he identifies autobiography and autoethnography as important sources of data for the research he presents.

The following chapter, “Seven fault zones and beyond: Some methodological considerations,” is a methodology as much as it is a manifesto. With regard to methodology, Suleiman positions his work in distinction to the kind of quantitative study that has dominated research in Arabic linguistics for some time. He quite rightly notes that by correlating linguistic variables with social ones (such as gender, class, and ethnicity), linguists have neglected or downplayed the symbolic function of Arabic. The author proceeds to point out that most linguists ignore what he calls “the nativist perspective” of native speakers of Arabic, which is manifested in a language ideology and perception of identity that may date back to pre-Islamic times.

Suleiman is unusually candid in declaring his positions vis-à-vis other research in Arabic linguistics, to the point of providing a personal manifesto through his assessment. Why this is necessary becomes clear in Ch. 3, “Arabic, self, and authoethnography,” which examines the language-and-Self link, from the perspective of the author as a native speaker of Arabic.

By shifting the focus to the researcher's Self, and by making it the object of inquiry, Suleiman is able to make some pertinent direct observations (mostly drawn from his experiences as teacher trainer in Qatar), while discussing and illustrating language variation and the associations of standard Arabic at the same time. One example will suffice to illustrate the method. In the narrative of his experience as trainer for teachers of Arabic in Qatar, Suleiman relates his interactions with a group of teachers that he nicknames “the awkward squad.” His characterization of the group mixes descriptive elements with a personal evaluation of their motivations:

Suleiman then proceeds to a linguistic analysis of his own interactions with this group. He notes, for instance, that the group was unwilling to criticize Suleiman when he intentionally abandoned case and mood marking when speaking Standard Arabic (SA). He attributes their tolerance of an otherwise sanctioned language form to his own position of authority over them, as the professional trainer who will write a report on their performance. At the same time, Suleiman's own motivations are laid open: by choosing to speak SA rather than his own Palestinian dialect, Suleiman tries to project a particular attitude toward a shared cultural and linguistic heritage, as well as professional status (50). It is clear that his language choice is related to self-perception. He posits:

The chapter contains many acute observations on language in the Arab world today. As a personal study in ideology, it provides a brilliantly clear illustration of how language as a resource can be used as an empowerment mechanism.

Ch. 4, “Arabic, self and displacement,” expands upon this theme, but shifts the focus away from the researcher, to narratives of authors of Arab origin written in English (the authors in question are Edward Said, Leila Ahmed, Moustapha Safouan, and Amin Maalouf). Suleiman discusses those sections of the texts in which Arabic is indexed directly to the Self, and gives particular attention to the associations of standard and colloquial Arabic. He argues that:

Ch. 5, “Names, self, identity and conflict,” applies the findings of the preceding chapters to an analysis of personal names, trade names, and toponyms. The data includes name lists, web-based materials, self-reported data, and literary compositions. Suleiman discusses the symbolic associations of names with reference not just to the Arab world, but to other Middle Eastern countries including Israel, Turkey, and Iran. One of the points discussed is the fact that Christians in Jordan tend to choose Arabic names for their children, while in Egypt this is not the case. In Suleiman's analysis, this is due to the way in which Christians choose to conceptualize themselves in either place.

What sets this book apart from work on the issues of identity and language (such as Omoniyi & White's The sociolinguistics of identity (Reference Omoniyi and White2006), and De Fina, Schiffrin, & Bamberg's Discourse and identity (Reference De Fina, Schiffrin and Bamberg2006)) is the nature of the data on which it is based, and the fact that it focuses exclusively on Arabic, while still utilizing current sociolinguistic theories. It is undeniable that the political and historical situation of the Arab world provides a fertile ground for work on identity, given the amount of displacement and the number of civil and other wars, revolutions, and political upheavals in the region. The author touches on all these issues, and provides the reader with an insightful discussion and commentary. Apart from Suleiman's own work cited here, there is hardly any research that deals with the symbolic importance of Arabic—whether standard or colloquial—as a marker of national identity, with language attitudes, and with perceptions of self. The present work fills this gap.

In my opinion, the main value of the book lies in its approach to the subject. As is clear from the outline given above, Arabic, self and identity is a highly personal work, in which the attitudes and assumptions of the researcher are subjected to the same scrutiny as the “external” data. Instead of creating a façade of objectivity, Suleiman chooses to externalize his own ideological background, and to analyze it systematically as part of the data. This approach is certainly extraordinary, but highly rewarding: By revealing his own train of thought, Suleiman demonstrates how he himself is shaped by opposing ideologies, language attitudes, and power relationships. More importantly, he is able to illustrate that all research on the linguistic situation in the Arab World must be read against the background of the conflicting forces that he describes. The powerful conclusion that emerges from this book is that the researcher is part of the world which he studies; this may be a truism, but one that is all too often pushed into the background in studies on the Arab world.

With its focus on language, Arabic, self and Identity will be of importance to linguists, but also to researchers in all areas of Middle Eastern studies, particularly to anthropologists and political scientists. It is sure to simulate a lively debate in the classroom, where it may be read in contrast to some of the works referenced in Ch. 2. Within the field of Arabic linguistics as a whole, it is likely to leave a lasting impact, as it forces us as researchers to re-examine and call into question some of our own basic assumptions about language and its functions in the public sphere.