arabic final

Sykes-Picot Agreement

A secret 1916 agreement between Britain and France, with Russia's assent, to divide the Ottoman Empire's territories in the Middle East after World War I.

Baathism (Baath movement)

An Arab nationalist ideology advocating the unity of Arab countries, socialism, and modernization; associated with regimes in Syria and Iraq.

Nakba (catastrophe)

Refers to the 1948 Palestinian exodus following the establishment of Israel, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced.

Jamal Abd al-Nasir

Egyptian president (1956–1970) known for his role in Arab nationalism, the nationalization of the Suez Canal, and leadership during the 1956 Suez Crisis.

Hasan al-Banna

Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928, an Islamist organization promoting Islamic values and social reform, with significant political influence.

Gibran Khalil Gibran

A Lebanese-American writer, poet, and artist best known for The Prophet, a philosophical work of prose poetry.

Badr Shakir al-Sayyab

An Iraqi poet who pioneered modern Arab poetry, particularly free verse, with themes of exile, loss, and political struggle.

Mahmoud Darwish

A prominent Palestinian poet whose works reflect themes of homeland, exile, and resistance, making him a cultural icon.

Muhammad Shukri

A Moroccan author famous for his autobiographical work For Bread Alone, detailing his struggles with poverty and illiteracy.

The 1967 war

Also known as the Six-Day War, a conflict between Israel and Arab states (Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) that resulted in Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula.

Joumana Haddad

A Lebanese writer, poet, and activist known for her feminist views and works challenging societal norms in the Arab world.

Nizar Qabbani

A Syrian poet renowned for his romantic and political poetry, often advocating for women's rights and Arab unity.

Nahda (renaissance)

A cultural and intellectual awakening in the Arab world during the 19th and early 20th centuries, inspired by Western modernity and reform.

Mohammad Bouazizi

A Tunisian street vendor whose self-immolation in 2010 sparked the Arab Spring, leading to widespread protests and regime changes in the Arab world.

The Balfour Declaration

A 1917 British statement supporting the establishment of a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine, impacting Arab-Jewish relations.

Ahlam Mosteghanmi

An Algerian author known for her novels exploring themes of love, memory, and political upheaval, including Memory in the Flesh.

Qunstantin Zurayq

A Syrian historian and intellectual who analyzed the causes of the Arab world's challenges, particularly the defeat in the 1967 war.

Naguib Mahfouz

An Egyptian novelist and Nobel Prize winner in Literature (1988), famous for works like The Cairo Trilogy that depict social and political changes in Egypt.

Abdallah Laroui

A Moroccan historian and thinker known for his critical approach to Arab historiography and modernization theory.

Ghada al-Samman

A Syrian novelist and journalist whose works often address themes of freedom, exile, and the status of women in Arab societies.