By: Dawood (guest contributor) and Danios
So-called “experts and acclaimed scholars of Islam” rely on Arabic 101 level translator for their “anti-Jihad” work.
Translating-Jihad, a new blog purporting to expose “Islamic totalitarianism and intolerance by translating it from Arabic into English”, has recently appeared online. The site has received glowing praise from such Islamophobic luminaries as Robert Spencer, Nonie Darwish, and Andrew Bostom. The site’s creator, Al-Mutarajjam (more regarding this choice of name later), boasts on one anti-Muslim website:
[M]y blog is already regularly read by experts on Islam such as Robert Spencer, Daniel Pipes, and Dr. Andrew Bostom, and nearly half of my translations have been featured on the highly-popular website jihadwatch.org
The controversial blog aims to become the premier translation wing of the so-called “anti-jihad” movement, and was created by someone who openly states that he works as a professional Arabic translator. As always, the anti-Islam bloggers seek to portray themselves as bona fide experts of the field. But is Al-Mutarajjam, the site’s creator, really an expert in the Arabic language?
The evidence suggests otherwise. His Arabic language abilities are consistent with the level of an Arabic 101 student. (Arabic 101 is the introductory class to the language.) His “epic Arabic 101 fail” speaks to that: he chose his pseudonym to be “Al-Mutarajjam”. When he chose this alias, he thought it meant “The Translator.” It doesn’t. Even if we account for a “slip” in transliteration, it would mean: “The Translated.”
This word is the passive participle (ism maf3ul) and means the object translated (see Hans Wehr, p. 93)—not “translator” (which would be al-mutarjim). This is an issue of very basic Arabic grammar, something learned very early on in Arabic language study. To understand how truly basic this is, we see that it is one of the very first words learned in the near-standard text used in American universities to teach Arabic: Al-Kitaab fii Ta’allum al-‘Arabiyya. That’s an Arabic 101 textbook.
The word “mutarjim” (translator) on p. 19 of standard Arabic 101 textbook (Al-Kitaab fii Ta’allum al-’Arabiyya)
When this error was pointed out to the blog’s creator [by Dawood], he responded to this critique with “so what?” The “so what” is of course that it’s a huge mistake, understood best if we give an English equivalent. Just imagine if a Chinese immigrant applied to be a fifth grade English teacher in Texas and if he stated that “I was official translated at other school I work for.” Immediately the employer would know that this applicant has very poor English and would not be appropriate for the position of English teacher. If this is the case for an elementary school position, shouldn’t the standard be at least as high for the official “translation wing” for so-called “experts and acclaimed scholars of Islam”?
The difference between “the writer” and “the written” is clear, as is the difference between “the translator” and “the translated”. Calling yourself “the written” or “the translated” instead of “the writer” or “the translator” is almost something worthy of being featured on Engrish.com (a website that documents humorous English language gaffes in Asian countries). For someone attempting to portray himself as a competent Arabic translator, this is a huge mistake. It certainly calls into question the credentials of a person who has taken on such a lofty role as anti-Jihad translator extraordinaire.
Al-Mutarajjam’s Reaction
Al-Mutarajjam’s blunder was pointed out on LoonWatch.com here [see comment by Dawood]:
First of all, I am not entirely sure how strong your Arabic is. For a state your name “Al-Mutarajjam” (by which I think you mean “al-mutarjam”) is the passive participle (ism maf3ul), and means the object translated—not translator (which would be “al-mutarjim”). See Hans Wehr, p.93
To which Al-Mutarajjam responded:
(…Yes, I know that the correct transliteration of ‘translator’ is al-Mutarjim—so what? It’s just an alias.)
His reaction is reminiscent of Sarah Palin’s tweets explaining her usage of the word “refudiate”. In any case, Al-Mutarajjam attempted to make it seem as if the critique of his name did not faze him, or that it did not warrant sufficient attention. He responded with “so what?” But Al-Mutarajjam’s actions belied his words. He in fact had a frenzied reaction and immediately removed his name (Al-Mutarajjam) from the blog. If you go to his website now, the error has disappeared into oblivion. He changed his name and even his email address.
Here’s what his site looked like before we pointed out his epic fail (we’ve circled the relevant parts):
Then Al-Mutarajjam quickly took the incriminating error off his site and changed his contact info as well:
After a few days had passed, Al-Mutarajjam quietly fixed his name and put the corrected name up. As of today, his site looks like this now (notice the dramatic change):
He also corrected the mistake on other sites where his articles were found, such as Andrew Breitbart’s site. (We’ll ignore the fact that Al-Mutarajjam’s work features on a site like Andrew Breitbart’s website which lost what little credibility it had by posting manipulated videos of Shirley Sherrod and ACORN.) This means Al-Mutarajjam was so worried about his blunder that he went through the effort of frantically contacting Breitbart’s site. Here is what Breitbart’s site looked like before the change:
And here is what it looked like after Al-Mutarajjam attempted to do damage control:
Most importantly, he immediately shut down the comments section—all the previous comments critiquing his choice of name vanished.
Here is what the Translating-Jihad blog looked like before the vanishing comments:
After the comments [by Dawood] criticizing Al-Mutarajjam’s name were posted, suddenly the comments were removed and commenting on the site was banned altogether:
Such a dramatic reaction–making the comments on the entire site vanish and disabling commenting altogether–belies the “so what?” response. So what indeed!
Not satisfied with the So What Defense, Al-Mutarajjam started to think of ways to explain away his mistake. This is similar to how Sarah Palin later came out and stated that she simply made a typo. No doubt aware of the catastrophic nature of his mistake, Al-Mutarajjam came up with the “likely” story that he chose his user name long time ago during his earlier days of Arabic study. In other words, the mistake was supposedly made when he was a newbie to the Arabic language, but now he is a seasoned veteran. Not only did he post this explanation in the comments, but he also felt the need to add an “About the Name” section to his website:
Note that this “explanation” only appeared on his website after his name was critiqued on LoonWatch. (In fact, the explanation appeared right after we questioned him about it.) Prior to us bringing up this issue, not only was there no explanation about the curious choice of “Al-Mutarajjam” but in fact there was no “About” section to his website at all. Here is what his site looked like before the change (notice no “About” section in the top right hand corner):
But after we pointed out the error, suddenly he found the need to create an “About Me” section:
All of these changes–from changing his pseudonym altogether, changing his contact address, scrambling to contact other friendly websites to correct the mistake, adding an About section, etc.–show how concerned he was about his epic fail. His explanation that this was simply a mistake of the past is hardly believable. If he later learned that his pseudonym was incorrect, why didn’t he have an explanation on his website (the About Me/About My Name) section? Why did that only appear right after we pointed out to him this error? If this was indeed a “so what?” problem, then why did he find the need to scramble to make changes right after being exposed on LoonWatch? Al-Mutarajjam was quite happy to use the name ever since the creation of the blog…until after the critique came up on LoonWatch. Why did he delete all the comments made on his website about this topic? It seems far more likely that he had no clue about this mistake until it was pointed out to him. Then he tried to cover it up.
It seems that Al-Mutarajjam thinks that he has gotten away with his mistake, since now he has removed the explanation from his site altogether. Here’s what the About Me section looked like shortly after we pointed out his mistake and his subsequent name change to Al Mutarjim:
After some time had passed and he was hopeful that his mistake was forgotten, Al-Mutarajjam carefully deleted the sentences about his previous name–hoping no doubt to remove any evidence of his initial gaffe:
In any case, even if we believe Al-Mutarajjam’s “likely” story, then this does not exonerate him. His explanation was that “he mistransliterated the name way back when he first began blogging.” Well, when was “way back”? In fact, his very first blog posting was only one year ago (on Feb. 21, 2010). So in just one year he went from being an Arabic 101 level student to a professional full-time Arabic translator!? This is reminiscent of Pamela Geller’s claim that she became an “expert on Islam” after just one year of reading anti-Islam books. The fact that these jokers think they can become “experts” after a year indicates their disdain for true academia.
