This year a selection of Thomas Jefferson’s works was re-interpreted into Arabic for international publication. According to an announcement at Monticello.com, “The translation of selected works of Jefferson into Arabic was inspired by Professor Juan Cole at the University of Michigan who is a leading interpreter of the Middle East. Following the dramatic events of 9/11, Professor Cole was concerned about the lack of availability of classic writings about America in translation and purchasable in bookshops in the Middle East. He also stressed the importance of making such publications easily affordable in paperback. His aim was to foster greater understanding between the cultures of the Arabic world and the United States.”

According to Cole, “I am hopeful that the book will find an eager reception in Egypt, Tunisia and other countries yearning for democracy in the Arab world, and in a way, it could not have come out at a better time. Jefferson could be good for them to think with, a colleague from across the centuries and the Atlantic.” You can read the professor’s insights on the project over at Informed Comment, Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion.

I think this is a marvelous idea and hope to see many more of our Founder’s writings translated into this dialect. In turn, I would also like to see more historical Arabic writings translated into English. Ignorance is the biggest cause of political strife in my opinion and nothing but good can come from sharing our nation’s history with other countries and cultures that have had little exposure to it. Maybe then they will better understand where we come from, and we in turn, can better grasp who they are.