# Was Asimov's novel FOUNDATION published in Arabic as Al Qaida? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658 "2004-07-18T02:58:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/1 "2004-07-18T02:58:07Z")
In another thread over at Cafe Society about Isaac Asimov, this was in a link. This is the quote > [@](#): > > _Foundation_, when it was published in Arabic in 1952, was translated as Al-Qaida. The evidence seems thin, but if it’s true, it’s as if Jodie Foster had inspired Hinckley and Oswald. This is from a _Slate_ article [How I, Robot gets the science-fiction grandmaster wrong.](http://slate.msn.com/id/2103979/#ContinueArticle) I doubt that it’s true, but, if not, why include it in the article? The author says “the evidence seems thin.” My GQ is: is this in any way true? Was that the title in Arabic in 1952? ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/2 "2004-07-18T03:25:28Z")
_Al Qaida_ translates to “The Base,” doesn’t it? Sounds at least plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/3 "2004-07-18T04:31:54Z")
…and the plot thickens: the Hebrew translation of the _Foundation_ is called “The Mossad”. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/4 "2004-07-18T04:56:19Z")
Someone set us up the bomb. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/5 "2004-07-18T05:00:20Z")
If I am understanding you correctly, you misread the article. I am taking it as you saying there is thin evidence that Foundation was translated as Al-Qaida. The article takes this as fact and says there is thin evidence that is was the “foundation” of the terrorist group. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/6 "2004-07-18T05:22:26Z")
All your Al Qaida are belong to us… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/7 "2004-07-18T06:13:53Z")
[Author of bin Laden’s “Mein Kampf” Russian-born?](http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/5491-4.cfm) > [@](#): > > A couple of weeks ago I asked a friend of mine, Russian writer and Afghan war veteran Vladimir Grigoriev to find out if “The Foundation”, a 1951 sci-fi bestseller by Isaac Asimov, a well-known American author and scientist, was translated and published in Arabic, and if so, under what title? Yesterday, I learned that my friend contacted his former professor Olga Frolova, currently the Chair of the Arab Philology Department, School of Oriental Languages, St. Petersburg State University, and she confirmed that the book was published in Arabic as “Al Qaeda”, the title matching the name of the international terrorist network founded and headed by Osama bin Laden. (The Western media usually translates “Al Qaeda” back as “The Base”, as if a base of terrorists were been referred to.) > > This peculiar coincidence would be of little interest if not for abundant parallels between the plot of Asimov’s book and the events unfolding now. The central character of “The Foundation” named Seldon, the pioneer of a new scientific discipline called “psychohistory”, predicts that the Galactic Empire is about to fall. While the process of disintegration cannot not be stopped, Seldon decides to send an expedition to a remote place on the outskirts of the Galaxy and establish The Foundation, which is to become the nucleus of the next Empire. Even though the Old Empire tries to destroy The Foundation with its superior military might, Seldon’s plan eventually works despite many predicted difficulties and occasional random hiccups. Seldon does not live long enough to see the triumph of his cause, but he leaves videotaped messages at a machine timed to broadcast them to his followers and instruct them at the turning points of The Foundation’s history, as his forecasts are coming true. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/8 "2004-07-18T06:31:41Z")
> [@](#): > > This peculiar coincidence would be of little interest if not for abundant parallels between the plot of Asimov’s book and the events unfolding now. So all this time al Qaeda has been working to preserve all human knowledge in preparation for an inevitable dark ages? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/9 "2004-07-18T06:32:06Z")
Could someone please direct me to a cite [Arabic language okay, and preferred] of bin Laden’s organization/network referring to itself, or being referred to in native Arab language reporting, as al Qaida\Qaeda in 2000? In 1995? While that region is hardly my field of expertise, it was my impression in 2001 that this usage of the phrase (to refer to the entire network) originated in the US govt, and I recall remarks to that effect at that time, in both US and Arab media (esp. al Jazeera) Of course, I could be completely off-base, but I’d really like a cite ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/10 "2004-07-18T06:32:53Z")
The boring truth is that, in Arabic, _Al Qaeda_ is just a rather uninspired name for a terrorist group. It’s not unlike opening a fast-food hamburger restaurant and calling it “The Burger Stand.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/11 "2004-07-18T07:14:46Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > The boring truth is that, in Arabic, _Al Qaeda_ is just a rather uninspired name for a terrorist group. It’s not unlike opening a fast-food hamburger restaurant and calling it “The Burger Stand.” I used to eat at The Burger Stand. Until terrorists blew it up. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/12 "2004-07-18T10:29:06Z")
Among the numerous other problems with that story - like the fact that it’s totally unverified - I can’t envision Bin Laden reading a book written by a Westerner. Much less one who (according to a little searching I just did) was an open atheist. He doesn’t strike me as the sci-fi type anyway. “I’m a twelfth-level terrorist!” ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/13 "2004-07-18T12:05:43Z")
