Margaret MacLeod speaks Urdu and Hindi and previously worked in Pakistan and India as a diplomat.
LONDON: The US State Department has appointed a fluent Urdu and Hindi speaker as its spokesperson in London to create better communications with South Asian language communities.
Margaret MacLeod is fluent in Urdu and Hindi and her vocabulary is impressive, including her knowledge of India and Pakistan that she acquired during her work as a diplomat in these countries.
During a visit to the Geographic news In his London office, MacLeod spoke passionately, in fluent Urdu, about how his time in Pakistan and the friendships he made there had helped him learn Urdu, both literal and colloquial.
MacLeod was stationed in Pakistan starting in 2010 and was able to explore several cities in Pakistan, focusing on historical sites in Pakistan that are of great interest to historians.
He began taking Urdu lessons in the United States as part of his diplomatic post, but was able to hone his skills during his direct interaction with speakers of these languages in Pakistan and India.
“I have worked in Islamabad and Karachi and traveled to many places,” he said.
The American diplomat said that learning Urdu, considering its origin, was difficult at first, but “it is a beautiful language.” She is also fluent in Japanese and Gujarati.
She shared, “For me, it was difficult to pronounce many Urdu and Hindi words and pronounce certain vowels and words, but I worked hard and practiced with my Urdu-speaking friends. I am still working hard on my Urdu and Hindi.”
MacLeod is now posted at the US Embassy's International Media Center, which engages South Asian, Dari and Pan-Aran media, especially India and Pakistan.
She shared that her sources for news about Pakistan are Geographic news and Voice of America.
“I learn Urdu from various sources. For news in Pakistan, I follow Geo News, the Voice of America Urdu service and a few other outlets. It is mainly news that I follow. I use my language skills in restaurants and on the streets of London. I keep meeting people in London who speak Hindi and Urdu,” she added.
MacLeod described Pakistan as a “beautiful country” where he spent two years of his diplomatic life.
“I worked there for two years and visited Lahore and Karachi. I visited places like Khewra and Rothas Qilla salt mines. My favorite place was the historic city of Taxila.”
Before taking up her role in London, MacLeod was posted in New Delhi. She was struck by the cultural similarities between the two warring neighbors.
“Both countries share a lot of common culture. The cultural relations between people are quite strong. For me it was a great experience to be in both countries and experience so many things.”
MacLeod is an experienced U.S. diplomat and has served in a variety of foreign roles, including positions at U.S. missions in India, Pakistan and Japan.
She holds a PhD in Sustainable Development from Columbia University, earned her BA in International Economics from Georgetown University, and studied at the Delhi School of Economics as a Rotary Scholar. She has served in the United States Senate and the United States Mission to the United Nations for many years.
