Who are the world's leading public intellectuals? Foreign Policy and Britain's Prospect magazine selected their top 100, and invited readers to vote for their top twenty. Here was…
(Encyclopedia) Mahdi, Sadiq al-, 1936–2020, Sudanese political and religious leader. A descendent of Muhammad Ahmad (see Mahdi), Mahdi succeeded (1964) to the leadership of the Ansar, the Sufi order…
(Encyclopedia) Assad, Bashar al- Assad, Bashar al- bäshärˈ äl-äsˈsäd [key], 1965–, Syrian political leader, son of Hafez al-Assad. A medical doctor, he left Syria (1992) for an…
(Encyclopedia) Assad, Hafez al-Assad, Hafez al-häfĕzˈ [key]Assad, Hafez al- äl-äsˈsäd [key], 1930–2000, president of Syria (1971–2000). He graduated (1955) from the Syrian Military Academy and…
(Encyclopedia) Kitab al-AghaniKitab al-Aghanikētäbˈ äl-ägänēˈ [key] [Arab.,=book of songs], collection of poems in many volumes compiled by Abu al-Faraj Ali of Esfahan. It contains poems from the…
(Encyclopedia) Abu al-FidaAbu al-Fidaäˌb&oomacr; äl-fēˈdä, –fĭdäˈ [key], 1273–1331, Arab historian, b. Damascus. He fought against the Christians in the last period of the Crusades and later…
(Encyclopedia) Abraj Al-Bait, complex of seven government-owned, mixed-use buildings in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The most impressive structure, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, is the tallest building in…
(Encyclopedia) Hafez or Hafiz, Amin al-Hafez or Hafiz, Amin al-ämēnˈ äl-häˈfəz [key], 1921?–2009, Syrian army officer and politician. He served (1963–65) as chief of state in Syria's Ba'athist…
(Encyclopedia) Hajj Umar, al-Hajj Umar, al-äl-häj &oomacr;märˈ [key] or Hajj OmarHajj Umar, al-ōˈmär [key], 1797–1864, Muslim religious and military leader in W Africa. A chieftain of the large…
