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Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

No burka on free speech…

… but the Dissident Frogman is still waiting for someone to give him the suitable translations for his banners in Arabic. Any takers?

26 comments to No burka on free speech…

  • Try Arabic-speaking Jews, the same ones who were snubbed by the FBI even after 9/11

  • Well if you know any, please point them at Dissident Frogman’s site.

  • Samsung

    Well, if you are living in London, you could always go down to Edgware Road and ask anyone of a Middle Eastern appearance if they would be so kind as to translate the text for you. But I would strongly advise that you wear a stab-proof vest and be prepared to run FAST…. very FAST. Live dangerously, if it is life you truly seek. That’s what the philosopher Nietzsche said.

    Edgeware Road.. that’s where you wonna be.

    PS. You may need a stiff drink afterwards.

  • Verity

    Samsung – what a vapid, pointless comment.

    The Dissident Frogman was brave enough to design these posters (and a Mohammad cartoon) and run them on his site. Perry & Co have run them here. I do not think they were unaware of the risks.

    Silly little in-jokes about the composition of the population on Edgware Road contribute what, exactly?

  • Maybe one day I should publish a ‘best of’ article with all the threats and hate mail Samizdata gets (90% of which arrived in the last few weeks after I published the ‘Satanic Cartoons’) 🙂

  • Pete_London

    Perry

    Bring it on!

  • Denise

    Yes, Perry, do it! I’d LOVE to see it!

  • Nick M

    Love to see it. Especially the hilariously bad English and all the cussing.

    Try Proz.com for a translation. It is the largest online translation community.

  • permanent expat

    Maybe a tad offtrack but do go to The Philadelphia Enquirer & read the review of Bruce Bawer’s “While Europe Slept.”

  • Ross Maartin

    Sounds like a fun read, Perry.

    Seen on EBay:
    Cashing in on the Satanic Cartoons with um art?….

    **Warning: May be offensive to the overly sensitive

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7391689482&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

  • mike

    PdH: Sure! – Is there any fun to be had from the remaining 10% of non-cartoon-related hate mail? I’ve seen plenty of Mohammed related nonsense to last me the next six months.

  • I deleted most of them but I just went back and recovered a few which were less that 30 days old… when I have a moment I will try to cobble together a ‘best of’ posting (I think there is one clear winner which more or less says “Islam is the religion of peace and we will kill you if you disrespect it”).

  • mike

    “Islam is the religion of peace and we will kill you if you disrespect it”

    PdH: and didn’t you say your t-shirt printers (who supplied the samizdata t-shirts) refused to publish t-shirts with the mo cartoons? Well maybe they’ll print slogans like that!

  • Julian Taylor

    Might be worth checking out some Arabic DTP bureaus who I’m sure could provide an EPS of the required text in a suitable Arabic font. A quick Google produces this [link] result at pretty cheap rates.

  • You could always get in touch with the guys from Silent Running; Murray specifically who has his line of t-shirts that have been translated,

  • Verity

    So. Yahoo has unbanned allah as an email address. Good news for Allah! Now he can get emails!

    Dissident – we have a linguist who used to post here a lot. Mark. I don’t remember his whole email address, but I think it was Mark@otherlanguages … don’t remember the rest, but another commentator, or Perry, might. He’s fluent in six or seven European languages, but he mixes in the language community, so to speak, and I’ll bet he would know of someone with excellent Arabic who would be only too pleased …

  • Verity

    It may be otherlanguages.org

  • Verity

    The Jylland-Posten has just won an award.
    The Victor Prize, named for the late editor-in-chief of Ekstra Bladet Victor Andreasen, was handed to Jyllands-Posten’s editor Carsten Juste.

    “This prize is awarded to Jyllands-Posten for its adamant defence for months of freedom of expression, which is under threat,” Engell told AFP. “Jyllands-Posten only did its duty: exercise its right to freedom of expression,” he added.

    Juste, guarded by two secret service bodyguards, noted “how fragile freedom of expression is” as he accepted the award, his newspaper reported.

    (Link) Damn! – those Danes are righteous dudes!

    Hat tip: LGF

  • Denise

    It’s good to know that just like the newspaper, the Danish Prime Minister also refuses to apologize for the publication of the cartoons. It’s nice to know that there are still leaders out there who refuse to give up free speech for PC crap. Kudos to him.

  • Dale Amon

    The Danes drove their Nazi occupiers to distraction, so what hope has a bunch of Islamofacist twits?

  • Verity

    Denise says, of Mr Rasmussen: It’s nice to know that there are still leaders out there who refuse to give up free speech for PC crap.

    No, Denise. There are no “leaders like him”. There is but one. His name is Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

    In a world of over 300 countries, there is one head of government who will not bend in his commitment to freedom of expression. One man.

  • Alain

    try getting in touch with the people at apostates of islam they can probably help

  • Verity

    Manjit Irshad up in Toronto might do it. God knows, she believes in free speech – non-stop.

  • I’ve privately contacted a friend who might be able to help with the Arabic version, and let DF know.

    As for myself, well, after much obsessive translation and rewriting, I’ve submitted the Japanese version of the banner slogans to DF.

  • Thanks for the vote of confidence, Verity! Just come across this looking for something else.

    I wish I _was_ fluent in six or seven languages – afraid I’m only really reasonable in English and Hungarian, and can struggle a bit in French and Dutch if really needed….

    Sorry to be absent from samizdata for so long!