{
  "id": 13179519,
  "title": "‘Jareema’: The Arabic word for crime is deployed in courts and cultural debates",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/jareema-the-arabic-word-for-crime-is-deployed-in-courts-and-cultural-13179519",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T18:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2026/10/09/learn-arabic-jareema-crime-courts/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\"\n\nThe 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.\n\nExpressions 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.\n\nLegal 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.\n\nAn 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.",
  "summary": "Jareema appears in official police reports and courtrooms, as well as in fierce criticism of songs, films and performances. Our Arabic word of the week means crime and describes an act punishable by law, ranging from theft and fraud to murder. The plural is jaraim, meaning “crimes”. Jareema comes from the root letters jim, ra and mim, which also carry meanings associated with wrongdoing and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "‘Jareema’: The Arabic word for crime is deployed in courts and cultural debates",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/jareema-the-arabic-word-for-crime-is-deployed-in-courts-and-cultural",
        "published": "2026-10-09T18:01:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}