Morsi on the cover of Time magazine
Is it the feeling of inferiority or a deep urge to show off that makes Arab politicians use English language when interviewed by foreign media? Rarely do we see a German or French politician doing so. As to US or UK officials giving interviews in Arabic – forget about it. What to say then about a PM or president…
Nobody knows why president Morsi chose to use English to answer the questions of Time magazine. But Morsi messed things up mixing apes and judges in his incomprehensible speech:
I remember a movie. Which one? Planet of the Apes. The old version, not the new one. There is new one. Which is different. Not so good. It’s not expressing the reality as it was the first one. But at the end, I still remember, this is the conclusion: When the big monkey, he was head of the supreme court, I think — in the movie! — and there was a big scientist working for him, cleaning things, has been chained there. And it was the planet of the apes after the destructive act of a big war, and atomic bombs and whatever in the movie. And the scientist was asking him to do something, this was 30 years ago: “Don’t forget you are a monkey.” He tells him, “Don’t ask me about this dirty work.” What did the big ape, the monkey say? He said, “You’re human, you did it [to] yourself.” That’s the conclusion. Can we do something better for ourselves?
Psychologists would start writing Morsi’s file knowing that the big monkey in the movie has nothing to do with judges and supreme courts. It is only Morsi himself, who has to deal with judges and courts refusing his new constitutional decree. May be Morsi wanted to express a deep philosophical thought about humans being responsible for destroying their own civilization and the hope that “we do something better for ourselves”; but it turned into a mess with his bad English. Anyway, we are not to discuss Morsi’s philosophy, amnesia and subconscious mind, but this trend of using English by Arab politicians.
Mr. Morsi is an official representing one of the most populated Arabic speaking countries. Each word uttered by a politician of such a level should be well weighed and there should be no place for fragments and semi-fragments in a president’s speech. Isn’t it safer to use Arabic? It wouldn’t be a demerit at all. Arabic is one of the six official languages of UN. It is the mother tongue of about 300 million people and the 5th most spoken language around the world. Regardless of its international status, it is more respectable for a president to speak the national language of his country. Sure, the Time magazine will find a proper translator.
according to wiki, arabic is 5th not 4th. why do arabs aleays exaggerate and boast?
Thanks Skeptic for pointing it out. No boasting no exaggeration. Anyway, the rank of arabic language is not important here. The point is that the president should have used his mother tongue be it Arabic, be it Telegu, be it Zulu…
لماذا لا تتكلم أنت باللغة العربية؟؟؟؟؟
I’m addressing the english speaking public. I am not an official with a team of translators at my service. Would you volunteer to translate?
this is a good post Qaph!
I think that some politicians (not only!) think that they can deliver their thoughts and vision to the world faster and directly when they choose to speak english, because no doubt it’s the most commonly used language.
But this is not correct! because no person can express his thoughts and himself in a forgein language, no matter how good he is in it, better than in his own mother language. Specially in our days where (live)translation is a pretty easy process! at least easier then trying to understand afterwards, what he meant as he used english!
Thank you Defaultino,
Of course the easiest language to express oneself is ones mother tongue. When proper translation is available it is much easier and more expressive to use ones mother tongue. In absence of ready translation (which is not the case of Morsi and which is the case of many bloggers) one would try his best to reach to the addressed audience using the audience’s language.
Your “at least easier then trying to understand afterwards, what he meant as he used english!” is my favorite comment