Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere gets Arabic translation

Noli Me Tangere in Arabic. Photo shows (from left) Falah Anwar Kahrur, Philippine honorary consul to Kurdistan; Romeo Salvador, BGT CEO; Hisham Al-Alawi, Iraqi deputy foreign minister for political planning affairs; Charlie Pacaña Manangan, Philippine ambassador to Iraq; Alicia Perez del Pulgar, Spanish ambassador to Iraq; Reyadh Mahdi Jasim Al Najjar, University of Baghdad professor; and Anton Cayaco, third secretary and vice consul at the Philippine embassy in Iraq during the launch of the Arabic translation of Rizal’s 1887 novel last December 10.

Basra Gateway Terminal supported the Department of Foreign Affairs’ initiative to translate José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere into Arabic, marking a milestone in cultural diplomacy and the celebration of 50 years of Philippine-Iraq diplomatic relations.

Romeo A. Salvador, BGT CEO, witnessed the handover of the Arabic manuscript during a ceremony organized by the Philippine Embassy in Iraq.

Rizal, the Philippines’ national hero, wrote Noli Me Tangere in 1887 to highlight social injustices. The novel and its sequel, El Filibusterismo, helped spark the reform movement and remain central to Filipino identity.

The translation project was conceived in 2024 by Philippine Ambassador to Iraq Charlie Pacaña Manangan, a member of the Knights of Rizal, together with the embassy’s cultural diplomacy team.

The translation was completed by University of Baghdad professor Dr. Reyadh Mahdi Jasim Al‑Najjar, with funding from the embassy, the Office of Cultural Diplomacy of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Copies of the Arabic edition are expected to be available this year following the turnover of the manuscript.