Additionally, this raises another issue: why was he parading around on the internet as “The Translator” during his early days of Arabic study (just one year ago)? If at that time he didn’t even know the basics of Arabic 101, why was he feeling confident enough to call himself The Translator? The fact is that whenever he made the cocky name of “The Translator”, he didn’t even know how to translate the word “translator”! Whether he was guilty of this mistake now or before (the difference being only one year), it shows that he is a complete fraud who has no qualms in pretending to be what he is not.
The Frauds and Hucksters of the Anti-Muslim Blogosphere
This of course means that Al-Mutarajjam (who is now Al-Mutarjim) fits right in with the anti-Islam blogosphere, which is full of frauds pretending to be experts on Islam. Similarly does Robert Spencer’s website boast that Spencer is “the acclaimed scholar of Islam.” This, even though Robert Spencer has not obtained a single degree in an Islam-related subject from any recognized university. Al-Mutarajjam’s standards of what constitutes an “expert” can be ascertained by the fact that he considers Robert Spencer one of the “experts on Islam” (see above quote). Interestingly enough, Spencer doesn’t even have Al-Mutarajjam’s “concentration in Middle Eastern Studies” (noting of course that a “concentration” in something is not equal to a degree in it).
One could go down the list of notable Islamophobes and not find a single scholar amongst the entire lot, even though they all claim to be erudite scholars and esteemed experts in the subjects they propound. From Andrew Bostom who is a professor of Islam medicine to Pamela Geller who spent a whole year reading anti-Islam books to become an expert on the subject, one cannot find a scholar. The same is the case with the legion of other Islamophobes: Bat Ye’or, Brigitte Gabriel, Debbie Schlussel, Walid Shoebat, Joe Kaufman, Wafa Sultan, etc. The notable exception is Daniel Pipes, but he doesn’t count since he retired from academia in the 1980′s. (In his own unusually honest words: “I have the simple politics of a truck driver, not the complex ones of an academic. My viewpoint is not congenial with institutions of higher learning.”)
The lack of academic qualifications of these so-called “Islam experts” is apparent in their usage of an Arabic 101 level speaker as a source. Robert Spencer, who uses Al-Mutarajjam’s work (and had gushing praise of Al-Mutarajjam’s site) never noticed the glaring mistake in Al-Mutarajjam’s alias. Spencer has repeatedly claimed to be fluent in Arabic. The fact that Spencer didn’t pick up on this grave mistake speaks volumes. Imagine, for example, if an anti-American Iranian website claimed to have an expert English translator, and how much fun we would poke if that “expert English translator” went around claiming he was “The Translated”. Wouldn’t we notice the mistake immediately? Well, why didn’t Robert Spencer ever notice that Al-Mutarajjam’s name was completely off? It seems like Al-Mutarajjam is not the only one faking his Arabic abilities! This indicates the completely unprofessional and sophomoric nature of the self-proclaimed “Islam experts” of the internet.
Why Translating-Jihad and Other Islamophobic Websites are not Taken Seriously By Academics
The absolute lack of qualifications and credentials of the Islam-bashers is something we’ve harped on again and again. Robert Spencer and the other Islam-bashers diligently try avoiding the topic. Their minions on the other hand will say “so what?” or “their qualifications or lack thereof does not impact the content of what they are saying.” Of course, we know this is not true by the fact that the Islam-bashers wouldn’t be seeking to portray themselves as “experts and the acclaimed scholars of Islam” if it were not important to be so.
But more than this, the anti-academic background of these people has very real consequences in the substance of what they argue. While their arguments may appeal to non-academic minds (like their vitriolic foaming-at-the-mouth fans who comment on their sites), these arguments would be ripped asunder by actual scholars. This is certainly the case with Al-Mutarajjam’s website. For example, he earlier debated with us about a fatwa (religious edict) he translated about Muslims being forbidden from transporting Christians to church. Al-Mutarajjam posted this fatwa following a bomb blast in Alexandria, Egypt (after which many Egyptian Muslims called for solidarity with the Christian community). Al-Mutarajjam posted:
Lest all the calls of Muslim-Christian solidarity from smooth-speaking Muslim spokesmen in the wake of the Alexandria bombing fool you, here comes this fatwa from the highly-popular Islamic website Islamweb.net ruling that Muslims are not allowed to drive Christians to church, as that is tantamount to “support[ing] them in their vain and perverted rites and religion.” Apparently Muslim-Christian outreach and understanding is only one-sided.
Notice how he uses the term “smooth-speaking Muslim spokesmen”, implying that they are being deceitful and lying. To “prove” this, he cites a fatwa that implies the exact opposite of solidarity. Thus, he concludes, these Muslim spokesmen must have understood solidarity as only one-sided. The non-academic Islam-haters nod in agreement and wonder in amazement at their great discovery.
Yet, such a line of argumentation would hardly be taken seriously in an academic setting. No scholar—no person with even an above average intelligence—would take this seriously. Obviously, the problem with Al-Mutarajjam’s argument is that the “calls of Muslim-Christian solidarity from smooth-speaking Muslim spokesmen” did not come from the mufti who issued the fatwa on the Islamweb site. The fact that Muslims are not the Borg—one singular organism where what one Muslim says or does means another Muslim is also responsible for that—is lost on Islamophobes.
There are over a billion Muslims in the world; one mufti issuing one fatwa doesn’t represent the views of them all. Some Muslims would support solidarity with Christians, while others would oppose it. Similarly, some Christians support solidarity with Muslims, and others oppose it. Would finding one Muslim from the second group prove that the first group is lying? What odd logic!
The “Fatwa Team” on the Islamweb site consists of “a group of licentiate graduates from the Islamic University, Al-Imaam Muhammad Bin Sa’oud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia.” The fact that the site has nothing to do with Egypt (remember, it was Egyptian Muslims calling for solidarity with Christians) means nothing to Al-Mutarajjam. The fact that the fatwa site belongs to the ultraconservative Wahhabi (Salafi) sect of Islam—which only a very tiny percentage of Egyptian Muslims follow—means nothing to him. Somehow they are all interchangeable, so when an Egyptian Muslim spokesman says one thing and a Saudi Wahhabi cleric says something else, then aha!, I told you they can’t be trusted!
The Wahhabi (Salafi) mufti makes clear at the end of his fatwa that transporting Christians anywhere except to church or religious festivities is absolutely permissible. Considering that this represents the hardline approach of Wahhabi Islam, it goes without saying that more liberal Islamic interpretations would differ. This is especially true since no clear Quranic support can be found for such a restriction, nor even in the more nebulous Prophetic traditions (Sunnah). In light of this fact, no Islamic cleric can compel a Muslim to do or not do anything. Fatwas–contrary to popular misconception in the Western world–are considered completely non-binding on the Islamic faithful. They are just opinions, and Muslims can look for other fatwas with completely differing conclusions. Even hundreds of years ago, the Hanafi school of thought permitted transporting Christians to church and their religious festivals. If that was the case then, one can imagine the liberality with it now. Indeed, it takes place all the time in the Islamic world, such that it is only the rare exception that a cab driver would refuse such a service. The fact that this type of situation happens in real life all the time in the Middle East shows that the mufti is projecting an imagined reality into the world, instead of dealing with the facts as they are.
