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Arab News
a day ago
- General
- Arab News
The young Saudis bridging language barriers during Hajj
RIYADH: Each year, millions of Muslims from all over the world arrive in Makkah for Hajj — united in faith, but sometimes divided by language. From Turkish and Urdu to Swahili and Bahasa, the diversity of languages in the holy cities is vast. For many, overcoming language barriers while navigating the logistics of Hajj can be overwhelming. That is where young Saudi volunteers step in to translate and ease some of the challenges pilgrims face. 'We speak different languages, but we're all here for the same reason,' said Deema Ibrahim, 21. Ibrahim's experience volunteering as a translator began with a change of plans. 'I initially joined a team for emergency medical services,' she said. 'But when we arrived, we found that the ambulance units were already full. So we were redirected to work in the road guidance division.' Her unit was based near a hotel that housed non-Arabic-speaking pilgrims. As one of the few bilingual members of her team, Ibrahim's role became essential. 'I also assisted deaf and mute pilgrims through remote video calls,' she said. 'That allowed me to support a wider group of people who would otherwise be left struggling.' One of the most emotional moments she experienced was helping an elderly woman who had become separated from her family. 'She didn't remember much and couldn't communicate clearly. 'We eventually found a card with her camp name, called them, and her daughters came running. They didn't expect to find her again. It was a moment I'll never forget. 'I did it for the reward — and for the duas.' Saad Al-Harbi, 23, was encouraged by a friend to volunteer. 'He said, 'You speak good English, you live in Makkah, and you're available — why not help as a group guide and translator?'' he recalled. Most of the questions from pilgrims were about directions. 'They'd ask how to get to Arafat, or where to perform the stoning, or how to navigate from one site to another.' But what stayed with him most was the gratitude. 'On the last day of Hajj, almost everyone in our group came up to thank me. They told me my help made a difference. That meant everything.' Maha Al-Ahmari, 24, who speaks fluent Turkish, assisted several elderly Turkish origin or Turkish-speaking pilgrims who were part of a group of North African pilgrims in Muzdalifah. 'Many of them were completely disoriented and couldn't communicate with security or their own groups,' she said. 'Just being able to speak their language calmed them instantly. One woman kissed my hand in thanks — I'll never forget that.' The Kingdom's efforts to enhance services for pilgrims include multilingual signage, smart apps with translation features, and trained staff in key areas. Still, human contact is at the heart of everything guides do — especially when emotions run high. Ibrahim said that some of the most difficult cases involved older pilgrims who were confused, hard of hearing, or dealing with memory loss. 'The pressure increases during the days of Nafr,' she said. 'People get lost easily. And when they can't speak Arabic or English, the stress becomes dangerous.' She credits the government's organization — from surveillance centers to camp identification systems — for helping volunteers like her stay effective. 'We had support, but the human side of it — calming someone, assuring them — that was on us.' Faris Al-Turki, 28, who volunteered in Mina, said he used Google Translate in real time to assist a pilgrim from Central Asia. 'It wasn't perfect, but it helped. He was trying to find his medication and explain a health condition. We figured it out.' For many volunteers, the act of translation is an act of worship. It's a way to serve the guests of Allah — a role that holds deep spiritual meaning in Saudi culture. 'You're not just translating words,' Al-Harbi said. 'You're translating emotion. You're showing them that they're not alone.' Ibrahim agreed. 'It was exhausting, physically and mentally, but it was the most fulfilling thing I've ever done. Despite our different languages, we were all in the same sacred space, for the same reason. That unity — you feel it.' In the end, most volunteers do not seek recognition. They often work behind the scenes, in the heat, in the chaos, among strangers. But for the pilgrims who meet them — the ones who are lost, confused, scared — their presence is unforgettable. A calm voice. A familiar phrase. A gesture of patience. And when the pilgrims return home, they may not remember every building or landmark, but they will remember that young Saudi who stepped forward, understood their words, and made them feel seen.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I'm an American living in the UK and I won't use this common English word because I'd get cancelled back home
An American woman has revealed the one everyday British word that's so offensive in the United States, she claims she wouldn't even dare say it aloud. Amber Kacherian, a popular TikToker with nearly a million followers, has been living in the UK and regularly posts about her culture shock experiences, from slang to baffling food labels. But one of her most recent videos has sent shockwaves through both sides of the Atlantic after she revealed three seemingly innocent English words that take on wildly different, and in some cases, inappropriate, meanings in the US. Amber starts the video with a warning: 'British people - do not say these words in America unless you want people to look at you very strangely.' The first item on her list is the humble classroom essential, a rubber. 'In America, the word 'rubber' means something very different,' she says. 'So, my British friends, please be warned that if you walk into a store in America and ask for a rubber, the item you receive is not going to be an eraser.' In the UK, of course, a rubber is an everyday stationery item, but across the pond it's slang for a condom. While Brits might not bat an eye, Amber's point struck a chord with fellow Americans who recalled their own awkward encounters with British terminology. Next up was the classic UK cupboard staple of whipped cream in a can, more commonly known in Britain as squirty cream. Amber could barely contain her disbelief. 'I did not believe this one until I saw it for myself,' she laughs in the video. 'You heard that right - squirty cream. I don't even know if I'm allowed to say that on here. 'And yes, this is 100 per cent real. This is really and truly, honest to goodness, what they call it.' Still incredulous, she adds: 'I went to a store in the UK and I saw it on the shelves there, I saw it with my own eyes and to this day I think I'm still not fully recovered. 