REFRAMING POLITICS: THE ROLE OF TRANSLATION IN SHAPING ARAB POLITICAL THOUGHT FROM COLONIALISM TO MODERNITY

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the pivotal role of translation in shaping Arab political thought from the colonial era to modernity by exploring the mechanisms through which translation has been used as a tool to shape political awareness and reshape concepts in the Arab context. Adopting a qualitative research methodology the study employed case studies and collected data through semistructured interviews and textual analysis of historical documents and contemporary texts with data analyzed using content analysis and critical analysis techniques. The results revealed the ideological social and cultural influences of Western political translation on Arab political thought and the mechanisms of translation manipulation during the colonial period through deletion, addition and rephrasing as well as the strategies of reappropriation and reinterpretation in postcolonial contexts through adaptation domestication and foreignization. The study concluded that translation was not merely a neutral linguistic transfer, but rather an effective tool in shaping political discourse and cultural identity and emphasized the importance of developing accurate and culturally sensitive translation practices to foster constructive political dialogue.