Languages and cultures of Socotra and al-Mahara need protection

Scholars work tp preserve Yemen’s diversity.

The ancient languages and heritage of Socotra Island and the al-Mahara governorate in Yemen’s southeast should be preserved and documented, said researchers at a meeting held Saturday at the headquarters of the Progress and Advancement Forum. The meeting, titled “The Preservation of Language, Heritage, Environment, and the Components of Identity,” drew about 100 researchers, environmentalists, intellectuals, media workers, and archaeologists.

The discussion, headed by Professor Hussein al-Amri, a history professor at Sana’a University, allowed the exchange of questions and answers among the attendees about three main points. First, participants addressed the study of the Mahari and Socotri languages, as well as other old Yemeni languages. Then they discussed the environment, and national identity.  The Forum is geared toward people who seek to preserve Yemeni cultures and identity. It is concerned with  human rights, women’s rights, life, and the environment. All these are represented by national features, which need to be preserved from every kind of risks and lost. 

Nabil al-Faqeeh, the Minister of Tourism, said that the ministry is concerned about important issues, such as the preserving of heritage and environment. After all, he said, these are the most significant attractions for tourists who come to Yemen from abroad. Yemen needs to preserve its important features such as antiquities, heritage, and solve its environmental issues.  Investment in Socotra Island should be balanced and follow the standards of international organizations for investment in nature reserves that protect the environment and wildlife, al-Faqeeh said.

There are some investments that could badly damage the nature of such places by establishing polluting factories, for example, which could contribute to the death of wildlife.  “I hope from this session to exit with recommendations that be able to apply and discuss with the government and the related bodies,” said al-Faqeeh.

Raoufa Hassan, a member of the executive bureau of the Forum, asked everyone present if they thought that the Mahari and Socotri languages were identity languages, Arabic languages, non-Arabic languages, ancient Yemeni languages, not ancient Yemeni languages and what the definition of ancient Yemeni languages is.    It is not necessary that we answer all of these questions right now, she said.

The important thing is to think about them, and to make sure these languages are preserved.  The Mahari and Socotri languages are taught with Latin alphabets as languages in German and France, she said. She also asked if the researchers and scholars intend to alienate the people of Socotra by not focusing on the fact that it has populations and heritage and it is not only an island that has nature and trees, Hassan said. Abdullah ba Salama, a professor of antiquities at Sana’a University, said that there are many questions about these two areas.

Only one aspect of Socotra’s unique character.

There are very ancient inscriptions that indicate that these two areas and their people are originally Yemeni, he said. The Mahari and Socotri languages are from Yemeni regional languages in the far past, said ba Salam. Then he asked if there were several ancient Yemeni languages or they were only ancient Yemeni dialects? And are the Mahari and Socotri tongues actual languages or dialects? Then he presented several points and thoughts about the origins of the ancient Yemeni and Arabic languages and dialects.
 
Professor Abdul-Baqi al-Nahari, a biology professor at Sana’a University, talked about the environment and the national identity subject.  The environment is the place and surroundings in which humans live. It is from the environment that we draw the necessities for our lives, and engage in activities with our peers.   National identity consists of many important things, such as the land, history, the architectural heritage, language, customs, traditions, religion, and culture.     

“The environment plays a basic role in forming the national identity. And the national identity will be in danger if one or all of its components are in danger,” al-Nahari said. “So it should be of concern for all of the people, because it represents the power of the people and nation and the progressing of Yemen.” Al-Amri said the origin of the Mahari language is related to the ancient Himiari and Sheba languages. And the Socotri language is still a mystery, he said. Socotra has been historically isolated from the mainland, and has not been particularly cared for.

So, we should return to Socotra to develop and care for it, and to study its environment, heritage and dialects, he said. Professor Ahmed al-Kibsi, the Deputy Chancellor of Sana’a University, said that we should deepen the features of civilization and progress to know who we are, and gain national identity. The human who does not have nation is lost, he said.   In the past, regional and village identity was dominant in the Yemeni mindset, and now we should take care of the big identity, the national identity, he said.

Yemen has many features of which we should be proud, such as the historical, environmental and civilizational features of the country. Abdullah ba Wazir, the Head of the Antiquities and Museums Authority, said that the awareness of the historical areas should be spread out to the people. Mahara and Socotra are Yemeni areas, and their people are originally Yemenis. But these areas do not have the sufficient care of their languages, or of their cultural and natural heritage, he said.  

“The foreigners could study all the features of the two areas. because of the absence of the scientific corporations such as universities,” he said. “These two languages could be vanished if not cared for,  so they should be documented and preserved.” He said that the Socotri language or dialect has come from the ancient Yemeni languages and dialects, and it does not have alphabets or letters.

Dr Ibtihaj al-Kamal, a member of the executive bureau of the Forum, called upon Yemenis to develop environmental police officers for the local population of Socotra Island, for the protection of human biodiversity on the island. Environmental police could protect the environment’s basic elements; observe and control the materials that could harm the environment; provide protection for wildlife; regulate fishing; and promote environmental awareness and guidance and leadership campaigns for school students, she said.

All the interested people at the end of the discussion agreed to document the Mahari and Socotra languages as a part of the cultural identity of Yemen, and to preserve cultural heritage and cultural development in the two regions and promote them as tourist attractions. At the end of the discussion, the Forum formed a long-term program to preserve the language, heritage, environment and the other components of national identity.

It also formed four work teams. The first will be a legislative team that will legally protect every area that has antiquities.  The second team will prepare a curriculum of Mahari and Socotri languages to be taught in schools.  The third team will focus on preserving the architectural antiquities.  And the last team will be for environment. This team will connect the entire project with the environment.

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