Before I got into politics, I wanted to be a missionary to people in the Middle East. I thought it would be better to speak with them in their own language.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
But my Arabic is pretty good. It's good enough to have conversations with people, to understand what they say, to understand what they're feeling.
Everybody needs to understand that I learned Arabic from the United States Army as a second language. I never spoke it at home.
Foreigners who speak Arabic in the Middle East are often assumed to be working for the C.I.A. or Israel's intelligence agency, the Mossad.
If you aspire to be a leader of your own country, you must speak your own language, for God's sake.
I majored in political communications, so I intended to be a diplomat.
I must try desperately to absorb all information I can about the Middle East. I want to excel. I want to speak articulately about the politics of the Middle East and its religion.
I should learn the language of a politician - give away as little and keep the rest to yourself. Not lie, I just want to be more guarded.
I do not use the language of my people. I can take liberties with certain themes which the Arabic language would not allow me to take.
I really wanted to speak English because I started touring the world, and I wanted to communicate with people directly.
Being published in Arabic is a strong and consistent wish I have. I live in the Middle East and want to be in some sort of an unpragmatic dialogue with my neighbors.