The power of language is that it enables one to effectively express and communicate one's thought, actions, and desires. With a common language, people from different cultures can still share understanding.
In Mohja Kahf's <em>"My Grandmother Washes Her Feet in the Sink of the Bathroom at Sears,"</em> the power of language to prevent clear communication is demonstrated in the Arabic words of the Grandmother who could not speak English to address the western women's concern with her wudu rituals.
When there is no shared understanding, language can create misunderstanding among different people. It can also unite people for a common cause.
The speaker ably utilized his language understanding to communicate with both sides of the divide, settling the issue at hand, even without uttering any word.
Thus, language's unique means of influencing cultural behavior and changing the economic and educational statuses of people have remained very powerful.
