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madrasa

(Encyclopedia)madrasa or madrassah, in Islamic countries, a school, historically usually one devoted to higher education in religious studies, but the term may refer to any school. Privately endowed, often by royal...

Zawahiri, Ayman al-

(Encyclopedia)Zawahiri or Zawahri, Ayman al- both: īˈmän äl-zäwäˈrē [key], 1951–, militant Egyptian Islamist. A surgeon by education and training, he became involved with the Muslim Brotherhood and joined...

Jarring, Gunnar

(Encyclopedia)Jarring, Gunnar gŭnˈär yärˈĭng [key], 1907–2002, Swedish diplomat. He entered diplomatic service during World War II and was minister to India (1948–51), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka; 1950–51), a...

Doxiades, Constantinos

(Encyclopedia)Doxiades, Constantinos kônstäntēˈnôs dôksyäˈᵺēs [key], 1913–75, Greek urban planner, designer, and consultant on ekistics, the science of human settlements. In Athens, Doxiades held offic...

Jhang-Maghiana

(Encyclopedia)Jhang-Maghiana jəng-məgyäˈnə [key], twin cities (1998 pop. 292,214) c.2 mi (3.2 km) apart, central Pakistan, on the Chenab River. Maghiana is above, in the highlands overlooking a valley; Jhang i...

Jaisalmer

(Encyclopedia)Jaisalmer jəsälˈmər [key], former principality, Rajasthan state, NW India. Its terrain is largely a sandy or stony waste and constitutes a section of the Thar Desert. Jaisalmer was brought under t...

Faisalabad

(Encyclopedia)Faisalabad līˈəlpo͝or [key], city, NE Pakistan, in a cotton- and wheat-growing area. It is an ...

Zia ul-Haq, Mohammad

(Encyclopedia)Zia ul-Haq, Mohammad, 1924–88, Pakistani military and political leader. Named general and chief of staff by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1976, he declared martial law in July, 1977, in response to agitati...

Karzai, Hamid

(Encyclopedia)Karzai, Hamid hämēdˈ kärzīˈ [key], 1957–, Afghan political leader, b. Kandahar. Karzai's father and grandfather, who both served in the government of King Muhammad Zahir Shah, were heads of th...

Tribal Areas

(Encyclopedia)Tribal Areas, officially the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), former administrative region, 10,510 sq mi (27,220 sq km), NW Pakistan, comprising seven agencies (or tribal areas) and six gen...