This paper discusses the current status of Arabic and ideas of nationhood and citizenship based on six debates on Al-Jazeera that span from 1998-2008. These debates parallel the debate from the 'Nahda' on national identity in the Arab world that still remains unresolved. The Nahda debate was about 'who are we in the modern ager' and 'how does this correspond to the post World War I state systema' At the heart of the debate was the Arabic language. Some ideologues called for modernizing the literate "fusha" form, while others called for adopting the local "amiyyah" as a literacy medium. This debate is still much alive today. The Al-Jazeera debates highlight the relationship between the current status of Arabic and ideas of citizenship. Al-Jazeera interviewed Arabic linguists, Islamic scholars, academicians, writers, and members of Arabic Language Academies. Three visions which mirror the old debate emerge: Arabic as an Islamic language, Arabic as a literary language with an intellectual history, and Arabic as several languages, thus, a vision which promotes the elevation of the "amiyyah" to the level of national languages. These Al-Jazeera debates highlight the disconnection between legal citizenship and cultural nationalism in the Arab world. Moreover, the participants in these debates are attempting to legitimize one vision of nationhood and delegitimize others through prescriptions on the nature and use of the Arabic language.