People often joke that I spend more time with books than I do with people. My curiosity knows no bounds, and my strict upbringing meant that my only channel to feed my insatiable interests was through reading. I developed a passion for the ways of natural science, and I became fascinated by how writers, poets, and playwrights can simply and eloquently capture whole cultures, sentiments, and experiences by means of the written word. Then somewhere in another continent, someone will come across it—and it will shift their worldview forever. My heart sank when I realized experiencing the transformational power of literature is not accessible to everyone because of language barriers, censorship, and authoritarianism. I knew then that I wanted to raze the barriers between people and books to the ground by learning how to translate.
Nearly all Arabic regimes have banned the publication of books deemed controversial or sacrilegious and have deliberately funded the publication of pseudoscientific garbage and anti-West conspiracy theory literature in an attempt to mask their own failures. If you are deemed a controversial writer and are lucky enough to be spared government harassment—you might find yourself becoming a victim to random acts of violence by extremists and fundamentalists who likely have never read your work. They are simply acting on orders from cult readers too fragile to see their deep-held beliefs openly challenged.
The chasm between the modern Arabic world and the modern world is often due to perceived notions of Arabic superiority. Arabs, who once were hard at work translating every remaining manuscript they could get their hands on from different cultures, have grown lazy—they are stubbornly attached to feelings of arrogance and nostalgic longing for golden days that are long gone. Some Arabic translators would even, in an outrageous breach of integrity, redact key parts of source materials because it goes against their own perceptions of "Arabic moral and cultural values, and Islamic doctrines".
If we allow the chasm between the Middle East and the West to grow, counterproductive ideas from old ages will endure and fester. The region will move backward instead of forward. It wasn't uncommon where I grew up to find fellow students in college, who studied science and engineering, seriously expressing fear of "the evil eye" that can and will bring them unexpected misfortunes, aided by a "Jinn" and evil spirits, no less. It is also common to see college-educated people pleading with sheiks and priests for help, because some relative is afflicted with a serious case of "black magic spells," and they need them to recite some hymns or verses to "cure" them. A payment is expected in most cases, of course. When challenged, such seemingly educated people might meet criticism of such notions with staunch resistance—ignoring all of what they have learned about logic, reason, and the scientific method.
My early attempts at translation were wonky at best, and soon enough, I realized my initial naĂ¯ve approach to this problem would only go so far. Through reading and learning from some experienced translators and through arduous training and refinement, I realized that a good translator needs to absorb the source material, and then re-formulate it as though they were relaying the same thoughts expressed in the target language, which has been shaped and sculpted by very different circumstances, cultures, and concepts. Simply translating the words themselves does not suffice. It’s about communicating the ideas.Â
Thanks to dear friends, some fortunate events, and great acquaintances made along the way, I was nudged into volunteering for an online pop-science blog, where I got a chance to test my translation skills and refine them further. Soon enough, I found what I was looking for when my writings, which were initially focused on physics and science in general, got the necessary critique. This feedback loop was the key to making a better translator and writer.
It wasn't long before a dear colleague introduced me to the House of Wisdom 2.0 project, and I was immediately hooked. I joined the team of translators at Ideas Beyond Borders because I want to be part of the antidote to ignorance and fear.
I was witnessing a genuine attempt at a quasi-Arabic Renaissance in the making. The project was already more than a year old before I joined. By then, the team had developed its own best practices in translation, wherein each member refined their style through feedback from the rest of the team. All of the notes were combined into a living guideline document—which is used to guide newcomers like me. Compared to other translation teams I have encountered, this genuine and powerful endeavor blew every competitor completely out of the water—if there were any to begin with. IBB’s team is powerful, and we are only gaining momentum.Â
For a few years, I translated Wikipedia articles across different areas of human knowledge, including some subjects that I was initially unfamiliar with and admittedly even repelled by, such as "women's studies." The great thing about translation is that you never skim the material or take it at face value—you give yourself time to digest every concept you read about before you can transform it into another language. This process has helped me fight my prejudices and understand the role that cultural and historical context can play in shaping the way people from different nations perceive reality. I never anticipated having my own mind changed when I started this work, but then again, you never know where genuine curiosity might take you.Â
We have drastically improved the quality and depth of Arabic articles on Wikipedia, touching on taboo subjects for even self-professed liberal cultures. Arabic Wikipedia surpassed the Persian Wikipedia in terms of the number and quality of articles. I was eager to show off my role in this project to friends and family, jumping at every chance to discuss the new worldviews I had just unlocked and waiting for a reaction. I am blessed with open-minded friends who never disappoint my curiosity and have given me more insights to reflect upon. Family and more conservative friends, on the other hand, being wary of my liberal disposition, approached such subjects very carefully—but I never let it deter me from challenging their everyday perceptions. We are all learning and growing together, each at our own pace.Â
Our team has proudly provided high-quality translations of more than 20 books on Science, Evolution, Political Theory, Religious Reform, Evolutionary Psychology, Economics, and more. The books have garnered quite an audience and attention—printed copies were sold all over the Arab world, audiobooks were produced, and thousands of eager Arab readers have accessed the books and shared their thoughts about them. No subject is ever too controversial to be published, and printing our names on some of these books has even caused some trouble for some of my colleagues. While I enjoy living in a relatively stable and safe Egypt, I cannot help but think of how dangerous the situation is in many other Arab countries ravaged by war and extremism. I like to think that our efforts are a single shining light—keeping darkness at bay.
I see glowing sparks of hope. The younger Arab generations are more skeptical and critical of established doctrines; the influence of clergymen and demagogues is waning. Despite the many difficulties my colleagues have faced, team morale is higher than ever, and we are not backing down—making more and more books accessible where they were once nowhere to be found.Â
This article was written by Hazem Mousa.
Bravo Hazem. The opportunity to think, contemplate ideas and discuss them is how societies evolve, develop and thrive. You fully understand the importance of this. What you are doing can make a crucial difference. Good for you and more power to you!