Brasilia – About 200 people, amongst politicians, diplomats and representatives of the Arab community, showed up yesterday evening (18), after breaking the fast of Ramadan, to the celebration dinner for the launch of the version of the Koran translated to Portuguese by Helmi Mohammed Ibraim Nasr, professor of Arabic at the University of São Paulo (USP) and vice president of International Relations at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. The event that took place in Brasilia was promoted by the embassy of Saudi Arabia and by the Arab Chamber.
Amongst those participating, an almost unanimous opinion: the translation by professor Nasr will improve the dialogue between the civilisations, term of common use today in international diplomacy. “Now the people will be able to see the true reality of Islam, which is very pacific and fair,” said the dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors and ambassador of Palestine, Musa Odeh.
On the same line, the ambassador of Lebanon, Fouad El Khoury, added that the translation is even more important for the native Brazilians than for the Arab community. “I believe it is important for Brazil and for the whole world to have a clear idea of what is Islam,” said the diplomat, who is a Christian, but defended his doctorate thesis on Islamism at the Sorbone University, in France, and is the author of book on the Shiite revolutions which took place at the beginning of the Muslim religion. “It is a book which can illuminate many people,” he added.
For the ambassador of Egypt, Mohamed Abdel Fattah, the event had a something extra, as professor Nasr is Egyptian. “This is a reason to be proud for us,” he remarked. “And the time for the launch was a happy choice, as it coincides with the Ramadan, which gives an even greater importance to the fact,” added the ambassador of Sudan, Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman.
For the Sudanese diplomat, the translation will be useful even outside Brazil. “Portuguese is a language spoken by many people in many countries. We have in Africa, for example, many Muslims who speak Portuguese, as Mozambique and Angola, and this will help them know more about the Koran,” he declared.
According to the ambassador of Morocco, Ali Achour, the translation “comes at an opportune moment,” in which “all around the world, and in Brazil too, the enthusiasm for the Muslim religion increases,” he says. “The translation will allow people o know the Muslim religion, filling in a void and eliminating prejudice,” he said. “We, at the embassy, receive many requests from people who would like to have a version of the Koran in Portuguese and books on Islam. We didn’t have it. Now we won’t have this problem any more,” he added.
In the opinion of the federal representative Jamil Murad, secretary genera of the Brazil-Arab Parliamentary League, the translation of the Koran will serve to bring even closer the two cultures. “The teachings of the Koran synthesize the most important aspects of the Arab civilisation,” he remarked. “So it will be a permanent source of reflection for the Brazilians of all origins,” he added.
President of the House of Representative complimented the initiative
Earlier yesterday, Murad accompanied professor Nasr to a meeting with the president of the House of Representatives, Aldo Rebelo. There Rebelo, who defends the Arab causes since his student days, said the translation of the Koran will be very useful for the efforts for bringing the civilisations closer together.
“Representative Aldo Rebelo showed great interest and knowledge on the Arab culture and we were very pleased with his receptivity,” said the president of the Arab Chamber, Antonio Sarkis Jr., who participated at the meeting. Also present in the meeting was the entity’s secretary general, Michel Alaby, and the Marketing vice president, Rubens Hannun.
Nasr and Rebelo exchanged impressions on the Arab culture and the representative was very happy to get copy of the Koran as a gift. The professor recommended, to begin, reading chapter 1, which is the introduction, chapter 12, which speaks of Joseph, and chapter 19, about Mary.
At the end of the evening’s event, Nasr summarised: “The Koran is an interesting and pleasant read. I invite everyone for a pleasurable and edifying read.”
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey
