Draft:Mohammad Najdat Shaheed

Mohammad Najdat Shaheed
link=https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%84%D9%81:%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF_%D9%81%D9%8A_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9_%D9%81%D9%8A_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85_1994.png|center|280x280px Shaheed at the General Assembly in 1994.
Personal details
Born	March 31, 1953 Aleppo, Syria
Nationality	Syrian
Career
Alma mater	Damascus University St. John's University
Profession	Diplomat, Translator, Sworn translator
Languages	Arabic, English
Notable works	Colors of Children's Stories in World Literature, World Stories

Muhammad Najdat Raje Shaheed (born March 31, 1953) is a Syrian diplomat and translator. He has served as a diplomat at the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations in New York since 1981 and held the position of Rapporteur of the Special Committee on Decolonization from 1989 to 1992. He has also served as the Consul General of the Syrian Arab Republic in Jeddah, Benghazi, and Gaziantep. Shaheed was appointed Minister Counselor at the Syrian Embassy in Khartoum, and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Syrian Embassies in Amman, Berlin, and Belgrade. He also held the position of Director of the Department of Studies and Translation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

After ending his diplomatic career, he focused on translating children's stories and has published several works through the Syrian General Authority for Books and the Hindawi Foundation. He also works as a sworn translator for the Ministry of Justice in Damascus.

Shaheed was born in Aleppo, northern Syria, in 1953. He studied at the University of Damascus, Faculty of Arts, Department of English, and graduated in 1978. He also obtained a master's degree in public relations from St. John's University in New York in 1985.

Shaheed participated in the National Symposium on Translation organized by the Syrian General Authority for Books in 2024 with a research paper titled "The Dominance of the English Language and Its Impact on Intercultural Exchange." In this paper, he discussed the following ideas:

"Humans have come to know many ancient civilizations and their histories, such as the Sumerian, Egyptian, and Babylonian civilizations, through language. These civilizations were documented through drawings and writings found on the walls of their ruins, which preserved their identity through language. Without it, their history would have disappeared along with the decline of their civilizations. Translation has been an essential mechanism that peoples have relied on over the ages for civilizational and cultural communication to introduce their heritage, literature, and traditions. Cultures are not identical, and each people has its own uniqueness that distinguishes it from others."

"Celebration of English Language Day takes place on April 23rd each year, which is also considered the birthday and the date of death of the world-renowned poet and playwright William Shakespeare. His works are credited with the first recorded use of over 1,700 words in the English language, many of which were invented by Shakespeare himself. The celebration promotes the history and culture of the English language as a hybrid language connected to other languages and composed of a mix of Latin, Germanic, and Roman elements. Its origins can be traced back to around 450 AD when Anglo-Saxon tribes from the Germanic peoples invaded Britain during the Roman occupation, originally coming from the area of modern-day northern Germany and Denmark. These Germanic tribes brought their own language with them, which eventually evolved into what we now call Old English."

"British colonialism was one of the main reasons for the dominance of the English language worldwide. As the British Empire, which the sun never sets on, ruled one-third of the world's land and a quarter of its population, colonialism was able to impose English as a language and culture in these vast regions. In fact, when Britain established its colonial dominance over the world, it made sure to impose its culture as well, with William Shakespeare's poems and plays becoming a mandatory part of the curriculum in all colonies. This led to his fame spreading far and wide to the extent that not being familiar with the plot of one of his plays would often cause embarrassment. Even after countries gained independence worldwide, Britain sought to export English culture through the language by establishing the Commonwealth in 1931. This cultural-political association included all formerly colonized countries.

There are many interesting aspects of the English language. Many see it as a preferred means of communication across global cultures due to its flexibility, which is reflected in the large diversity of vocabulary that increases daily with globalization. The rise of the internet has contributed to many new additions, as have new inventions and technologies. The British Council estimates that about two billion people speak English, approximately a quarter of the world's population, with only about 400 million speaking it as their mother tongue. The language contains many regional dialects, such as British English, American English, Australian English, and others, each with its expressions and terms."

"Britain sought to export English culture through the language by establishing the Commonwealth in 1931. This cultural-political association included all the countries it had colonized in the past. Among other things, Britain offered to cancel the public debt of these countries in exchange for their governments' guarantee to protect and promote the English language. Globalization also contributed to the dominance of the English language, which erases linguistic particularities, cultural identity, and civilizational character of nations. It promotes the myth of a single global culture, integrating the world's population into one global community or small village, thereby attempting, intentionally or unintentionally, to erase cultural specificities.

Renowned European and American universities such as Oxford and Cambridge have further reinforced the dominance of the English language. Today, English has a powerful influence on the form and content of cultures and societies globally. It strengthens Western dominance and marginalizes non-Western perspectives, leading to a cultural imperialism associated with the hegemony of the English language."

"Acculturation emerged with the phenomenon of colonialism experienced by Third World countries and the rise of liberation movements, as they tried to resist and combat the colonizers with all available means. Canadian psychologist John Berry, known for his work in the field of adapting immigrants and indigenous peoples after intercultural contact, stated that the process can result in four possible outcomes:

1. Assimilation:** This involves abandoning the original cultural identity and adopting the dominant culture.

2. Cultural Marginalization: This is characterized by the abandonment of the original culture without adopting the dominant culture.

3. Cultural Separation: This involves maintaining the original cultural identity and rejecting the dominant culture.

4. Cultural Integration: This involves maintaining the original culture while engaging with the dominant culture."

These outcomes reflect the diverse ways in which individuals and societies respond to the pressures and influences of different cultures, highlighting the complexity of cultural identity and intercultural interactions.

"Translation is considered one of the most important means of acculturation as it leads to the absorption of as much human knowledge as possible, acquiring the experiences of others, and turning them into tools for development, progress, competition, and rich cultural contributions. It also acts as a key to avoid intellectual isolation on one hand and absolute dependency leading to assimilation on the other.

Translation is an act of communication between cultures, always involving both language and culture as it expresses and shapes cultural reality. Here, translation becomes synonymous with the process of acculturation, as the translated text is capable of achieving cultural recognition, as opposed to cultural cancellation of the other and their reality."

"The dominance of the English language faces real challenges, but these do not appear to be sufficient to diminish its influence. The rise of other global powers like China, with an increasing number of people speaking Chinese or Spanish, technological innovations that reduce language barriers, efforts to preserve and promote national languages, changing demographic patterns, computerized translation technology, and the spread of hybrid languages as seen in India and elsewhere all pose challenges. However, this dominance seems secure for now, with no signs of its decline or replacement by another common language anytime soon. Like some other languages, English continually changes and adapts to new needs in a world governed by globalization."

"In the long run, anything can happen, as the world is constantly changing. The challenges facing the English language could, over time, lead to the decline of its dominance and the emergence of a future that promotes multilingualism. In such a future, English would become one of several important languages in a world that recognizes the right of peoples to preserve the richness of their linguistic and cultural heritage and to coexist in light of diversity, differences, pluralism, and cultural specificity.

Translated Works

1-"Colors of Children's Stories in World Literature," Hindawi Foundation, Cairo, 2021.

2- "World Stories," Syrian General Authority for Books, Damascus, 2023.

See Also

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.