Also absent from Al-Mutarajjam’s sensationalist analysis is the fact that such views are hardly singular to Islam: one only need look at Orthodox Judaism’s views towards interaction with unbelievers to see similar (and often times harsher) restrictions. While for instance we are talking about cab drivers, let’s take a look at this interesting Orthodox Jewish rule in Halacha (Jewish Law, which is the Jewish equivalent of the nefarious Sharia); Jewish-American professor Dov S. Zakheim (who has served under various posts in the Department of Defense) explains how peaceful Jewish interaction with non-Jews is
based on Jewish self-interest…[something] that continues to resonate in contemporary halakhic literature. For example, in discussing whether a Jewish taxi driver must compensate his non-Jewish counterpart for damages caused in an accident, Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, when still residing in Johannesburg, argued that the primary criterion is whether the non-Jewish taxi driver is aware that his vehicle was damaged by a Jew. If he knows this was the case, the Jew must pay damages…If the non-Jew is unaware that the Jew was the actual cause of the accident, however, Rabbi Sternbuch ruled that there is no need for the Jew to pay anything. (Dov S. Zakheim on p.499 of War and Peace in the Jewish Tradition)
But perhaps the Jewish taxi-driver might at least be able to drive the injured non-Jew to church if that’s where he happened to be going…? (Actually, Orthodox Jews are not allowed to step foot inside churches–and since we don’t fancy ourselves as experts of Jewish law–we hope our more informed readers might let us know if Orthodox Jews are allowed to drive Christians to church.) In any case, one can only imagine how the Islam-bashers would use this divine Hit-and-Run Law against Muslims had this been part of Islamic and not Jewish law. Islam is certainly not alone in having uncomfortable opinions found in its hundreds year old religious tradition and honored by its ultraconservative followers in the modern day; one can easily find similar examples in Judaism and Christianity. Such revelations, which provide proper contextual understanding to scholars, are dismissed by anti-Islam ideologues as “tu quoque fallacies” that shouldn’t get in the way of bashing Islam. Meanwhile, the most fundamentalist, ultraconservative, and extremist views of Islam should be cited as proof that Muslims with more tolerant, pluralistic, and liberal views are being deceitful and lying.
In any case, the “calls of Muslim-Christian solidarity” were heeded by Egyptian Muslims and were certainly not understood by them as being “one-sided.” Just as Egyptian Christians sought to protect Muslims with their lives, so too did Egyptian Muslims act as “human shields” to protect the lives of Christians praying in churches. That seems like pretty reciprocal solidarity to us. But to the fraudster—The Translated—these hundreds of Muslims risking their lives for Christians are just putting up an act—those “smooth-speaking Mooz-lums” just can’t be trusted!
Trusting an Arabic “translator” who can’t even translate the word “translator” on the other hand? No problem with that.
February 22nd, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Wow. The Islamophobes are getting dumber by the minute. This great article has well and truly pwned this new site that was getting plenty of support from the whole Islamophobosphere. But this incident also exposes the fake scholar of Islam, Robert Spencer, who one would assume would be able to spot such amateur translation work from that site.
But this is all good news — the ‘phobes are getting so desperate they are relying on low quality anti-Muslim propaganda. Seriously, if you want to be hateful, do it properly
February 22nd, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Fantastic article!!
February 22nd, 2011 at 2:30 pm
I love how he suddenly went from a terrible “translated” (when he first started his blog) in February 2010 to an amazing mutarjim (al mutarjim al-ahsan, for those Semitically inclined) in only one year! That’s quite an achievement.
As a student of the Arabic language for many years, I can safely say nobody becomes an expert (unless you’re a Robert Spencer-quality “expert”) in just one year. It would be great for his site to start opening up comments again and for all his comments to be strictly in Arabic. He’ll be up all night using his Hans Weir just to see what people said.
February 22nd, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Awesome! i have been waiting for this. Thanks Dawood and Danios
Barak Allah Fi Kum
February 22nd, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Thank you, everyone.
For those of you who were quick enough to read the article yesterday (I accidentally published it before it was supposed to go up), please note that the end of the article was updated. We felt that it was best to give a concrete example of how “such views are hardly singular to Islam” and strengthen our argument that “one only need look at Orthodox Judaism’s views towards interaction with unbelievers to see similar (and often times harsher) restrictions.”
Therefore, you will notice an interesting example given about Jewish taxi cab drivers under traditional Halacha (Jewish law). So please do check that out.
Dawood: It was great working with you. Though I know your academic duties keep you busy, we’d love for you to join our lovely team.
February 23rd, 2011 at 6:44 am
I agree with Danios, Dawood should start writing for Loonwatch.
February 23rd, 2011 at 7:47 am
I think it should be made even more clear that most Jews will obviously disagree with that “Divine Hit-And-Run Law”. Loons are desperate to find something they think is anti-semitic to dismiss the whole article.
But it was a good example to use.
February 23rd, 2011 at 7:55 am
It is next to impossible to master the Arabic language in one year. If you live in an Arabic speaking country then you can master small conversations in that time.
Someone tell the translated/translator that the language of the Quran is more complex than MSA.
The loons are getting desperate and still not an academic qualification between them.
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:04 am
New York City and many other cities in USA are FILLED with Muslim taxi drivers driving Christians to ANY PLACE they want so why are the loons so fixated over the fatwa???
Could we get a Pakistani cabbie to drive Spencer to his synagogue…errr..Catholic place of worship so that Spencer gets over it.
I will take you to church, Spencer, whenever I am in your city if you don’t get a chance before that, my promise!
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:07 am
Bwahahaha! Epic fail on the side of the islamophobes. And apparently, there was none among them to spot the mistake.
Not the ‘distinguished scholar of islam’, Robert Spencer. And not little ms. Fedayeen, Nonie Darwish.
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:28 am
craig winn reminds me of this guy. he thought only 500 people knew arabic, and got the name wrong. he kind of changed topics after a muslim ripped him a new one on the mike gallagher show
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:59 am
I have lived in the Middle East for the last 10 years, the first 5 and a half of those in strictly Arabic speaking surroundings, from both an academic aspect, and in my personal life. To this day, I still find it difficult to read the language to an acceptable standard, and will lose some words in translation. Throughout my life I have had the honour (that’s how it’s spelt in real English), to be able to learn, or attempt to learn, 4 different languages, English, French, Spanish and Arabic. Although I can speak no French or Spanish anymore as it has been so long, I would be able to confidently state that to learn Arabic is about as difficult, if not more so, as it is to learn all three of the other languages from scratch and simultaneously!
Great article as usual Danios, but I think Dawood deserves most of the credit for this one, thanks for enlightening us brother!
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:47 am
What really baffles the mind, is that they claim Arabic is a DIFFICULT language to learn! So how can this Translated cat learn such a DIFFICULT language in only one year?
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:48 am
“(…Yes, I know that the correct transliteration of ‘translator’ is al-Mutarjim—so what? It’s just an alias.)”
Hmm, the guy doesn’t seem to have much success in using the correct English term either! Why does he need to transliterate “translator”? All English readers should be able to read “translator” without it being transliterated (i.e. changing the letters or word into corresponding characters of another alphabet or language). Now, we all can see that he has transliterated “al-Mutarjim” from its Arabic letters, and had incorrectly TRANSLATED it “the Translated”!
Yeah, one really needs to have one’s head in proper order to excel as a translator!!
“Transliteration is the practice of converting a text from one writing system into another in a systematic way.”
“A translation is a rendering of the same ideas in a different language from the original…”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translation
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:54 am
Really great article. These people are just a bunch of angry clowns, desperate for some shred of scholarly legitimacy. Fortunately, the dishonest and unprofessional antics like those of “the translated” continue to implode any serious credibility within their movement.
