When the United States was preparing for war in Iraq in 2002, Saddam Hussein spoke Arabic in his video denials to having weapons of mass destruction.

The translator played a major role in those videos, being seen as not credible in the United States, SF State lecturer Rev. Rick Van De Water said.

“He spoke in a very low voice, trying to sound like a dictator,” said Van De Water, a lecturer of Arabic at SF State. “And he sounded pretty sarcastic, and didn’t sound trustworthy. Many Americans heard the denials and thought, ‘Yeah right.’”

Clad in a clergy shirt and collar, Van De Water cited this as one example of why more Americans should learn Arabic. Before about 30 students and faculty on Oct. 18, he drew upon his 32 years of living in the Middle East and said learning Arabic can help build a cultural bridge in a time of political conflict.

With the advance of technology and with the world becoming a “global village,” he said there has been an unequal cultural exchange. English has permeated most of the world, while non-English speaking cultures aren’t making a similar impact on the English-speaking world, he said.

“By knowing the language of a people, you’re meeting them on an equal level,” Van De Water said.

Arabic society has a rich culture that is primarily expressed through language, he said. Without knowing the language, misunderstandings can arise.

An example Van De Water cited was President Bush initially calling the war on terror a “crusade.” For many in the Middle East, the word “crusade” has the historical connotation of Christianity trying to dominate Islam.

“It’s hard to believe he meant it that way,” said Van De Water, a priest and minister at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, “but if he had known Arabic, one can assume he wouldn’t have called it that.”

Many Americans only hear Arabic through translators, and things will always get lost in translation, he said.

“Translation is inevitably interpretation,” he said. “Things like the choice of words, intonation, and the translator’s personal biases can dramatically change what is being said.

But learning Arabic can be difficult.

“I was interested in learning a couple years ago, but I found it too difficult,” said 28-year-old Isabella Perez, who is studying events management at SF State. “Maybe I’ll try again in the future, when I have more time.”

When Van De Water teaches Arabic classes, he tells the students they are at a disadvantage because he is not a native speaker. But, he also tells them they are at an advantage because he is not a native speaker, so he knows all the difficulties they face coming from an English-speaking background.

Earlier this semester, while assistant professor Mohammad Salama was stuck in Canada awaiting U.S. security clearance, Van De Water filled in for his Arabic classes.

Van De Water’s lecture was the latest in the foreign language and literature department’s ongoing Foreign Language Colloquium Series. The series is a forum where faculty members and guest speakers from other departments and institutions can speak about subjects in their field of expertise, according to the Midori McKeon, chair of the department of foreign languages and literatures.

McKeon organized the series, and thought Van De Water would be a great speaker.

“Given his 32-year residence in Palestine and Jordan and his extensive educational, social and pastoral work there, I expected perspectives different from the ones we receive from American news media,” she said. “And he delivered.”