Suleiman's 2004 book considers national identity in relation to language, the way in which language - in this case the Arabic language - can be manipulated to signal political, cultural or historical difference.

Yasir Suleiman considers national identity in relation to language, the way in which language can be manipulated to signal political, cultural or historical difference. As a language with a long-recorded heritage spoken by the majority of peoples in the Middle East, Arabic is a particularly appropriate language to study and provides a penetrating means of exploring the conflicts of the Middle East.