‘Jareema’: The Arabic word for crime is deployed in courts and cultural debates

The Arabic term "jareema" signifies crime and refers to any act that constitutes a punishable offense according to the law. This can encompass a broad spectrum of offenses, from theft and fraud to more severe crimes like murder. The plural form of jareema is "jaraim," which translates to "crimes."

The word "jareema" originates from the Arabic root letters "jim," "ra," and "mim." These letters also connote concepts of wrongdoing and guilt. In legal contexts, verbs such as "ajrama" (he committed a crime) and "ajramat" (she committed a crime) are used. Meanwhile, "mujrim" denotes an individual who has committed a crime.

Expressions related to "jareema" extend beyond the realm of criminal law. For instance, "ijram" refers to criminality in general, with "ilm al-ijram" translating to criminology. In the context of a crime scene, the term "masrah al-jareema" is employed. More contemporary applications include "jaraim elektroniyya" for cybercrimes, "jareema munazzama" for organized crime, and "jaraim harb" for war crimes.

Legal Arabic makes a clear distinction between "mujrim," an individual whose guilt is presumed, and "muttaham," someone accused of an offense. This distinction can also be applied figuratively. For example, "jareema fi haqq al-fann" refers to a crime against art, which might be used to critique a song, film, or performance as being particularly poor. In literature, "adab al-jareema" pertains to crime fiction, while "jareema kamila" signifies the perfect crime.

An example of a notable film featuring "jareema" is "Al Jareema" (also known as "El Gareema" in Egyptian Arabic), released in 2022. Starring Ahmed Ezz, Menna Shalaby, and Maged El Kedwany, the movie is set in 1970s Egypt and follows an investigation that begins with a man escaping from a psychiatric hospital and new evidence surfacing in connection with a series of killings.

Another familiar phrase derived from "jareema" is "al-jareema la tufid," which translates to "crime does not pay." This expression, used as the title of a story in the Egyptian anthology series "Helwa El Donia Sokar," revolves around an online journalist investigating an artist accused of theft.