February 23rd, 2011 at 1:47 pm
I have heard of a few christian equivalents of this. One guy who claimed to be an expert in Old Testament language couldn’t even recite the letters of the Hebrew alphabet when asked in a court room. LOL.
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Reminds of the time when an Islamophobic Arab who claimed to be an expert on Arabic and the Qur’an was publicly humiliated. He made ten mistakes only a child would make just in reciting al-Fatiha, a 7 verse surah?
Allahu A’lam
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:30 pm
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110223/NEWS0201/102230378/Tennessee-bill-would-jail-Shariah-followers
A proposed Tennessee law would make following the Islamic code known as Shariah law a felony, punishable by 15 years in jail.
State Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, and state Rep. Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma, introduced the same bill in the Senate and House last week. It calls Shariah law a danger to homeland security and gives the attorney general authority to investigate complaints and decide who’s practicing it.
It exempts peaceful practice of Islam but labels any adherence to Shariah law — which includes religious practices such as feet washing and prayers — as treasonous. It claims Shariah adherents want to replace the Constitution with their religious law.
A dozen other states are considering anti-Shariah bills, and there’s a federal lawsuit in Oklahoma over one.
Imam Mohamed Ahmed of the Islamic Center of Nashville on 12th Avenue South said Islam teaches its followers to obey the law of the land. Shariah law, he said, teaches moral values.
“What do you mean, really, by saying I can’t abide by Shariah law?” he said. “Shariah law is telling me don’t steal. Do you want me to steal and rob a bank?”
The Attorney General’s Office had no comment.
It is unclear whether the bill will go before lawmakers in its current form. The measure was filed Thursday to beat the deadline to introduce bills for the current session, Matheny said. It has not been assigned to a committee
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Nothing can beat this though.
Hear Ergun Caner recide Shahada here. What a joke, this guy is.
http://www.fakeexmuslims.com/issueergunsshahada.htm
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:39 pm
I can’t wash feet according to this law????
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:56 pm
“It exempts peaceful practice of Islam but labels any adherence to Shariah law — which includes religious practices such as feet washing and prayers — as treasonous. It claims Shariah adherents want to replace the Constitution with their religious law.”
What! They’ve banned praying? This “anti-Sharia” thing is getting out of control.
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Now I am getting annoyed.
Spencer you are not getting a ride.
You are going to get a kick on your butt when I see you.
You and your comrades get the trophy for bringing United States to this.
You should be very ashamed of yourselves.
[edited]
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Congrats to Danios and Dawood for giving this up and coming clown—“Dr. Translated”—the Loonwatch treatment. I would also like to thank JihadBob for being the first to bring this hate site to Loonwatch’s attention. Got any more good ideas, eh Bob?
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Great article by Dawood and Danios! This guy “The Translated” needs to go back to school (if he ever did go). Maybe the school he went to was advertised on the back of a matchbook?
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:23 pm
AJ, perhaps you might want to cool the anger a bit.
“You learnt NOTHING, ZERO, ZILCH, NADA from your Holocaust.”
People might consider that comment as promoting the idea that Spencer is a Jew. Spencer is not, and no one appreciates the attitude amongst a few Muslims to portray all of their enemies as Jewish. I’m sure you didn’t mean it in this way.
By the way, no one learns from history. Whether it is the Holocaust or World War I & 2, no one ever learns. Some of the people calling for extreme violence against Muslims today are Jewish.
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:29 pm
These people do not realise that the language of the Quran is different from linguistic Arabic used on the Arab street. Even Arabs who are competent in Arabic can struggle with the language of the Quran. This is a speciality within itself and taught at specialist institutes by a handful of Islamic scholars!
This translated blog guy is clearly a moron. But hey you can be judged by the company you keep.
This idiot and the islamophobic cretins well together!
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Sorry AJ, but Mosizzle is right. Spencer loves being called Jewish by Muslims because it affirms stereotypes of Muslims.
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:38 pm
I don’t get it. Whats wrong in calling somebody Jewish when they are Jewish?
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:41 pm
And I am wondering what are the Muslims in TN upto? Eating some hummus and lamb kebabs while their liberties go up in the air? Why aren’t people out on the streets?
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Nassir,
I do not have a stereotype. There are good and bad from all faiths including Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Its sad though that at this moment some of the worst people are Jewish like Spencer, Geller, Wilders and some of the best people are Jewish like Greenwald, Blumenthal, Richard Silverstein,etc. So in the end it seems that it will be Jews that will fight Jews for Muslims’ right who btw “sit at home wearing bangles” – a Pakistani metaphor for weak people…
I don’t harbor any ill will against anybody because of their faith so yeah I will tell Spencer that he has not learn anything from what his people went through. Spencer(if you are reading this) changing your last name doesn’t do anything for me.
February 23rd, 2011 at 4:05 pm
“I don’t get it. Whats wrong in calling somebody Jewish when they are Jewish?”
Spencer is 100% not Jewish. He is a Melkite Catholic. LoonWatch’s sister site, Spencerwatch, has proved many times that he is a Catholic extremist and his book openly calls for “a new type of Crusade”. Spencer himself has answered this question on his “About” page. Perhaps you are confused about his identity due to his strong support of Israel.
Here’s Spencerwatch’s dissection of Spencer’s debate with his old Catholic teacher at St. Thomas More’s college.
http://spencerwatch.com/2010/11/09/robert-spencer-v-peter-kreeft-the-only-good-muslim-is-a-bad-muslim/
A quick google search reveals Spencer’s old interviews about Catholicism and he has also written a book called “Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics”. It’s quite clear he is Catholic, and there is no need to discuss this any further. Let’s not tarnish this amazing article with conspiracy theories, no offence.
February 23rd, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Yeah AJ i lol’d for a half an hour when i originally saw that video. But wait until i can find the video of the guy who claims to be an expert in Arabic and Qur’an being unable to recite al-Fatiha without making at least 10 mistakes, then we can compare
Allahu A’lam
February 23rd, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Mosizzle,
First of all, everybody on this forum has a right to an opinion and as long they are within this forum’s rules, they are allowed to express. Secondly, if we have such a high belief in what Spencer says why do we refute him all day along and why do we have a special site renouncing his lies…so I guess he lies about everything else besides his faith…if he is Catholic…I am the reincarnation of Princess Diana of Wales? Thirdly, I don’t care what faith he is, you guys brought it up…I mentioned it in the context that of all people, Jewish people should be the last people tarnishing other people’s rights considering what they have gone through themelves and fourthly I have been tracking these stooges for some time now…the last time I checked in 2002 when he was a sidekick to Pipes, cached versions would still have Robert Spencer’s alternate Jewish last name…I am sure some investigative journalism and a search of some court records would prove that for your clarity not mine….BUT what I was originally saying was that, Spencer, being Jewish, should be at the forefront protecting other people’s rights.
No offense.
February 23rd, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Haqq,
Same here. I and hubby lol’d too for half an hour at least.
February 23rd, 2011 at 6:05 pm
AJ, I wasn’t questioning your freedom of expression at all. I was only wondering why you were hinting that Spencer was Jewish when most people, including the writers at Loonwatch, believe he is not. I only said something because I know that when great articles like this come out, loons are desperate to find some comment they can misuse to dismiss not only the whole article, but the whole site. Believe me, I know because it happened to me not too long ago when Spencer took my comment out of context and told his readers it came from Loonwatch itself.
Since it is clear Spencer is so desperate that he has to use these tactics, I am just a bit more sensitive about my own comments and other comments that I see that could be misused. I didn’t mean to attack you personally, and I still believe that I didn’t.
Bare in mind that this is is on Spencer’s blog: “Q: I’ve read that you are actually Jewish.
