Salam Karam Swedish original:
“Dubbla budskap i moskén” (Salam Karam, Svenska Dagbladet, 2004/05/23)
SvD:s co-worker Salam Karam has on several occassions visited the large mosque on Medborgarplatsen [a square in Stockholm] during the spring. The aim has been to compare the Imam’s speeches in Arabic with the interpreters Swedish translations. His report shows that the violent attacks against USA and the West are never translated.
Salam Karam
Quote from the Imam’s sermon in Arabic: “How long will you sit with your arms crossed and watch as the enemies of Islam imprisons your brothers and sisters, torture them, dishonour and kill them? Have we as Muslims sunk so low that we allow American soldiers to rape us and piss on us? Haven’t you understood that America doesn’t want what is best for the Muslims? Haven’t you understood that the only thing America wants is the humiliation of Muslims? Haven’t you understood that America wants that the grandchildren of the Prophet submit to Bush.America will pay the price for all martyrs who have died in Palestine. There are those who are spreading lies in the media, saying that we in the mosque don’t think that the former Hamas Leader, Sheik Ahmad Yassin, is a martyr, He is certainly a martyr and the martyr of martyrs. I want everybody in Sweden to know that.”
Quote from the interpreter’s Swedish translation of the Imam’s sermon: “We condemn America’s torture of Iraqi prisoners. The UN:s treaties forbid torture. We want the Americans who are responsible to brought before the court. America has committed inhuman acts. But at the same time we want to remind Muslims to not judge all Americans alike… Think about all American parents who sent their children to Bosnia in order to help Muslims there.”
Footnote: Salam Karam was born in Baghdad. He speaks fluent Arabic as well as Swedish. Han has a bachelor’s degree in Middle-Eastern studies from the University of Uppsala.
