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Ignore whoever found it frightening, they clearly need a good dose of reality. People like that should not be pampered or apologized to...

Oh won't someone please think of the children!

It's good to know the licence fee is in such good hands. If the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ management is so eager to implement Arabic into their working practices I might suggest they take their brand of multi-culti metroism to Saudi Arabia or Syria where I'm sure their decadent ways would be most welcome. Now that would be money well spent.

I'd imagine that Radio 4 would probably be easier to understand in arabic rather than the ramblings that you usually here, i know the 'comedy' would certainly be far more likely to amuse.

I have to say that I too was a little alarmed at first by Charlotte Green's reading of the Shipping Forecast in Arabic (especially as it was early on a Sunday morning), but I thought it was quite a fun idea, and something out of the ordinary. A good idea (though perhaps only as a one-off, please!) - well done to Charlotte for her hard work, and for doing it with such her usual style and professionalism.

Ignore the misery-guts. This is a work of genius.

Just one question (apart from "Am I supposed to be laughing?"), why weren't the numbers given in Arabic?

Good on you ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ! Language is the key to understanding. Carry on breaking down those barriers. PS Charlotte Green reading anything is always worth listening to (swoon!)

I can't help but notice a lot of nose-thumbing at Al Jazeera English from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ over recent weeks and months. Bit of a sore point?

If you have to apologise for this, then truly Britain is going to hell in a handcart.

Then again if anything is going to make Richard Littlejohn and his ilk discharge steam from both ears simultaneously then the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in Arabic would do it. As Andrew B writes (along with a hundred articles in 'The Onion') : "Oh, won't somebody think of the children!"

That's fantastic... it reminds me of the good old days of listening to the Shipping Forecast on LW and having foreign station fade in and out behind it!

I'm sure the numbers were given in Arabic numerals... even if they were read in English

I vote you read the Shipping Forecast in a different language every Sunday morning. It'd be tres cool.

I was sailing the high seas when I was waiting to hear the shipping forecast, as I needed to decide where to sail. As I could not decipher what was said, I ended up in a terrible storm and one of my men was washed overboard. Oh well, he didn't have any family...

Loki's sense of humour bypass is very disappointing. The deadpan style makes this very funny indeed. And it has nothing whatsoever to do with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ wasting money or being too politically correct - this is deliciously un-PC without being offensive. Well measured.

Salaams etc.

this is hilarious!

What aer all the whingers, (fortunately not too many),on about?

Just played it to my wife, and she figured out what it was almost straight away and neither of us are Arabic speakers. Actually, since the numbers and areas were given in English I'd doubt anyone could fail to understand it. Perhaps next week you would just read the numbers and areas, in Jim Davidson broken microphone style?

This was wonderful and gave me a great giggle.

Thank you!

From the flood coverage of EVERYTHING "Middle East", as far as I knew ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ had been taken over by the arabs any way.

How may one tell the difference?

Good job!

Fantastic, i've just listened to it. I didn't think it was going to be that funny but it's great!

i think Charlotte deserves some praise for getting it all right. More please.

Would help if Sam who is so critical about the ramblings on Radio 4 could spell the word "hear" correctly to make a point!

brilliant...funny......and marvellously strange sounding juxtapositioned with the familiar shipping sites. Now we know how puzzling english sounds to non speakers.......bet they don't go all dodgey abt it....please lets have it in a different language once a weeek.....followed by the "real" thing of course for all mariners....rising slowly in thai....gale force in gujerati !!!

This, it seems to me, broadly shows, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's pro Moslem stance. I mean come on, seriously, isn't it interesting that of all the languages in the world, they choose the Arab one? Peter talks about the question of a muslim reader reader wearing a scarf, but surely that would be an indication of where she holds - no? so if she is allowed to wear it why shouldn't fiona bruce be allowed to wear a cross?

It makes about as much sense in Arabic as it does in English!

Oh Auntie, you really must put 9.11.01 behind you. Else we may have to cut your allowance and consider putting you in a home.