RS: Again, no. Jihadists commonly label all their opponents as Jews and Zionist.”, Spencer is looking for such comments and will call you a Jihadist.
You are free to believe whatever you want, I have absolutely no interest in defending Spencer, but there is a high probability that tommorow’s Jihadwatch headline will be “Islamic hate site says Spencer is a Jew” and then he will do what he does best and randomly connect your statement to supposedly anti-Semitic verses in the Quran. I just want everyone to be more careful since Spencer is on the prowl for such comments. He is a desperate loon, and we shouldn’t hand him opportunities like this. I suppose we shouldn’t be ‘scared’ of him and his loony ways but it’s up to you what you want to do.
February 23rd, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Fantastic article!
February 23rd, 2011 at 6:21 pm
I thought Pam Geller didnt want people to learn Arabic?
I wonder why? Is it because they might read how much of a ‘non translator’ the people they hold up to be experts on Islam.
I often wondered how someone could claim to be an ‘Islamic scholar’ and not have a command of Arabic.
February 23rd, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Al-Mutarajjam, like Spencer, is nothing but a hack. In fact, virtually all of these anti-Islam, anti-Muslim polemicists are hacks, and that says a lot.
February 23rd, 2011 at 7:45 pm
This article reminds me of Anis Shorrosh, and the beginning of the end of his contribution to the Industry of Misinformation.
Please read…I find it amusing. I am not usually the one to laugh at people’s folly, but when one dissiminates misinformation purposely, and for fame and fortune, I love to see them taken down in public and humiliated.
This is a classic, and how it should be done.
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Thank you Nur Alia, i think that was the video i was referring to, so i have to correct myself.
“Reminds of the time when an Islamophobic Arab who claimed to be an expert on Arabic and the Qur’an was publicly humiliated. He made ten mistakes only a child would make just in reciting al-Fatiha, a 7 verse surah?”
And “the guy who claims to be an expert in Arabic and Qur’an being unable to recite al-Fatiha without making at least 10 mistakes, then we can compare”
Should be amended to:
“Islamopobic Arab who claims to be an expert in Arabic and Qur’an couldn’t recite a few verses from the Qur’an without making 4 mistakes, but claims he can find mistakes in the Qur’an”.
AJ, it seems your video was the funnier of the two, but there are definitely other Ergun Caner videos where he pretends to be speaking
Arabic which are just as funny if not funnier.
Allahu A’lam
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Hey everyone,
I have come to a conclusion. What the Islamphobic army needs is an actual expert. I think our Commander in Chief might have some recommendations!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yghFBt-fXmw
enjoy
or maybe we need one of these experts..
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Absolute silence from the clown known as The Translated. I love it.
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:31 pm
It looks like “The Translated” will be added to the growing list of Islamophobes who have failed to adequately respond to Loonwatch after being exposed. Maybe he can get Kinana of Khaybar to argue that al-mutarajjam equals al-mutarjim in Arabic. Either that or he can whine about the comments section (which he deleted from his blog, BTW).
February 24th, 2011 at 1:31 am
To: Al-Mutarjim,
I do hope that you will read this and try to answer it:
The Arabic word,”Mutarjim” is one of several derivatives of a root-Arabic word. What is the root-Arabic word for the word “Mutarjim”?
Since you are an “expert?” in the Arabic language,you should have no problem telling me your answer,I hope.
February 24th, 2011 at 1:47 am
I do share the point of view of Danios and Cynic with regards to Dawood:
He should be an integral part of the staff of loonwatch.com,since he is well-versed in the Arabic language and his knowledge about religions across the board is quite remarkable. Danios: get him,if you can. he will be a tremendous help to you and Garibaldi and loonwatch.com,at large.
February 24th, 2011 at 2:01 am
LOL, I love this one of Ergun Caner. There’s no way in hell that this guy was a ‘devout Muslim’ for even an hour.
February 24th, 2011 at 2:14 am
Nice to hear from you Danios, thank you for a superb and succint piece , and I totally agree with your’s and Cynic’s and other’s comments on Dawood, I noticed his talent and knowledege a long time ago, and thought he’d make a brilliant writer for this site.
Dawood, thank you for your observation and for this article. Didn’t I always say you’d make a wonderful writer here?
Thanks for proving me right!
Now the next thing to do is to discover the identity of “The Translator”.
If any reader has any tips, please pass them on to Loon Watch.
It crossed my mind, that since Bostom and Spencer are lauding him, it could be Bat Yeor, who fancies herself as an Arabic expert.
Keep checking Bill Warner’s site, he is usually good at digging out snippets of information about extremists and Islamophobes before anyone else.
Again..what a wonderfully informative article this, please everyone make it viral….it’s a truly EPIC piece. Totally knocked out this “Translator” for the colossal fraud he/she is.
Thank you Dawood and Danios.
February 24th, 2011 at 2:21 am
A thought just crossed my mind…LOL
Islamophobes love to talk about the “Islamic Supremacists” and “Leftist” alliance,
Well here is a perfect example of one
We have Danios a Left Wing Liberal, and Dawood whose accurate translation and observation, certainly qualifies him for being an “Islamic Supremacist” according to their standards.
H’mmm, not bad, in fact I like it, if this is what a Leftist/Islamist alliance is capable of, then bring it on full force LOL
February 24th, 2011 at 3:46 am
Thanks for the comments guys, it was just something that I noticed and felt frustrated about after my comments (and everyone else’s!) on his site were deleted so as no further discussion could take place.
Now the next thing to do is to discover the identity of “The Translator”.
If any reader has any tips, please pass them on to Loon Watch.
It crossed my mind, that since Bostom and Spencer are lauding him, it could be Bat Yeor, who fancies herself as an Arabic expert.
The identity doesn’t matter, nor is it really important, IMHO. If the arguments are weak and ill-informed, then it doesn’t matter who is making them. The speculation doesn’t really do anything besides allowing Islamophobes space to write about why Muslims (and Leftists!) want to find out the identities of such people to do heinous things etc. We already know how Spencer took Mosizzle’s comment out of context and made a whole post on it.
February 24th, 2011 at 5:02 am
Well done guys!great work >
Still I would like to know who the jerk is but that is cause I am nosey
February 24th, 2011 at 5:34 am
Knowing his identity is irrelevant. The guy’s credibility is burned. He’s done.
February 24th, 2011 at 7:13 am
Well you have a point Dawood, you’re right, and Danios that’s true,
It certainly is not necessary to know and it feeds the Islamophobes, but like Sir David, it’s my curiousity that is roused:)
I mean who in the world can be so stupid? It certainly doesn’t the readers of his blog any favours, nor Spencer or the other “scholars” for that matter. It also shows how ignorant their readers are.
But ..I shall cap my curiousity..Sir David, let’s remind ourselves, what that little peccadillio did to the cat LOL
February 24th, 2011 at 7:57 am
Oh please let the traslated blogger be ergun caner!
It’s hilarious. Even the Christians are turning in on this guy!
February 24th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Al- Cough cough sneeze cough splutter splutter khhhhhhhhh!
That’s caners Arabic right there!
February 24th, 2011 at 8:07 am
^ LOL @ Anj.
February 24th, 2011 at 8:59 am
It was good that finally Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg removed him from the position of the Dean but he is still a professor there.
Actually I have a good clip on what comes close to emulating how Ergun Caner recites Quranic verses.
February 24th, 2011 at 11:27 am
Truly Danios has returned, bringing amazing article. But congrats to Dawood as well with his efforts.
The conversation between AJ and Mosizzle reminds me of these:
Narrated Anas: Allah’s Apostle said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.” Sahih Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 43, Number 624, cited from IslamicAwakening.com website.
