The Ministry of Culture celebrates International Translation Day, which falls on September 30 of each year. Tomorrow, the Ministry is organizing a specialized event titled (Translating the Holy Qur’an: Challenges of Interpretation and Language Sensitivity).
The symposium will be held at the headquarters of the Qatari Media Centre, and comes in cooperation between the center and the Qatari Forum for Authors, affiliated with the Ministry.
Participating in the symposium are Professor Samar Shishakli/ a translation expert at the Ministry of Culture, and Dr. Ziad Al-Mawjah/ assistant professor and researcher at the Community College in the Department of Languages and Literature, and Professor Majd Makki/ a Sharia expert at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, and Dr. Mahmoud Al-Harthani/ lecturer at Hamad Bin Khalifa University – Department of Translation and Cultural Studies.
The symposium is based on the fact that the Holy Qur’an is a very special linguistic system in its methods, vocabulary, compositions, and musical impact, which is a characteristic that involves extreme sensitivity, making linguistic controls deny the possibility of translating the words and vocabulary of the Holy Qur’an.
It is noteworthy that there are many translations of the meanings of the Holy Qur’an by orientalists that contain serious errors, as well as incorrect aspects and information, and in many cases, they are characterized by danger, as they are mostly literal translations, which in turn contradicts the fact that the word “Ay, the Wise Mention,” carries more than one meaning.
The Ministry of Culture has become accustomed to participating with the world in celebrating such cultural days, such as International Theater Day, International Poetry Day, and other global occasions, through which it enriches the cultural scene and brings in such creative fields, within a framework of cultural openness. In addition to shedding light on it and stimulating discussion thereof.
International Translation Day is intended to provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals, who play an important role in bringing countries together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to development and promoting global peace and security. The transfer of literary or scientific work, including artistic work, from one language to another, and professional translation, including appropriate translation, interpretation and terminology, are indispensable for maintaining clarity, a positive atmosphere and productivity in international public discourse and interpersonal communication.
International Translation Day was established on May 24, 2017, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 71/288 on the role of language professionals in connecting nations and promoting peace, understanding and development, and declared September 30 as International Translation Day.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Culture is organizing the day after tomorrow, a symposium entitled (Arabic Language and Terminological Issues), in the Ministry of Culture building, in the House of Wisdom Hall.
Such events come within the framework of enhancing cultural mobility, and based on enriching knowledge in society, and raising various contemporary cultural issues, and addressing them through discussion and dialogue, which in turn enriches the current cultural scene, in addition to enhancing the state of awareness among members of society.