'I have no words. My British friends, I think you knew exactly what you were doing when you did this.' Her advice for any UK travellers planning a trip stateside is not to go asking for rubbers and squirty cream unless you want some puzzled stares. But it was her final example that she says she 'can't even say' out loud, and one that left her genuinely shaken. The word in question is a British slang term for a cigarette - fag - a word which, in the US, is exclusively used as a slur against gay people. 'I can't even say the word on here or I'll get cancelled,' says Amber. 'Let's just say it's a horribly offensive slur that you will never, ever hear come out of my mouth. 'It's 'flag', but without the L. But please don't ever say that word in America. Probably just don't ever say it anywhere, ever, just to be safe.' Amber explains how she discovered that the word is also used in Britain to describe a variety of meatball, thanks to faggots, a famous UK meat product. Filming herself in front of an image of the packaging of Mr Brain's Six Pork Faggots, she asks her UK followers: 'For my friends in the UK, my question is: what is the fascination with this word? Why does everyone love using this word? 'Does it mean something else in the UK? In America you cannot say this word ever, but in the UK they're just casually throwing it on packages of meatballs.' While Amber's video was meant in jest, it sparked a flurry of passionate responses in the comments, particularly from Brits defending the language. One viewer wrote: 'Cream that you squirt from a can is logically called squirty cream. 'Americans call a pair of glasses "eye glasses" and are not in a position to criticise.' Brits rushed to the comments to defend their language quirks, arguing English dialects are much older than American ones Another was quick to point out the history behind the words: 'The word "f*ggt" is older than your country. As a food item the name was used from at least the mid-19th century, they are not meatballs as such but rather they are made from offal.' A more blunt take came from another user who simply wrote: 'As the English language comes from England we are correct and the USA is wrong. It really is that simple.' And one commenter said: 'I am a UK resident and I had absolutely no idea that Americans didn't know this stuff and now I can't stop laughing! What the heck do you call squirty cream then?' Amber's video also reignited interest in the origins of the controversial cigarette slang. Linguists point out that the British slang term fag, meaning a cigarette, actually predates the homophobic slur. The latter meaning may have originated in English public boarding schools, where younger boys (known as 'fags') were tasked with menial chores for older students, the Think Queerly blog reports. The term may have evolved from faggot, originally a bundle of sticks - later associated with women's domestic labour and, eventually, the younger boys who performed those duties. As the word developed, it gained the slur connotations, though these did not become mainstream until the early 20th century.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Migrants learn English and find new friends at outback sewing classes
Outback Queensland is a long way from Pakistan — but when you do not speak English, it can feel even further. That all changed for Amina Faisal when she made a Pakistani friend on the streets of Mount Isa. "I used to wander here and there, just exploring Mount Isa, then suddenly I met one of my Pakistani friends," she said. The friend suggested she head to the local library, where she found a community of residents from around the world. Ms Faisal learnt English through sewing classes with the group. Now, she has a job at the local supermarket, a group of friends in town and has just given birth to her first child. "[Before] my husband had to explain everything to me, what they are talking about," Ms Faisal said. "The biggest barrier is the language, if you don't know the language, in any country, you can't have a job." Therese Sexton is the Multicultural Program Coordinator at Community Action for a Multicultural Society (CAMS) Mount Isa. "We assist the migrant community in feeling welcome for social and economic inclusion," she said. CAMS has 19 locally run branches funded by the state government across Queensland, with each program tailored to meet the needs of its community. In Mount Isa, CAMS facilitates weekly sewing classes, where women from different countries come together to sew, drink tea and practice their English. "It's an opportunity for those who are quite capable of sewing to teach the beginner sewers as well — [it is] a great opportunity to interact," Ms Sexton said. According to the ABS, 23 per cent of Australians speak a language other than English at home. And in the remote city of Mount Isa that figure is still significant at 15 per cent . Like Ms Faisal's husband, many people migrate to the region for employment in the mining industry. The first project she worked on with the group was sewing blankets for the maternity ward at Mount Isa Hospital, the same ward where she would deliver her first child. When Ms Faisal fell pregnant, her mother back in Pakistan was worried she would have no help. "I told her, 'No, I'm not all alone, I have some very good friends here,'" she said. Kitika "Bird" Lambden moved from Thailand in September last year after her husband secured work in the mine. "I like Mount Isa because … [it's] quiet and not traffic jam — the opposite of my hometown" she said. Ms Lamden is excited to learn how to repair her clothes rather than replace them, but loves the social aspect of the group too. "This helped me learn a conversation with my friend," she said. "My friend is international from India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia, and Thai, and [we] have fun." "I feel so proud of myself and say, 'Oh! I can do!' "I know everything is different but I'm so happy living in Mount Isa." Mashell Ortac moved to Mount Isa three weeks ago. "I came here … looking for job opportunities because I am geologist," she said. After leaving her home country of Ecuador, Ms Ortac lived in Sydney for five months and then the small town of Bedourie for a year and a half. She said Mount Isa was a whole new remote Australian experience. "I was shocked because it's a city in the middle of nowhere," Ms Ortac said. She had never sewn before but jumped at the opportunity to meet new people. "The ladies help me a lot because I didn't [have any] idea how to turn on the machine," Ms Ortac said. "It's perfect for me because I would like to improve my English and I like to learn about other people [and] their stories."
