Legal Protection of the Arabic Language in Libya

Abstract

This study examines the status of the Arabic language in Libya in light of the increasing challenges it faces, most notably the widespread use of colloquial dialects in educational institutions and the media, the growing prevalence of foreign languages, and the incorporation of their vocabulary into everyday usage despite the availability of standard Arabic equivalents. These factors have contributed to a decline in the accuracy and integrity of linguistic performance, even among some educated groupsÆ

The study further emphasizes that calls for the legal protection of the Arabic language are not a modern phenomenon; rather, they date back to the early expansion of Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula, when the need arose to safeguard Arabic from linguistic corruption, a concern that was reflected in the attention paid to the language by the caliphs.

Within this framework, the research aims to examine the legal protection of the Arabic language in Libyan legislation, compare it with selected Arab legal frameworks, and assess the effectiveness of their implementation in contemporary practice. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to identify shortcomings at both the legislative and executive levels