typing in arab on linux ?

[Martin Granger <moustiquaire at free dot fr>]

I'm pretty sure this is not the right place to ask this question, but I 
couldn't find any other place :

Using a mandrake 10.1, I can't write in arab with Open office, nor 
Katoob, nor Gimp, although I installed several arabic fonts : the 
software refuse to write from right to left, and the fonts look latin.
I don't know what to do.
If this is not the good list for such a question, please tell me where 
to ask !

thanks

martin, France.