Debate Erupts Over Arabic Language’s Role in French Culture

In his book, Jack Lang, with several historical arguments to support him, tried to demonstrate that France is "linked to Eastern culture, to Arab culture, to the Arabic language for centuries". And this is the point that sparked a heated debate between the two men. Eric Zemmour, while refuting this passage of the book, explained that Arabic is "the language of the expansion of the Muslim religion", which "allows the translation of texts for mathematics", but "refuses everything related to philosophy, because it would challenge the Quran and the one God".

Eric Zemmour was sharply interrupted by Jack Lang. "Me, I didn’t come here for that. My point is not that," he said to his interlocutor. "I came to talk about living languages, today," he continued, looking at Christine Kelly, who hosts the program on CNews. "The subject of my book is not that. You invite me to talk about a book, I don’t want to hear your false history lessons," he also added.

"I contest your historical point of view," Zemmour replied, stressing that he had mentioned the Arab conquerors who had imposed "their language, their god and the Quran". And Jack Lang interrupted the columnist again, throwing in his face that it is "his fanaticism that prevails over everything". He also noted that it is his "obscurantism that dominates truth and reason".

The second point on which the two men also had time to display their differences is related to the Arab World Institute which, according to Eric Zemmour, is "partly financed by Gulf countries". The former minister described this statement as a "big lie", stressing that the Institute is financed by the French state and by contributions from patrons. He ends by stating that Eric Zemmour has "an obsession against the East".