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An international name
Diplomat's Phallic Name Screws His Career
Who hasn't heard humorous stories about names getting lost in translation? There is, of course, the old urban legend of the Chevy Nova being a sales "no go" in Spanish-speaking countries, and what red-faced American student in France hasn't been politely told that the "pr?servatifs" he or she requested at the breakfast table aren't, in fact, preserves to spread on your tartine but condoms. However, one distinguished Pakistani diplomat, Miangul Akbar Zeb, isn't laughing about how his name translates into Arabic.
After successfully holding several high-level appointments in both Canada and Pakistan, Mr. Akbar Zeb has been nominated to be Pakistan's ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but the Saudis won't approve the appointment. It seems that the diplomat's name translates into Arabic as "the biggest ***." Such a moniker doesn't bode well for anyone in the diplomatic corps regardless of what particular nuance of meaning you attach to the translation. The unfortunate coincidence has previously cost Mr. Biggest *** diplomatic appointments in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
All laughter (and curiosity) aside, one wonders if Pakistan is adopting the ideologies and policies of the American president Theodore Roosevelt, who famously quipped on September 2, 1901, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." In any case, nominating Mr. Akbar Zeb for sensitive diplomatic posts is one way to thrust your way onto the international scene.
