Silencing the Syrian Ambassador to the UN

This item floated in on RantWoman's email stream. It refers to the Syrian Ambassador to the UN. RantWoman has read accounts of other times that someone from an Arabic-speaking country has had their message distorted by inadequate interpretation. RantWoman is filing this as data and documentation that the problem occurs. RantWoman hopes Friends will remember this is a possibility when considering how to interpret media moments.

This has been a phenomenon related exclusively to me. Let me elaborate. Every time I speak, for instance, at the Security Council, they choose a bad interpreter who is unable to fully interpret what I am saying. So the people do not get my message. They do it on purpose. One day, I was invited to address the Security Council. I saw one of the Security Council staff members addressing the interpreters. He gave them a hand signal: change. I saw it with my own eyes. So they changed the good interpreter with a poor one, thus ensuring that my political message does not transpire fully.

Source: An Interview with Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar al-Ja’afari