How Do You Say ASSALAMU ALAIKUM in Gaelic?

March 11, 2003 6:17 PM

How Do You Say ASSALAMU ALAIKUM in Gaelic? Plans have been announced in the Irish Republic to translate the Koran, Islam's most sacred text, into Irish. The ambitious project aims to bring Ireland's Gaelic-speakers and Muslim communities closer together, Leslie Carter of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Dublin said.
posted by turbanhead (14 comments total)

Something tells me that Islam isn't gonna catch on in Ireland.

Especially with that whole alcohol thing.
posted by RobbieFal at 6:18 PM on March 11, 2003

. . .since Islam is such an advanced religion, it'll catch on anywhere! Who needs immigrants!
posted by The Jesse Helms at 6:22 PM on March 11, 2003

it's not just south-asian and middleeastern muslims in ireland. there are many from bosnia as well.
posted by turbanhead at 7:08 PM on March 11, 2003

Actually Islam does seem to be somewhat popular with the Irish. I know of quite a few converts.

That includes this Mick.
posted by drstrangelove at 7:10 PM on March 11, 2003

Saints preserve us, drstrangelove!

But at least you didn't turn Protestant on us. . . .
posted by rdone at 8:46 PM on March 11, 2003

But at least you didn't turn Protestant on us. . . .

*sigh* Bigotry in action, Irish style.
posted by tomcosgrave at 3:28 AM on March 12, 2003

considering that the vast majority of irish people don't speak/read irish fluently, this translation is largely a waste of time, i mo thuairim. Its a nice token effort, but thats about it. I wonder are there many muslims living in the gaeltacht (irish speaking) regions?
posted by kev23f at 5:58 AM on March 12, 2003

rdone and tomcosgrave,

There are two things in this world I can't stand: People who are intolerant of other's culture and religion and the British.
posted by drstrangelove at 7:18 AM on March 12, 2003

this translation is largely a waste of time

No, this translation is a complete waste of time. Anyone who reads it would have been able to read an English translation just as easily. I've been to the Gaeltacht, and of the very few people there who are not fluent in English, I feel comfortable in saying there's not a single one who has any interest in reading the Koran in his or her mother tongue. This is a boondoggle, pure and simple. (But I'm glad a few Irish/Arabic bilingual translators will be getting a paycheck!)
posted by languagehat at 8:31 AM on March 12, 2003

whoa, you found someone in the Gaeltacht that didn't speak English? In a couple trips, I never met ANYONE (and I was somewhat curious and asked around) who only spoke Irish. Were they 80+ years old, languagehat?
posted by Vidiot at 9:11 AM on March 12, 2003

Although I speak Irish with ease (alas, not complete fluency!), I'm with languagehat on this - it's an interesting exercise, but the market for this is probably negligible (at least at the moment).

Nevertheless, it's an interesting reflection of demographic and sociological trends here at the moment, as it would have been a Pythonesque concept up to a few years ago.
posted by Doozer at 10:09 AM on March 12, 2003

Well, at least the Gaelic and Muslim communities already have one thing in common....car bombs. Thank you, thank you I'll be here all week don't forget to tip your waitress and God bless Bobby Sands.
posted by MikeMc at 7:21 PM on March 12, 2003

Hilarious Mike, absolutely bloody hilarious.

Maybe if you substitute 'militant republican' for 'Gaelic', and 'radical Islamic' for 'Muslim', you might be on to something.

Anyway, not to worry. Time for a cup of tea......
posted by Doozer at 2:08 AM on March 13, 2003

Vidiot: Sorry, I thought I answered your question yesterday, but obviously either I forgot to hit Post or there was a glitch in the space-time continuum. Anyway, I was there in the mid-'70s, so any ancient monoglots from that time have doubtless passed on. (Hell, this was so long ago that Inishmaan, where I spent most of my time, didn't have electricity, and you had to do your drinking by gaslight and piss out back of the pub; that's where I discovered why they call it "the bog.")
posted by languagehat at 7:31 AM on March 13, 2003