Iranian Swimmer’s Video Message with Subtitles
The Iranian sports ministry has been accused of favoring men in athletic competitions. With the power of social media and translators who specialize in professional Persian translation women from Iran can voice their complaints for a global audience. Athletes do not have to be fluent in English to communicate their views with fans around the world. For instance, Iranian authorities have refused to acknowledge the accomplishment of Elham Asghari because they considered her swimsuit “too revealing”. She made a statement about her difficulty in obtaining permission to swim in the Caspian Sea. Her remarks have been translated from Farsi and posted on news articles online. Professionals in the field of Persian translation services have been influential in spreading her words to non-Farsi speakers outside of Iran.
In a video she has thanked supporters who have praised her for breaking a record despite authorities’ decision. This piece was initially uploaded on Facebook in the original language and later subtitled in English and posted on Youtube. The video with translated subtitles has garnered thousands of viewers on social media websites. In another video she stated that individuals who are not capable of swimming 20 meters have disqualified her from her record breaking swim. Since her words have been translated by translators who offer professional Persian translation many people around the world have heard her voice and sent her encouraging messages. Asghari has waived off the criticism, pointing to seven witnesses who confirmed that her outfit followed the Islamic dress code and that she had swam in the absence of men observers. Her friend has also expressed her disappointment with the decision to letting Asghari’s record-setting swim go unrecorded.
Her remarks were originally made in the Persian language and translated into English for foreigners who wrote news articles about this unfair situation. Now that professional translation for Persian makes such reports available to a larger population, there will be more pressure on the Iranian government to reconsider its decision to ignore record breaking achievements by Iranian women. In the absence of professional Persian translation and video sharing websites it would have been more challenging for Iranian women to communicate with a wide audience. English subtitles for non-Farsi speakers around the world raise awareness of Iranian women’s problems and add more force to their efforts to protest for their rights. In addition, with Farsi translation services they can get their words published in foreign-language reports. Companies that focus on professional Persian translation services assist Iranians in reaching non-Farsi speakers in regards to gender discrimination.
