Learning Arabic...

Ok to start it off I like to express my initial feelings and emotions. I am again overwhelmed, but more intrigued. I was very interested in the evolution of language. I had never before thought about how it all started, but here I am typing the English alphabet to form words with my keyboard. It makes me think of the invention of the movable type. how it has progressed and innovated. From printing presses and typewriters.

Also on a different note I did my own research but my source is actually from a family friend who has converted to Islam and is currently learning Arabic while pursuing his PhD in African Studies. His name is Michael Fattah. I went with him to the east bay recently and I wanted to ask him questions about Islam and why he converted. He never really believed in religion although he was taken to church as a child. He was a boxer at one time in his life and one of the guys he trained with tossed him a copy of the Qur'an. At first he rejected it but his sparring buddy made a really persuasive argument. He began to do some reading and felt whole, I told him it was his faith. But to get to the put I asked him why he is learning Arabic and he told me it was to fully understand the religion. He expressed that it is difficult to write in Arabic, he is just not use to the formation of words and sentences. He told me he has a journal that he practices writing in, although he doesn't know or understand the language completely yet it inspired thought for me. Especially after reading the chapters for this week. I began to bring things together with the invention of writing and the alphabets. I wish I had a chance to peek at his journal he writes in so I may compare his strokes with the Nashki and Kufic styles of writing for Arabic. All of these ideas make me wonder how our languages will evolve from how they are now, or if they even will. As we keep reading it just strikes more and more questions within my mind.