Member since Nov '11

Working languages:
Arabic to English

Paul Raymond
MENA-Focused for two decades, with a pas

Trowbridge, England, England
Local time: 19:41 EEST (GMT+3)

Native in: English Native in English
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Oct 16, 2023 (posted via ProZ.com):  Finished a detailed analysis of the fighting in Gaza over the weekend, now working on a lighter piece about carpet-weavers in Morocco... ...more »
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Account type Freelance translator and/or interpreter, Identity Verified Verified member
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Services Translation, Website localization, Subtitling
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Specializes in:
Government / PoliticsPetroleum Eng/Sci
Cinema, Film, TV, DramaHistory
Poetry & LiteratureReligion
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KudoZ activity (PRO) PRO-level points: 4, Questions answered: 13, Questions asked: 7
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Portfolio Sample translations submitted: 1
Arabic to English: Iran… the new Iraq
General field: Other
Source text - Arabic
إيران .. عراق جديدة
من يتابع التطورات التي تحدث في الملف النووي الإيراني يجد نفسه أمام قضية معقدة حيرت العالم. فإصرار إيران على الاستمرار في ملفها النووي يطرح عدد من علامات الاستفهام وهو ما يجعل حتى أكثر المتعاطفين معها يغير توجهه.

ولكن من ينظر للتاريخ يجد جوابا شافيا لبعض تلك التساؤلات.فما يحدث الآن في إيران هو أشبه بما حدث في العراق قبل غزو الكويت سنة 1990.

فالتاريخ يعيد نفسه اليوم ولكن مع تغير مسميات الدول. فإصرار إيران على امتلاك سلاح نووي من اجل ردع إسرائيل يذكرنا بصدام حسين ووعده بحرق نصف إسرائيل قبل غزو الكويت.

ولكن من دفع ثمن تعنت وعناد صدام كانت دول الخليج. فبعد انتهاء الحرب العراقية الإيرانية سنة 1988 وجد صدام نفسه أمام عشرات القضايا المحلية التي تحتاج لحل. فالوضع الاقتصادي كان سيئا وهناك مشاكل تهدد وحدة البلاد. فمشكلة الأكراد كانت تحتاج لحل. ومشكلة البطالة والفقر تحتاج أيضا لحل. أيضا أكثر من مليون جندي ليس لديهم شيء يفعلونه بعد انتهاء الحرب مشكلة أخرى.

عندما وجد صدام نفسه محاط بالمشاكل التي لا يستطيع حلها فكر بغرور في خلق مشكلة اكبر تشغل الشعب عن مشاكله اليومية. فبدل أن يفكر في الالتفات للمشاكل المحلية وحلها فكر في الهروب منها لذلك اختلق صدام أزمة الكويت وحقه التاريخي في الكويت.

اعتقد أن المشكلة تكمن في أن بعض الدول عندما تعاني من مشاكل داخلية تبدأ بالتعنت الخارجي واختلاق مشكلات دولية من اجل سحب الانتباه عن ما يجري في الداخل.الآن إيران تواجه عددا كبيرا من المشاكل المحلية. فالبطالة مرتفعة والفقر يضرب نصف الشعب. أيضا هناك غضب شعبي من حكومة احمدي نجاد. مما جعل المعارضة السياسية تنشط وتزداد شعبية وهو ما اجبر الحكومة على استعمال القوة لإسكاتهم خصوصا منذ الانتخابات الرئاسية عام 2009.

لذلك وجدت إيران أن الملف النووي ورقتها الوحيدة و مخرجها لصرف الانتباه عن مشاكل إيران. فكلما زادت المشاكل الداخلية على الحكومة الإيرانية كلما تمسكت إيران أكثر في حقها في امتلاك السلاح النووي. فبدل أن تفعل إيران ما فعلته دول الخليج و تستغل ارتفاع أسعار البترول من اجل بناء اقتصاد قوي يعود بالرخاء والنفع على الشعب , تجد إيران تركز كل إمكانياتها على مشروع واحد هو بناء مفاعل نووي.

لا اعتقد أن هناك حل يلوح في الأفق للازمة الإيرانية , فأزمة إيران مع المجتمع الدولي ستستمر ما دامت المشاكل الداخلية في إيران مستمرة.

Translation - English
If you are one of the many people following the story of the Iranian nuclear program, you have probably at times been perplexed by a complex political issue that has confused the world. Iran’s insistence on carrying on with her nuclear activities despite international pressure raises questions even in the minds of those who sympathize with Iranian aims.

But a look at the recent history of the region clarifies some of those doubts. What is happening now in Iran is very similar to developments in Iraq before the invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Iran’s drive to acquire nuclear weapons in order to balance Israeli power reminds us of Saddam Hussein and his promise, before the invasion of Kuwait, to burn half of Israel.

Those who really paid the price of Saddam’s intransigence and aggression were the states of the Gulf. Following the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Saddam found himself facing domestic crisis. The economic situation in Iraq was dire and there were several threats to the unity of the country. The Kurdish issue needed solving. Poverty was mounting, and people needed jobs. The end of the Iran-Iraq war had left a million soldiers idle and restless.

Faced with potential crises on several fronts, Saddam decided to create a bigger problem that would distract attention from pressing domestic issues. Instead of dealing with the existing challenges, he decided to flee from them by inventing the Kuwaiti crisis and invoking Iraq’s historic claim to Kuwait.

Many states are inclined to create international conflicts in order to distract attention from their domestic problems. Iran at present is a case in point. Unemployment is rising and half the population is facing poverty. The public is angry at Ahmedinejad’s government, as we saw following the presidential elections in 2009, when an energized and popular opposition became highly active, leading to a harsh crack-down.

All of this has meant that the nuclear program was the only card the Iranian regime could play to take attention away from its domestic problems. The more the pressure at home has grown, the more the government has expounded Iran’s right to nuclear weapons. Instead of doing what the Gulf countries did, and using the high price of oil to build a stronger economy that benefits the public, Tehran has focused all of its efforts on building nuclear installations.

Therefore, there is little hope for a quick solution to the Iranian crisis. Tehran’s foreign policy will not change course as long as its domestic woes continue.


Translation education Bachelor's degree - University of Leeds
Experience Years of experience: 15. Registered at ProZ.com: Oct 2011. Became a member: Nov 2011.
ProZ.com Certified PRO certificate(s) N/A
Credentials N/A
Memberships N/A
Software Indesign, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office Pro, Microsoft Word, QuarkXPress
Website http://il.linkedin.com/in/pauladrianraymond
CV/Resume English (DOC)
Professional practices Paul Raymond endorses ProZ.com's Professional Guidelines (v1.1).
Bio

Arabic-to-English translator and former Maghreb Correspondent / MENA news editor with two decades of experience from Beirut to Bamako. Expert on the region's politics, society, rights issues and economics, building on years as a journalist for AFP and many others. Specialist in academic, think tank and NGO deep-dives.

This user has earned KudoZ points by helping other translators with PRO-level terms. Click point total(s) to see term translations provided.

Total pts earned: 4
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Language (PRO)
Arabic to English4
Top general field (PRO)
Other4
Top specific field (PRO)
Other4

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Keywords: Native English, NGO, Human Rights, Aid, Development, Business, Social Sciences, Financial, Banking, Economics. See more.Native English, NGO, Human Rights, Aid, Development, Business, Social Sciences, Financial, Banking, Economics, trade. See less.


Profile last updated
Oct 16, 2023



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