And do not dispute with the followers of the Book except by what is best, except those of them who act unjustly, and say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him do we submit. (Qur’an 29:46)
You might disagree with me on this particular one, but Nietszche (yes, him in the same page as a Hadith and Qur’an, bear with me):
“Those who fight monsters should take care that they never become one. For when you stand and look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.”
May we all in LoonWatch, religious or otherwise, not become like those who are constantly in frenzy in inciting hatred, but are slow to recognize human goodness and good deeds. May we all not use the same vulgar, hateful language and gestures of those whom we oppose.
This is my sincere prayer/hope, so that none of us is filled with arrogance nor pride, for us to continue seeking the truth, and to continue fighting hatred.
Best regards, RDS.
February 24th, 2011 at 11:49 am
There is something very wrong, when every single anti-Islam, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab propaganda artist, charlatan and spin doctor, is a complete hack and/or a total faker. It suggests that there is money involved in this insidious game of theirs, which implies that there are some rich and powerful people running this show.
It cannot be a coincidence, that they’re all pro-Israel, war-mongering extremists, that in all their claims against Muslims and Islam, they’re (ironically enough) the only ones actually calling for genocide, nuking cities, fascism, oppression and persecution.
February 24th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Awesome,
“It cannot be a coincidence, that they’re all pro-Israel, war-mongering extremists”
it is indeed! leave Isreal out of this. It is a homeland for JEWS, not the Armeggedon cult whose support for Israel is soley so that it blows up in a fireball.
Allen West and his numerous ilk are not influenced by money (you mean Zionist billionaires don’t you?) but his F%%% up Armeggedon theology.
All the money in the world cannot brainwash people. In World War Two Hitler’s propoganda was successful because Christian Europe was anti Jewish, always has been. The USA was not Islamophobic until 9/11 gave them the reason, the core Islamophboes were always there. The likes of Chernick and other billionaires would have no influence without these two catalysts, that is why Islamophobia for the reasons of religion only exists in the USA, nowhere else. In Europe it’s down to different reasons. The Zionist extremist propoganda has Zero influence, even though Islamophobia is rife after 9/11 too. There is no Armeggedon cult anywhere else in the world.
America has a core of Islamopbobes that was there long before any money tried to influence them.
These are problems which are 100% American not Israeli. Even when Israel didn’t exist Evangelical Islamophobia existed.
Evangelical Islamophbobia (the most numerical Islamopbhobes in the USA are Evangelical right wing) does not need any money to fan it, they’re from the poorest, most badly educated class. Today they are mainly the backbone of the Republican party. The Democrats are Zionists too, but not Islamophobic.
——————
Evangelical Islamophobia as American as Apple Pie
http://www.religiondispatches.org/books/politics/3766/evangelical_islamophobia_as_american_as_apple_pie
The 2010 Elections and the deep history of American antipathy towards Islam
In his timely and perceptive book, American Christians and Islam, Kidd insists that there is something unique about American antipathy to Islam that differs substantially from earlier American Protestant campaigns against Catholics, Jews and other religious minorities. Arguing that “the recent American Christian hostility towards Islam derives from a long historical tradition,” Kidd points out that even before the American Revolution Anglo-Americans were predisposed to hostility towards Muslims.
Two elements were chiefly responsible for the hostility: the widespread notion that all Muslims had to be brought to Christianity and the rampant speculations about the End Time that saw Islam as the Antichrist. Humphrey Prideaux’s 1697 book The True Nature of Imposture Fully Displayed in the Life Of Mahomet was printed and preached about many times in the American colonies. As Kidd sees it, an imagined Islam became the foil which American Christian legitimacy and ‘authenticity’ challenged.
In the mid-nineteenth century the American Protestant call to ‘Evangelize the World’—a call linked to emerging American Imperial power aspirations—met its greatest challenge in the Muslim world.
———————-
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America (Hardcover)
by Chris Hedges (Author)
amazon.ca/American-Fascists-Christian-Right-America/dp/0743284437
——————–
by F. William Engdahl
September 13, 2008
globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10167
The mass-appeal of the Christian right in the so-called red states, and its success in rallying resistance to certain social agendas, is sometimes alleged as an attempt to impose a theocracy on an otherwise secular society.
As I discuss in some detail in my soon-to-be-released book, Full Spectrum Dominance: Totalitarian Democracy in the New World Order, one of the most significant transformations of American domestic politics over the past three decades since the early 1970’s, when George H.W. Bush was head of the CIA, has been the deliberate manipulation of significant segments of the population, most of them undoubtedly sincere believing people, around the ideology of ‘born-again’ evangelical Christian Fundamentalism to create something known as the Christian Right. Within the broad spectrum of fundamentalist denominations there are some currents which are particularly alarming. Sarah Palin comes out of such a milieu.
The phenomenon of the rapid spread within the United States since the 1980’s of evangelical Pentecostalism is a political phenomenon which has become so influential that the two elections of George W. Bush as well as countless races for Senate or Congress often depend on the backing or lack of it from the organized Religious Right.
The spawning of some Christian Right sects also creates an ideology to drive the shock troops willing to literally ‘die for Christ’ in places such as Iraq or Afghanistan, Iran or elsewhere that the Pentagon needs their services.
February 24th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
RDS you painted with a VERY broad brush but I am not trying to oppress anybody. To expect people of a certain faith to learn from their tragedy and to NOT usurp the rights of others is not oppression IMHO. I don’t want to even oppress the fake Catholic Spencer. The irony of it is that we were able to catch the evolution of “the translated” into “the translator” but Spencer’s evolution hasn’t been caught yet but it will be and then he will be exposed, AGAIN, as the fraud that he is.
February 24th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
“It cannot be a coincidence, that they’re all pro-Israel, war-mongering extremists, that in all their claims against Muslims and Islam, they’re (ironically enough) the only ones actually calling for genocide, nuking cities, fascism, oppression and persecution.”
Well, there are the pro-Israel Zionist Islamophobes like Spencer, Wilders, Geller, Pipes, etc and then there are the tea party KKK inspired ones like the ones in TN but I do think that the Zionist ones are more dangerous since they pull the strings of everyone.
February 24th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
it is indeed! leave Isreal out of this. It is a homeland for JEWS, not the Armeggedon cult whose support for Israel is soley so that it blows up in a fireball.
Israel is a racist, apartheid, rogue, welfare-state of zealous non-Semitic bigots, who build racial colonies on top of stolen land, and practice ethnic cleansing, as well as almost every vice under the sun you can think of, and who’s existence is predicated on perpetual conflict. They are the biggest enemies to peace in the region, and today, they are one of the biggest promoters of Islamophobia and hostility towards Muslims and Arabs.
February 24th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Well, there are the pro-Israel Zionist Islamophobes like Spencer, Wilders, Geller, Pipes, etc and then there are the tea party KKK inspired ones like the ones in TN but I do think that the Zionist ones are more dangerous since they pull the strings of everyone.
The Zionist ones also get the most attention and publicity in the mainstream media (a.k.a. the Pentagon’s pro-war PR machine), which also implies that they function as snake-oil salesmen for them.
February 24th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
How to tell between a Zionist Islamophobe and a KKK Islamophobe?
The Zionist Islamophobe wants to kill Muslims.
The KKK Islamophobe wants to kill both the Jews and the Muslims.
February 24th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Wonderful! Loonwatch totally owned this loser
February 24th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Awesome
“Israel is a racist, apartheid, rogue, welfare-state of zealous non-Semitic bigots, who build racial colonies on top of stolen land, and practice ethnic cleansing, as well as almost every vice under the sun you can think of, and who’s existence is predicated on perpetual conflict.”
That sounds like the USA too, but wasn’t the point. You are trying to obfuscate and change the subject.