I don’t know. As mentioned, that would be a fair enough translation, but all in all Arab culture doesn’t ‘get’ science fiction. Star Trek for example is unknown here and Saudis have no ability to do the Vulcan salute. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/14 "2004-07-18T12:52:00Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Star Trek for example is unknown here and Saudis have no ability to do the Vulcan salute. Well, yeah. The Vulcan salute is Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/15 "2004-07-18T13:16:12Z")
> [@](#): > > (The Western media usually translates “Al Qaeda” back as “The Base”, as if a base of terrorists were been referred to.) Ar? 😕 I’ve _never_ thought “The Base” referred to a “military installation” or a “headquarters”. I’ve always interpreted “base” in this case meant “the bottom of a building” or “the fundamental idea”. i.e., “The foundation”. In the context of the organisation, I don’t see how the author could think “base” as anything other. “Foundation = Al Qaeda” is a coincidence. > [@](#): > > Well, yeah. The Vulcan salute is Jewish. That’s true. IANJ, but I understand it’s half of some sort of gesture used in a ceremony. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/16 "2004-07-18T17:48:46Z")
I have to doubt that Foundation was published in Arabic as early as 1952. It had only been published in the U.S. in 1951, and by Gnome Press, a small press that published only sf. Asimov did not have an international reputation at the time. It wouldn’t be until decades later that he achieved his fame. The best article I can find on the connection is from the [Guardian](http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,779530,00.html). > [@](#): > > If Bin Laden did read Asimov, when was it? It is clear that from an early age he consumed western products and media, until a fundamentalist reversion occurred when he met the Palestinian preacher Abdullah Azzam, who was to be a crucial influence. > > As Bin Laden’s best biographer, Yossef Bodansky, puts it, he “started the 1970s as did many other sons of the affluent and well-connected - breaking the strict Muslim lifestyle in Saudi Arabia with sojourns in cosmopolitan Beirut. While in high school and college, Osama visited Beirut often, frequenting flashy nightclubs, casinos, and bars. He was a drinker and womaniser, which often got him into bar brawls.” > > If Bin Laden did read Foundation, it most likely would have been in these wild years, when he was aping western habits. Maybe he read an English version, bought in one of Beirut’s English-language bookshops, or during a trip to the US or London (where he bought property in Wembley). > > Was there any science fiction for him to read in Arabic? A search dating from 1972 to the present of the Index Translationem, Unesco’s register of translated books, reveals a reasonable amount of classic fantastic fiction in Arabic: The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. But so far as 20th-century science fiction is concerned, a search found only two clear-cut examples: a 1985 Kuwait book which collected Ray Bradbury’s Pillar of Fire and The Fog Horn and a 1988 Iraqi edition of Colin Wilson’s The Mind Parasites. > > Maybe, says Dennis Lien from the University of Minnesota, who made the search, the fabled Arabic edition of Foundation was published prior to 1972 and has not been reprinted since, but passed from hand to hand. “I suppose one could argue that since Asimov was Jewish it may have become politically incorrect in the Islamic world to reprint his books, but the same argument would apply against their being printed to any great degree in the first place.” and on al-Qaida: > [@](#): > > That would seem to cut out Asimov. But other reasons why al-Qaida might be so called are no less mysterious. After all, communiques issued by Bin Laden and his associates never use the name. Instead they refer to themselves as the “World Islamic Front for Jihad against Jews and the Crusaders”, the “Islamic Army for the Liberation of Holy Places” and so on. > > The first use of al-Qaida in western media was in 1996 in an American newspaper report which identified it as another name of the Islamic Salvation Foundation, one of Bin Laden’s jihadi charities. The term only came into general usage after the group’s bombing of the US embassies in East Africa in 1998, when the FBI and CIA fingered it as an umbrella organisation for various projects of Bin Laden and his associates - many of which grew out of ideas originally hatched by Abdullah Azzam, who’d been killed by a car-bomb in Peshawar in 1989. The evidence is thin to the point of non-existence. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/17 "2004-07-18T18:11:35Z")
This is kind of like blaming meteorologists for the Weathermen. ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/18 "2004-07-18T21:22:37Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > This is kind of like blaming meteorologists for the Weathermen. Best. Analogy. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/19 "2004-07-18T23:09:14Z")
> [@Gamaliel](#): > > Best. Analogy. Ever. …although I DO blame some local meteorologists as being the inspiration behind ‘I, ROBOT.’ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lemon\_martini2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@lemon\_martini2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lemon_martini2)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658/20 "2004-07-19T11:48:20Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > This is kind of like blaming meteorologists for the Weathermen. Who do I blame for the Weather Girls? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-asimovs-novel-foundation-published-in-arabic-as-al-qaida/255658.md?page=2)