Live translation of Arafat Day sermon to be aired in Bangla

Live translation of the Arafat Day sermon, will be aired in 14 languages including Bangla – as Saudi Arabia seeks to convey a message of moderation and tolerance to the widest possible audience.

Among the other languages are French, Urdu, Farsi, Russian, Turkish and Tamil, according to Arab News.

The sermon was initially translated into two languages. This was increased to five and, later, 10 languages.

Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia, said that the Kingdom's leadership is offering unlimited support to the development of the Prophet's Mosque and Grand Mosque's services.

As the live translation of the Arafat sermon enters its fifth year, the project has been expanded to include 14 languages, he said.

A media tour of the live translation site at Al-Nimra Mosque on Thursday was followed by a media briefing for the project at the presidency's headquarters.

The translation benefitted 1 million people in its first year, 11 million in its second, 50 million in its third, 100 million in its fourth and will reach 200 million people around the world in 2022.

During the meeting, Al-Sudais said that the leadership is keen to convey Islam's message of moderation and tolerance to the world, using technology to serve pilgrims and visitors.

Live translation of the Arafat Day sermon is a wide-ranging project for the world, and particularly for visitors to the holy sites, enabling non-Arabic speakers to listen in their native language, he said.

At that same location, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made his declaration of human rights, the teachings of Islam and women's rights, and adherence by the Sunnah.

With this year's Hajj season the largest since the coronavirus pandemic, the Kingdom will also ensure the wellbeing of pilgrims, allowing them to perform rituals with comfort and ease, Al-Sudais said.