Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Translations are a tricky thing at the best of times, and some languages are more conducive to good translation than others. I'm told Arabic to English can be quite problematic at times. I often wonder at how accurate, and how complete, various MEMRI translations are. They are generally and obviously truncated to include the most interesting portions, that's clear. And that's generally fine, as it's hard to contextualize what's there and claim that that would excuse it. I'll refrain from specifics as any reader here has seen the examples innumerable times.
When MEMRI's translations were fewer and farther between, one could claim that they were "one sided," but more recently they have done a good job of including translations of reformist (almost always disident voices, BTW) interviews and writings, and their issue briefs are always valuable.
No question about it, by simply turning on Arab and Muslim media, and presenting them to the Western audience without the sanitizing filter they usually pass through, MEMRI has performed a huge service. So it's no wonder that they have also become a big fat target for people who's agenda is handicapped by the media intake of the Middle East being brought West.
Rima Barakat, a "Muslim activist" in the Denver area writes in the Rocky Mountain News to both attack MEMRI and defend Jerusalem Grand Mufti Sheikh Ekrima Sabri
Al-Ahram: Q: How do you deal with the Jews who are besieging al-Aqsa and are scattered around it?
A: I enter the mosque of Al-Aqsa with my head up. . .I have never greeted them when I came near one. I never will.
MEMRI's version: Q: How do you feel about the Jews?
A: I have never greeted a Jew when I came near one. I never will. They cannot even dream that I will. The Jews do not dare to bother me.
It is worthy to note that Carmon has admitted this "translation" mistake. Still, it remains uncorrected on his website...
And that's why I don't worry over-much about the nitty-gritty of the translation. Is there a lot of difference between the translations of the Mufti's answer? Claiming the first was a "bad translation" (I'll take it as a granted that it was) is a guilty-man's argument when you examine the substance.
(H/T: Miss Kelly)
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The Republicans in State House District 6 in Denver are about to make a terrible mistake. At their Assembly on March 1, they nominated a terror apologist, and an avowed enemy of Israel, with no credible conservative credentials as their... Read More
The Republicans in State House District 6 in Denver are about to make a terrible mistake. At their Assembly on March 1, they nominated a terror apologist, and an avowed enemy of Israel, with no credible conservative credentials as their... Read More
Atlas Shrugs had this to say:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2006/03/media_most_sept.html
Sabri's actions are well documented here. The following excerpts from the weekly Friday sermon delivered by Palestinian Authority [PA] appointed "Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine" Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on July 11, 1997. The sermon was broadcast on the PA's official radio station, Voice of Palestine.
"Oh Allah, destroy America, for she is ruled by Zionist Jews...
"Allah will paint the White House black! Clinton is fulfilling his father's will to identify with Israel...
"The Muslims say to Britain, to France and to all the infidel nations that Jerusalem is Arab. We shall not respect anyone else's wishes regarding her. The only relevant party is the Islamic nation, which will not allow infidel nations to interfere...
"The homes the Jews are building will become Arab property, with Allah's help...
"Allah shall take revenge on behalf of his prophet against the colonialist settlers who are sons of monkeys and pigs....Forgive us, Muhamad, for the acts of these sons of monkeys and pigs, who sought to harm your sanctity."
Let's take a look at the Muslim "author" of this piece of trash run by the Rocky Mountain News (hometown paper of Ward Churchill). Rima Barakat, a Palestinian Muslim has said of the Danish Cartoons here,
The cartoons were very offensive, but we have to rise above this and recognize we have challenges as Muslims that are greater than cartoons.'
Challenges? Like what? Barakat has done 'workshops' on the "Palestinian Right to Return" aka a ruse for the elimination of Israel. This workshop, btw, was part of the same two day conference as the Cindy and Craig Corrie performance workshop, parents of Rachel Corrie.
Clearly Rima would like to discredit MEMRI, arguably the most significant, critical sourcea of intel to the lay West. MEMRI pulls back the curtain. We finally have access to what is being broadcast in Arabic to the often cited Arab Street in the MIddle East.
Apparently The Rocky Mountain News is a willing tool to the evil propagandists. Shame on you, dogs.
When I went to a Sabeel Conference in Denver Colorado, Rima Barakat checked my bags.
I don't believe she checked anyone else's.
It was humiliating.
If MEMRI was that bad then the local Arabic press and radio in Israel would have discredited it a long time ago.
Cynic:
To your point, I understand that middle eastern media, including Al Jazeerah, rely on MEMRI's translation services.
As for Brian Whitless's "selective MEMRI" allegations, so far as I know he's not capable of translating Arabic himself, so how would he know how good, bad or indifferent the translations are, and whether, indeed, MEMRI was being "selective" in what it chose to translate. I am sure that, if anything, the "bad" and the "ugly" in the middle east media outweighs the "good" many times over.