# Can anyone translate this sign from the arabic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-translate-this-sign-from-the-arabic/619060 "2012-04-17T17:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-translate-this-sign-from-the-arabic/619060/1 "2012-04-17T17:31:12Z")
There’s quite a bit of text so this may be asking alot, but I’m very curious to know what the text on the poster imaged [here](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/taliban-commander-turns-self-in-for-reward-on-wanted-poster/2012/04/17/gIQAbVjqNT_blog.html) says. The story linked to is about a purported mid-level taliban commander in Afghanistan. The image is of a wanted poster offering $100 for information about the commander. According to the story, the commander himself went to a police station in order to present _himself_ in order to collect the reward. (And was arrested on the spot.) ---
**Author:** ![OldnCrinkly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@OldnCrinkly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldnCrinkly)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-translate-this-sign-from-the-arabic/619060/2 "2012-04-17T18:46:27Z")
I’m no expert, but I don’t think people in Afghanistan and Pakistan speak Arabic. Urdu, maybe? The script may look similar, but I don’t know if its the same. Either way, good luck getting a translation, I’ like to see one myself. What a maroon! ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-translate-this-sign-from-the-arabic/619060/3 "2012-04-17T19:29:08Z")
Urdu is spoken in Pakistan. Pashto and Dari are spoken in Afghanistan. All three languages are closely related to Persian. None is related to Arabic, which is a Semitic language, although they all contain many Arabic loan words. The sign appears to be in Pashto or Dari (I studied Persian for a while, and I can pick out words and meaning here and there). I wonder if the man is illiterate or functionally illiterate - perhaps he thought the sign said he was entitled so some kind of award. Or perhaps he’s dirt-poor and afraid of being assassinated, so he figured he’d turn himself in, get some reward money to give to his family, and spend the rest of the war in a nice, secure jail. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-translate-this-sign-from-the-arabic/619060/4 "2012-04-17T19:30:59Z")
I believe that’s written in Persian, but I’m not certain. Maybe modify the title and you’ll have more luck? Edit: beaten to it. The heading says something like “Information wanted” (based on Google translate and a bit of guesswork). Then the next row is the guy’s name, Mohammad Ashan. ---
**Author:** ![OldnCrinkly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@OldnCrinkly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldnCrinkly)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-translate-this-sign-from-the-arabic/619060/5 "2012-04-19T01:17:37Z")
Anybody else?