Will this even surprise you, then?
Reader comment on item: Terrorist Profs

Submitted by Jewel Atkins (United States), Feb 24, 2003 at 22:04

Not long after September 11th, I began to study Arabic. I went to Borders Books here in Lancaster, PA and purchased the following book. The phrases are exactly as I saw them in the book. Let me know what you think, will you please?
Here are the details:

Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(You can get this book online at www.hippocrenebooks.com)

Arabic For Beginners by Syed Ali
ISBN 0-7818-0841-3 Copyright 2001

On Page 2 of the intro:

The author gives thanks to the following people and institutions:
"I am thankful to King Faisal Center for Research in Islamic Studies, Riyadh, Baghdad University and Islamic African Center, Khartoum for suggesting certain changes in the book and these have been incorporated in this edition." Syed Ali.

In lesson 9, some model sentences are given:
19: The soldier is brave.
20: God is powerful.
22: The sermon is eloquent.
29: The tank is full.
36: The sky is high.
38: The city is crowded....
(and my personal favorite) 39: The duck is fat.

In lesson 11, a few more sentences:
3: The mother stays at home. She cooks food, brings up the children and looks after the domestic chores.
5: The Director of the establishment told the workers: "Every one of you has made an effort and played his role for achieving the industrial and trade targets of the company, hence you deserve extra allowance."

In lesson 12, Syed gives us lots of descriptions of New York City, including a line about tall buildings, and friendly people.

In lesson 14, Syed talks about the happy peasants.

On page 108 and 109, in lesson 17, Syed quotes from the Koran...I think.
3: Do not call those who are slain in the way of God as dead. But they are living.
16: O my brother! Do not leave the water tap open. Do not write on the wall of the house nor throw the waste paper and peel of the fruits except in the waste-paper basket.

Lesson 18 offers this line:
5: The rocket has been fired.

In one lesson, (I can't find it now that I want to quote it) Syed parses the verb to beat as follows:
He was beaten, he is beating, he beat, he will beat, etc...

pp 134-135:
11: He has enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving, so long as I remain alive.
12: The wind continues to be strong.
13: The market continues to be crowded.
14: The airplane was about to explode.
20: The playground is not crowded with people.
28: We don't have much time.
29: People had imagined that aviation was an impossible skill.

In lesson 21 I will learn how to say the following lines:
1: Certainly God is with the steadfast.
2: As if the news was correct!
3: The plane crashed, but the loss is little.
4: If only the accused was free!
10: Perhaps the train is reaching the station according to schedule.
16: If only the medicine was useful!
17: Perhaps the culprit is free!
18: It pains me that the war is continuing.
20: Perhaps the goal is near!

Maybe I should just get some Pimsleur tapes and learn Arabic the good old-fashioned, American way...in my car...What thinkest thou, Professor Pipes?

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Daniel Pipes replies:

It appears that, under the influence of the King Faisal Center for Research in Islamic Studies, Baghdad University, and the Islamic African Center, Khartoum, Syed Ali decided that learning Arabic is tantamount to taking first steps toward converting to Islam.

DP