University of Minnesota Arabic Department Scrambles to Explain Nazi Party Arabic-English Dictionary

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Hans Wehr’s dictionary project was funded by the Nazi government with hopes of producing an Arabic translation of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. The subversion and infiltration of education by stealth racists (under the guise of inclusion, tolerance) is deeper and darker than you can imagine.

UMN Arabic department works to address history of Arabic-English dictionary

The Arabic department is discussing ways to address the Nazi background of an Arabic-English dictionary that has been required for Arabic classes at the University for years.

By Farrah Mina

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Lauren Meyers works in the O. Meredith Wilson Library on Friday, Oct. 18. Meyers criticizes the use of the Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Arabic, seen on the table, due to Wehr’s role in the Nazi party in the 1940’s.

After professor Katrien Vanpee went over the syllabus with her Arabic class this semester, University of Minnesota student Lauren Meyers saw her usually lighthearted professor grow serious.

Vanpee, the director of Arabic language instruction at the University, told her students she never thought she would have to talk about Nazis on the first day of class, Meyers said. She proceeded to inform her students about the background of a text that was on the course’s book list: the “Arabic-English Dictionary: The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic.” Vanpee told her class that this dictionary — the most widely used Arabic dictionary in the world — was published in 1952 by a member of the Nazi party.

Hans Wehr’s dictionary project was funded by the Nazi government with hopes of producing an Arabic translation of Adolph Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” In addition, Hedwig Klein, a Jewish contributor to the dictionary project, died in a concentration camp in Auschwitz before the dictionary was completed.

Though the book had previously been required at all language levels of Arabic at the University, Vanpee told her students she would not be requiring it in her classroom. The Arabic department is currently working on a policy that will apply to all Arabic classes to address the dictionary’s history.

Her disclaimer to her class about the dictionary came after second-year student Rodrigo Tojo Garcia found information online about Wehr’s background after having already purchased the dictionary some months ago.

“…I was amazed that it hadn’t come up, that no one had talked about it,” Tojo Garcia said. “You would think with something like that, especially in the modern political climate … that someone would’ve mentioned at some point that Hans Wehr did this — but they didn’t. And that was a shocking thing to know,” he said.

After Tojo Garcia told Meyers about Wehr’s background, she went to Vanpee with her concerns about the history of the dictionary. Though Meyers said she was not expecting much to come from the conversation because she thought it was probably too late for Vanpee to modify any book lists, Meyers said she was happy to hear Vanpee talk about the book’s history on the first day of class and offer it as optional.

“I don’t want to require a dictionary that is a product of Nazi Germany, even if you could technically argue that the Hans Wehr dictionary that’s being used here is not exactly the same as the original one,” Vanpee said, noting that the dictionary had been edited by an American academic. “…The fact that ‘Hans Wehr’ is still on the cover is, of course, still really problematic.”

“What I find most problematic about the dictionary’s name is the fact that all of us who are familiar with the dictionary, refer to it as “Hans Wehr.” (i.e. automatically crediting him and only him, and not his contributors),” Vanpee said in an email.

Despite the Hans Wehr dictionary’s disturbing background, it is the most useful dictionary for independent Arabic learners for various grammatical reasons, Vanpee said. It is also widely used in Arabic instruction across universities.

In addition to starting a dialogue with her students about the topic, Vanpee is also consulting and evaluating with Arabic instructors and faculty about listing the print dictionary as a suggested work rather than a required one.

Tojo Garcia, who bought the Hans Wehr dictionary about a year ago, said he was exploring purchasing a different dictionary. “I have the [Hans Wehr] dictionary, and it poses something of a problem because it’s not exactly completely ethical for me to resell it knowing exactly what that is,” Tojo Garcia said. “But at the same time, my use of this dictionary is also problematic, so at this point I am looking into alternatives.”

Second-year student Nibraas Khan, who is in her first Arabic class this semester, is using a free PDF version of the dictionary. She said if the book was optional for her class, there is no way she would buy it. “I personally just don’t feel comfortable ever buying anything that incorporates any sort of Nazi ideologies, symptoms et cetera,” Khan said.

To Meyers, the issue is reminiscent of University conversations about renaming several campus buildings. “I really do believe in the power of names,” Meyers said. “If we’re operating with a dictionary every day that was named after someone who learned this language as a tool to use the Middle East and Arabic-speaking countries for their heinous motives, that’s really disrespectful and really harmful.”

Meyers is borrowing the Hans Wehr dictionary from the library because she said she does not feel comfortable giving her money to the dictionary in any way.

“I think making the book optional and having that conversation is very important for Arabic learners to understand,” Meyers said.

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Tamara Hussey-Mecklenburg
Tamara Hussey-Mecklenburg
4 years ago

Muslims allied with Nazis during World War II. German Nazis had to learn Arabic in order to communicate with their Islamic allies and coordinate War efforts. Islam was a tremendous influence on Hitler and pre-World War II Nazi Germany. This is why they killed the Jews. It is an Islamic religious belief edict to annihilate the Jews especially.

Though, technically, Muslims believe in slaughtering all non-muslims equally.

tn_tea _ partyer_420
tn_tea _ partyer_420
4 years ago

That wonderful Democrat president Andrew Jackson (trail if tears) was admired by Hitler.

Dick Bates
Dick Bates
4 years ago

Goes back to the old phrase – The enemy of my enemy is my friend !

