(Encyclopedia) Al Aswany, Alaa, 1957–, Egyptian author, b. Cairo. The son of a novelist-lawyer, he was trained as a dentist at Cairo Univ. (grad. 1980) and the Univ. of Illinois at Chicago (M.S.,…
(Encyclopedia) Jaafari, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Ibrahim al-ēbrähēmˈ äl-jäˈfärē [key], 1947–, Iraqi political leader, b. Karbala as Ibrahim al-Eshaiker. A Shiite, a physician, and the leader of the Dawa…
(Encyclopedia) Ibn al-HaythamIbn al-Haythamĭbˈən äl-hīth-ämˈ [key] or AlhazenIbn al-Haythamălhəzĕnˈ [key], 965–c.1040, Arab mathematician. Ibn al-Haytham was born in Basra, but made his career in…
(Encyclopedia) Husseini, Amin al-Husseini, Amin al-ämēnˈ äl h&oobreve;sāˈnē [key], 1896?–1974, Arab political and religious leader. He was inveterately opposed to the creation of a Jewish state…
(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…