” They are the biggest enemies to peace in the region, and today, they are one of the biggest promoters of Islamophobia and hostility towards Muslims and Arabs.”
Who is “they”? The Israeli’s? Well now isn’t that a fantastic lie
Bring me proof of how Israel promotes Islamophobia. If you cannot then shut up, because I can bring you reams of proof of how America promotes Islamophobia starting with the links I posted above which have nothing to do with Israel.
More often than not i’ve found the Israeli media exposing the lies about American Islamophobes and even Stephen Walt, of “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy” remarked on the freedom of press in Israel compared to the USA which censors speech. I might remind you that Al Jazeera had a bureux in Israel when it was banned in the USA.
I repeat my earlier assertion, that Islamophobia, and Zionist extremists are rife in the USA not in Israel.
Either prove to the contrary (which I know you cannot) or shut up and do not try to sanitise the role of AMERICANS in promoting Islamophobia.
February 24th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
How in the world does Awesome’s commnt proof that America promotes Islamophobia? He probably isn’t even American in the first place.
February 24th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Comment prove*
February 24th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Apart from the error in his name, what’s the general quality of his translations like?
It’d be an interesting experiment to take a text he’s translated and send it to a couple of commercial translation services and academics and then compare the results.
February 24th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Ian Gould, the translator did a poor job with a fatwa he found on the Internet. Dawood translated it and added some commentary that completely disproved his assertions.
http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/01/spencer-distorts-egyptian-society-spreads-interfaith-bigotry/#comment-51871
The translator’s job was so poor that it really does make it seem like he used Google translate and then just tidied it up a bit.
February 24th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Oh, man, just read this tidbit from his blog:
“From a very young age I believed that this country and its constitution were founded by the hand of God, and that it was His destiny for His children that we should be free to worship Him according to the dictates of our consciences.”
He’s a Palinite! God created America! “Free to worship Him according to the dictates of our conscience”… except when you’re a Muslim of course, since Islam is an evil religion hell-bent on destroying America. He says he got his seminal ideas about islam from islamophobe literature.
“This leads me to Arabic. In the spring of 2007, as I was finishing up my undergraduate degree, I decided to begin studying Arabic. For financial and other reasons I did not have the opportunity to go to school to do so, so I studied on my own. I studied every day, and (mostly) followed a strict regimen of 2 hours of study per day, comprised of both Arabic reading and listening. After more than two years and countless hours of study, I was able to take and pass a professional-level Arabic exam, which measured my Arabic ability at ILR Level 3 “professional working proficiency” (which was also the highest possible score on the test). At that time, I also began working full-time as an Arabic translator. Miraculously, I was able to do all of this without ever having set foot in a formal Arabic-language classroom (I have since spent hundreds of hours in Arabic classes).”
About his screw-up even a child wouldn’t make:
“But, when you learn a language unconventionally, you make unconventional mistakes. Yes, I did mistransliterate (not mistranslate) the word ‘translator’ when I chose to use that as my alias. The reason is simple: having learned Arabic unconventionally, I learned to read and understand Arabic words, sometimes without knowing how to pronounce them. This can happen when dealing with a language that has no written vowels. Thus my name became ‘al-Mutarajjam,’ when it should have been ‘al-Mutarjim.’”
No written vowels? I beg your pardon? I’m no expert in Arabic, but even I know this is simply not true. Besides, didn’t he just say he did in fact, since those days, spend “hundreds of hours” in Arabic classes. So how could he make such a beginners mistake?
“Al Mutarjim currently works full-time as an Arabic translator. He possesses a Master’s Degree in Intelligence Studies with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He began studying Arabic in 2007, and has worked as a professional Arabic translator since summer 2009.”
Now, he just reported that he taught himself Arabic in two years time, without any professional tutoring. At the same time, he tells us he has a Master’s degree in Intelligence Studies with a major in Middle Eastern Studies. But… but wait! So one can have Master’s Degree in ‘Intelligence Studies’ with a major focusing on the Middle East without learning Arabic in an academic environment? But how are you supposed to know what all the Arabic terrorists are saying?
If this man is a professional Arabic translator, American Law Enforcement is screwed. But you know what? I think he’s lying. I think he’s trying to boost his credentials by stating he has degrees in Political Science and Intelligence Studies, majoring in Middle Eastern studies, just to boost his credibility.
February 24th, 2011 at 10:38 pm
Must me one of MEMRI’s “translators.” Yeah that would be the same MEMRI run by Yigal Carmon of the IDF.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/aug/12/worlddispatch.brianwhitaker
@Awesome,
A most excellent description of what “israel” is. In doing so you’ve upset the local troll BMD(and his dozens of other identities)who is a hasbaRat troll who’ll defend Zionist terrorism to no end(including whole heartedly supporting the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians). Islamophobia is “israel” most cherished weapon of mass destruction, anybody who at this stage even questions the commanding role they and their agents in the West in promoting hatred of Muslims is either an utter ignoramus or liar on the spin cycle.
It’s high time this lying scab is sent the way of geehad bobby and kosher pork. To the spam folder.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:31 am
That sounds like the USA too, but wasn’t the point. You are trying to obfuscate and change the subject.
It would almost sound like the USA, except the USA, currently, doesn’t have officially instituted policies of apartheid and the construction of colonies for a certain race of people, nor does it frequently commit massacres of its residents, starve them, and keep them in a virtual prison. Israel does though, but that’s getting off track.
Who is “they”? The Israeli’s? Well now isn’t that a fantastic lie
Bring me proof of how Israel promotes Islamophobia. If you cannot then shut up, because I can bring you reams of proof of how America promotes Islamophobia starting with the links I posted above which have nothing to do with Israel.
More often than not i’ve found the Israeli media exposing the lies about American Islamophobes and even Stephen Walt, of “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy” remarked on the freedom of press in Israel compared to the USA which censors speech. I might remind you that Al Jazeera had a bureux in Israel when it was banned in the USA.
I repeat my earlier assertion, that Islamophobia, and Zionist extremists are rife in the USA not in Israel.
Either prove to the contrary (which I know you cannot) or shut up and do not try to sanitise the role of AMERICANS in promoting Islamophobia.
It is wrong to categorize any people into a monolithic group. I’m quite aware that there are Israelis who speak out against Islamophobia, just like there are orthodox Jews who speak out against Israel. However, that isn’t the case with its government, nor its policies.
AIPAC, Israel’s lobbying group in the US, regularly provides a platform for right-wing extremists to foment their anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Arab racism, as well as their call to unbridled militarism. Plus, AIPAC regularly features speakers like Daniel Pipes, who is a leader in efforts to demonize Arab and Muslim-Americans. AIPAC has also formed a relationship with Rev. Hagee’s hateful fundamentalist group, and it’s very likely that AIPAC was behind the “Obsession” DVD, via Aish Hatorah and the Clarion Fund.
Not satisfied with their anti-Muslim campaigning the in states, they even work closely with Hindu religious parties in the government to lobby effectively on the Hindu nationalist agenda, against Indian Muslims and Pakistan.
In fact, you could almost say that AIPAC is behind the whole anti-Muslim campaign, given how much lobbying influence they have throughout the government (and hence the media), with their loyal dual citizens right there to promote it.
You can say what you want about the American Zionists doing this and that, but the fact still remains, that AIPAC still creates, encourages and promotes that bigotry.
How in the world does Awesome’s comment prove that America promotes Islamophobia? He probably isn’t even American in the first place.
I am American actually.
February 25th, 2011 at 2:24 am
Haha my bad then. My point still stands though.