Tamara Hussey-Mecklenburg
Tamara Hussey-Mecklenburg
4 years ago
Reply to  Dick Bates

Exactly!

Phil McDonald
Phil McDonald
4 years ago

Ilhan Omar shouldn’t have donated her campaign playbook to the library.

Laddyboy
Laddyboy
4 years ago
Reply to  Phil McDonald

Those who understand the TOTALITARIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM of islam will only read the book for information as Andrew Jackson did. He did this before he sent the American LEATHER NECKS to stop the muslems from capturing American Shipping.

tn_tea _ partyer_420
tn_tea _ partyer_420
4 years ago

A professor with scruples???? Or more virtue signaling ???

MISS VEGAS
MISS VEGAS
4 years ago

Virtue Signaling⬅️
I’m not buying that ANY of the professors teaching this class & students taking that class actually really care. It’s all a big creepy game of who can be the biggest douch-canoe virtue signaler. They love sniffing each others Smug Libtarded Farts too.????????????

tn_tea _ partyer_420
tn_tea _ partyer_420
4 years ago
Reply to  MISS VEGAS

It’s as if the left wants to diminish Nazi and Islam alliance and common goals during WW2. What a shocker.
Sarcasm …..

MISS VEGAS
MISS VEGAS
4 years ago

No offence but the Nazi pigs didn’t USE the muslim Arabs, THEY(muslim arabs) were more than willing to help the Nazi’s & they STILL to this day praise the Nazi’s & Hitler.

Rusty
Rusty
4 years ago
Reply to  MISS VEGAS

Remember Umar required Jews and Christians to wear identifying clothing a looooooooooooooong time before Hitler was born. Weeding out of Christians may be becoming soon as they’re not pay attention and plan on being raptured before things get rough.

Dick Bates
Dick Bates
4 years ago
Reply to  Rusty

If you’re a mooseslime , DONT BET YOUR LIFE ON THAT STATEMENT !!!

Nabi Rasch
Nabi Rasch
4 years ago

Shouldn’t buy Volkswagens also.

ontheleftcoast
ontheleftcoast
4 years ago

Interesting. I wonder what was wrong with the 1926 Lebanese translation.

An Arabic translation of the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” the infamous falsification of European anti-Semites, has just been issued in Beirut in an Arabic translation, according to the paper “Rakib Sion,” the organ of the Latin patriarch in Jerusalem [the Latin patriarch is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem.]

The “Rakib Sion,” in an editorial, recommends the reading of this falsification to its readers. “Every Arab, and especially the Arabs of Palestine, should read this book, showing the vile aspirations of the Zionists,” the paper states.

11bravo
11bravo
4 years ago

Ask Robert to recommend a better dictionary Pamela!!

Dennis Juncer
Dennis Juncer
4 years ago
Reply to  11bravo

Yes, good idea. This whole discussion completely ignores the question of whether or not the book is a good, accurate dictionary. No one is saying the book contains Nazi ideology or propaganda. A lot of scientific knowledge came out of Nazi Germany, which we took and developed further. Think Wernher von Braun. If it is a good piece of academic work, what difference does its unfortunate origin make?

11bravo
11bravo
4 years ago

Ask Robert to recommend a better dictionary Pamela!!

Laddyboy
Laddyboy
4 years ago

HUMMM! I WONDER – – – – WHERE – – Hitler got the IDEA to slaughter all of the Jewish People!?!!??! Do not forget that muslems fought WITH and BESIDE Hitler. The muslems even had a special unit which went out specifically to hunt down and kill Jews.

Mark Huber
Mark Huber
4 years ago

As a graduate of the U in the early 70s, I can tell you that the University was infested with leftist propaganda, professors and negativity even then. It was a terrible place as a college, the wonderful spirited traditions of the past had been trashed and replaced with protest, drugs and permissiveness. It was the start of the slide. They were figuring out there was more money in keeping struggling students on board so they could bleed them dry. 4 year grad rates tumbled and college debt ballooned. The U has been on a building spree ever since. Lots of shiny new buildings, bloated staff and overpaid professors. Its a competition now between colleges to figure out which is the least bad.

Jay Wizzy
Jay Wizzy
4 years ago

Let’s get this straight.
Note to Meyers, with all respect: it’s obfuscative to suggest that Hitler & the Nazis used Islam & Arabic for their injustice, as it is likely that Islam through Hitler & his Nazi-organisation used people for it’s unjust Muhammadist dogma. Trojan horse phenomena.
Unjust Muhammad: “War is deceit.” (see Wikiislam)

The Big One
The Big One
4 years ago

Thomas Carlyle was an enthusiastic admirer of the German spirit, a fervent supporter of the
ideas of German philosophy. All men and tendencies in 19th century England that are of cre-
ative importance are under the influence of Carlyle, under the influence of the German spirit.

Chaim Weizmann: “Judaism and Germanism both have in principle the same view of life: for both of
them existence is above all and in the first place a task, a profession, a mission, a duty which is not so
much to be judged, affirmed or denied as to be fulfilled. Life, as it is given in its naked reality, dominated
by the iron fetters of causality, is only the material from which man is now to form the true, pure, higher
life, according to his own ideals, according to freely chosen purposes, in autonomous moral freedom.”

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Thanks for sharing!