First Capital Connect post signs in backward Arabic

FIRST Capital Connect has been accused of using “gibberish” language after posting signs with Arabic words back to front to publicise an Olympic security warning.

The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) has demanded the signs be rewritten after being alerted today that the new signs, that were supposed to warn visitors not to leave items unattended, made no sense.

The sign is one of eight placed at stations, including translated versions in German, French and Spanish.

Director of CAABU Chris Doyle said that the words in the Arabic section are “unintelligible” and “mumbo-jumbo” as they are back to front.

He said: “This oversight does not only represent a lapse in security, but it is also entirely disrespectful to our guests and makes our capital – host city of the Olympic Games – look like a joke.

“The words are back to front. The characters are not joined up as they have to be in Arabic, even when in typeface.”

He said that CAABU will ask First Capital Connect (FCC) to review procedures for creating such signs as soon as possible, taking into account the culture and language of our city’s guests.

Chris added: “It’s pretty incompetent. It’s not some piece of trivial information, it’s a serious issue.”

He was also concerned that a single flag was incorrectly used to represent 22 Arabic countries – one that was used in 1916 during the Arab Revolt.

A spokesman for FCC said the company was looking into the issue, and that an outside company had supplied the signs.