February 25th, 2011 at 8:47 am
Hahaha. You made him change his website. Very nice.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:16 am
Presumably, the excellent, well-balanced analyses, together with the accurate and fluent translations of jihadi and militant Islamist materials found on the long-established Jihadica website are not to the liking of frothing Islamophobes and assorted neo-conservative types.
I wonder why (/sarcasm)?
http://www.jihadica.com/
February 25th, 2011 at 10:14 am
That’s an interesting link Abu Faris, and an awesome kunya you have there!
February 25th, 2011 at 10:16 am
Abu Faris, very interesting link. We need good academic studies of Muslim extremism. Is this website academic and not Islamophobic?
February 25th, 2011 at 10:39 am
So Translating Jihad strikes back? Lol. What a lame response and as usual he throws in something about the Prophet’s marriage as if that makes up for his epic fail.
http://translating-jihad.blogspot.com/2011/02/who-i-am-and-why-i-am-here.html
He is still unable to respond to his misuse of the “fatwa” about not driving Christians to Church and insists that he mistransliterated not mistranslated the word.
By the way, good analysis, Jack.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:13 am
That article has got to go down as one of the lamest comebacks ever. Having said that, I would have preferred if Danios simply reproduced Dawood’s original article as it left no room for him to cherrypick. Not saying your version isn’t good Danios, you just weren’t as thorough when it came to examining the fatwa in question. This gave him room to issue a hollow challenge for anyone to find mistakes in his translations.
The guy’s information on Islam came from freaking Bob Spencer for God’s sake. You’re a fraud just like him buddy. Deal with it.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:25 am
He’s on a divine mission! I respect all religious people but does he really think that what he is doing is appropriate in the light of the Bible, or in accordance with Jesus’ teachings? To deceive people by publishing poor translations of some random fatwa and telling everyone that is the belief of 1.5 billion humans with the ultimate aim of humiliating them into your faith?
“I know that the Lord has given me a gift to be able to learn Arabic. I do not understand all the purposes of the Lord, but I do believe that He has a purpose for me in this work. So I will press on, and continue to work tirelessly to help the non-Arabic-speaking audience understand what Islam really teaches.”
February 25th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
AJ, it has come to my attention that in some articles, the comments have had name-calling and some mild insult. I’m just reminding people that we are not them, that’s all.
But yes, I may be overreacting.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
You guys are legends; this Loon has been tossed into where he belongs – The Bin
February 25th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Justin
Jihadica comes with the approval (or, at least, blogrolling) of the magnificent contributors to the The Arabist website – if that is not commendation enough.
Incidentally, I highly commend the The Arabist site – run by the intrepid and brave Egypt-based, Moroccan-born freelancer, Issandr el-Amrani – for high quality news and views on the revolutionary wave spreading across the Arab world.
http://www.arabist.net/
Dawood
Thanks! My son likes being called Faris (hopefully). The Gravitar is the cuneiform grapheme, DINGIR – more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DINGIR
Well done for an excellent website.
Greetings from revolutionary Cairo.
February 25th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
LOL—that’s some pretty weak sauce from “The Translated.” If Loonwatch does respond to his pathetic “rebuttal,” don’t forget to mention that he unequivocally claims that there are no vowels in the Arabic language. My Arabic is, like most Muslims, limited to reading the Qur’an but even I know that the language has vowels. The other things he mentions in his response are also quite revealing, such as the fact that he learned about Islam from Robert Spencer and a Serbian nationalist. Perhaps he should check out Danios’ epic rebuttals of Spencer’s Pathetically Incorrect Guide to Islam as well as Spencer’s pathetic responses.
http://www.loonwatch.com/2009/11/the-churchs-doctrine-of-perpetual-servitude-was-worse-than-dhimmitude/
I agree with Jack, “The Translated” is probably lying again in order to boost his damaged credentials. Telling from what he’s already done, he obviously feels no compunction in doing such. As for him justifying his bigotry and misdeeds by invoking Christ and God—give me a fucking break. Sorry “The Translated,” but you’re little different than Muslim terrorists who selectively quote the Qur’an in order to justify their actions.
February 25th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Oh, and I forgot to mention that “The Translated” takes himself way too seriously. For example, he sounds like he’s about to claim he’s the Messiah when he says, “I say this not to boast of my own abilities, but rather to testify to the hand of God in my life.”
February 25th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
The Translated: I know that the Lord has given me a gift to be able to learn Arabic.
I don’t get it. What is more important to Translated, his faith or Islam? If his faith, shouldn’t he be studying Hebrew and Greek to better understand his own scriptures? Or is he one of those insecure Christians who believes that the only way his religion can be true is if all other religions are false?
February 25th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
NassirH
To be fair to the loony in question, he actually commented that Arabic had no written vowels, not – as you have it – that Arabic lacks vowels altogether.
Of course, you are right, however. Long vowels are regularly indicated in Arabic as a written language – and the option is always there to indicate short vowels via the system of diacritic marks (vowel pointing, Arabic: al-harakat). Obviously, spoken Arabic (dialect or MSA) has a range of both long and short vowel phonemes.
The Traducer (as I am fond of calling him) has in mind the fact that MSA written Arabic characteristically fails to scribe (with appropriate vowel pointing) short vowels – unless the context will not be enough to reveal to the reader the wanted vowel phonemes in the script. Again, this suggests a very poor competency in the very basics of the Arabic literacy.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Abu Faris:
Oops, my mistake. Thanks for the info.
BTW, I think “jihadica” should be on Loonwatch’s blog roll since it documents terrorism done by so-called Muslims but doesn’t have an extreme, anti-Muslim bent. We used to have a loony who would complain that no websites other than JihadWatch et al. were documenting terrorism done in the Muslim world.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
أستمتع بقراءة تعليقاتك يا أبا فارس
February 25th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Dawood, [snipped]
I’d like to see this guy smashed by pointing out some serious flaws in his translations. That would really make my day.
(Abu Faris) “Again, this suggests a very poor competency in the very basics of the Arabic literacy.”
That’s pretty obvious by now. So how does he make his translations. I tried to run some of them through Google translate, and that turned up some real gobbledygook. So, some way or another, he manages to arrive at pretty fluent translations, even though ‘Al Mutarjim’ isn’t all that familiar with the basics of Arabic.
There is a piece of the puzzle missing here. I can’t imagine he’s paying others to do his translations for him (if he was, he’d be better off saying he gathered a team of professional translators to translate texts from Arabic) so how does he pull it off? And do his translations contain major errors?
February 25th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
The best is yet to come.
February 25th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Wtf, I just got censored for quoting Pulp Fiction! That’s like censoring somebody for quoting an ‘inappropriate’ line from Shakespeare! And I thought Republicans were bad!
February 25th, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Dawood,
Thank you very much. I have enjoyed reading your posts too.
Jack,
For what it is worth (and for those with the time and energy): I suspect that you will find that many (if not most) of the texts presented by The Translator are probably available elsewhere, tucked away on the appropriate pages of MEMRI and the like – suggesting that the loon was rewriting others’ translations.
I am not surprised to learn that Google Translate produce gibberish as translations from Arabic. One of Arabic’s difficulties for the learner is its marvelously idiosyncratic (from the POV of English) grammar – which often defeats humans, let alone machines.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Abu Faris: Not to mention that it doesn’t deal with pronouns and changes in tense all that well either, nor verb patterns using shadda, for example.
February 26th, 2011 at 8:39 am
My favourite being the sign that I saw in China. It, in Mandarin, asserts that tourists should be careful (Tourists, beware!). However, the sign’s English translation has BEWARE! TOURISTS!.
I could not agree more.
March 8th, 2011 at 12:02 am
I have laughed the hell the first time I saw that site, I originally noticed the error but I couldn’t get in touch with loonwatch, good that now many people will laugh with me!
No written vowels? My Ass…