Could Lebanon’s identity be rewritten by abandoning the Arabic script for a Phoenician alphabet?

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Said Akl, a towering figure in modern Lebanese literature, spent his life advocating for a radical cultural shift: replacing the Arabic script with a modified Latin alphabet. He believed this would reclaim Lebanon’s ancient Phoenician roots, distancing the nation from Pan-Arabism and cementing a unique, independent Lebanese identity.

Born in 1911 in Zahlé, Said Akl was a polymath whose career spanned poetry, philosophy, and linguistics. While he achieved acclaim for his contributions to Modern Standard Arabic literature and symbolism, his most controversial legacy remains his linguistic nationalism. Akl argued that the Lebanese language was not merely a dialect of Arabic, but a distinct evolution influenced by Phoenician heritage. To formalize this, he designed a 36-symbol alphabet based on Latin characters, intended to replace the traditional script entirely.

Akl’s ideology was deeply intertwined with his staunch Lebanese nationalism. He was a founding member of the Lebanese Renewal Party in 1972 and served as the spiritual leader for the Guardians of the Cedars, a far-right movement. His rejection of an Arab identity was absolute; he famously declared he would rather lose his right hand than be considered an Arab. This stance fueled his support for the Israeli army during the 1982 Lebanon War, as he viewed them as a force capable of purging Lebanon of Palestinian influence.

Despite his radical political views, Akl’s literary influence was profound. He published works like 'Yara' and 'Khumasiyyat' using his custom alphabet, and his poetry was set to music by the Rahbani brothers and performed by the singer Fairuz. These songs, which included pan-Arab anthems, stood in stark contrast to his personal political rhetoric. Akl continued to write and lecture until his death in 2014 at the age of 103, leaving behind a complex legacy as both a master of Arabic belles-lettres and a fierce, divisive advocate for a non-Arab Lebanon.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The Lebanese diaspora is so vast that its members outnumber the country's residents.
• Lebanon: A mountainous Mediterranean crossroads defined by eighteen distinct religious communities
• Before the modern state, Lebanon was a cradle of ancient maritime and urban power.
• How a small mountain community became the political backbone of modern Lebanon
• Lebanon’s mountains were named white in Phoenician
• How an English monk became the architect of the first unified European church
• Can a motorcycle-riding mystic bridge the gap between ancient yoga and modern environmentalism?
• The Roman official who refused an empire to write a pagan survival guide.
• A 35-minute calendar dispute nearly split the Jewish world, until Saadia Gaon intervened
• How a wandering Jewish prodigy became the most perceptive critic of Immanuel Kant
• The man who burned for freedom, but whose protest was silenced by a dance
• The New Atheist who spent eleven years abroad studying meditation

More in Philosophers · More in Ideas & Philosophy · Latest · A–Z · All topics