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Hussein Fadlallah
Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah (; 16 November 1935 – 4 July 2010) was a prominent Lebanese- Iraqi Twelver Shia cleric. Born in Najaf, Iraq, Fadlallah studied Islam in Najaf before moving to Lebanon in 1952. In the following decades, he gave many lectures, engaged in intense scholarship, wrote dozens of books, founded several Islamic religious schools, and established the ''Mabarrat Association''. Through the aforementioned association, he established a public library, a women's cultural center, and a medical clinic. Fadlallah was sometimes called the "spiritual mentor" of Hezbollah in the media, although this was disputed by other sources. He was also the target of several assassination attempts, including the 1985 Beirut car bombing. His death was followed by a huge turnout in Lebanon, visits by virtually all major political figures across the Lebanese spectrum, and statements of condolence from across the greater Middle East region; but it also led to contr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer to the descendants of the family of the Bani Hashim through the Prophet’s great-grandfather Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, Hashim, and others including Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, Hamza, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, Abbas, Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib, Abu Talib, and Asad ibn Hashim. Etymology A few Arabic, Arabic language experts state that it has its roots in the word ''al-asad'' , meaning "lion", probably because of the qualities of valor and leadership. The word is derived from the verb sāda, meaning to rule. The title seyyid/sayyid existed before Islam, however not in light of a specific descent, but as a meritocratic sign of respect. Hans Wehr's ''Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic'' defines seyyid as a translation for master, chief, sov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Public Library
A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries: # they are generally supported by taxes (usually local, though any level of government can and may contribute); # they are governed by a board to serve the public interest; # they are open to all, and every community member can access the collection; # they are entirely voluntary, no one is ever forced to use the services provided; and # they provide library and information services without charge. Public libraries exist in many countries across the world and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population. Public libraries are distinct from research library, research libraries, school library, school libraries, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robin Wright (author)
Robin B. Wright (born August 22, 1948), is an American foreign affairs analyst, author and journalist who has covered wars, revolutions and uprisings around the world. She writes for ''The New Yorker'' and is a fellow of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center. Wright has authored five books and coauthored or edited three others. Early life Wright was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She attended Pres Fleuris—Les Roches in Bluche-sur-Sierre, Switzerland. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she is the daughter of L. Hart Wright, a University of Michigan law professor and Phyllis Wright, a dancer and actress. She lives in Washington, D.C. Career Wright received an Alicia Patterson Journalism Fellowship in 1975 to live in Africa and write about the dismantling of Portugal's African empire. Wright has reported from more than 140 countries on seven continents for ''The New Yorker'', ''The Washington Post'', The ''Los Angeles Times'', '' The New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and was patented in 1867. It rapidly gained wide-scale use as a more robust alternative to the traditional gun powder, black powder explosives. It allows the use of nitroglycerine's favorable explosive properties while greatly reducing its risk of accidental detonation. History Dynamite was invented by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel in 1866 and was the first safely manageable explosive stronger than black powder. Alfred Nobel's father, Immanuel Nobel, was an industrialist, engineer, and inventor. He built bridges and buildings in Stockholm and founded Sweden's first rubber factory. His construction work inspired him to research new methods of blasting rock that were more effective than black powder. After some bad business deals in S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Car Bomb
A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roughly divided into two main categories: those used primarily to kill the occupants of the vehicle (often as an assassination) and those used as a means to kill, injure or damage people and buildings outside the vehicle. The latter type may be parked (the vehicle disguising the bomb and allowing the bomber to get away), or the vehicle might be used to deliver the bomb (often as part of a suicide bombing). It is commonly used as a weapon of terrorism or guerrilla warfare to kill people near the blast site or to damage buildings or other property. Car bombs act as their own delivery mechanisms and can carry a relatively large amount of explosives without attracting suspicion. In larger vehicles and trucks, weights of around or more have been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and conducting covert operations. The agency is headquartered in the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, Virginia, and is sometimes metonymously called "Langley". A major member of the United States Intelligence Community (IC), the CIA has reported to the director of national intelligence since 2004, and is focused on providing intelligence for the president and the Cabinet. The CIA is headed by a director and is divided into various directorates, including a Directorate of Analysis and Directorate of Operations. Unlike the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the CIA has no law enforcement function and focuses on intelligence gathering overseas, with only limited domestic intelligence collection. The CIA is responsibl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the Lebanese people played a notable role in the lead-up to and during the conflict: Lebanese Christians and Lebanese Sunni Muslims comprised the majority in the coastal cities; Lebanese Shia Muslims were primarily based throughout southern Lebanon and in the Beqaa Valley in the east; and Lebanese Druze, Druze and Christians populated the country's mountainous areas. At the time, the Lebanese government was under the influence of elites within the Maronite Christian community. The link between politics and religion was reinforced under the Greater Lebanon, French Mandate from 1920 to 1943, and the country's parliamentary structure favoured a leading position for Lebanese Christians, who constituted the majority of the population. However, Leban ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusive. There may be substance abuse or mental illness in the biological home, or the parent may simply be unwilling to care for the child. The legal responsibility for the support of abandoned children differs from country to country, and within countries. Government-run orphanages have been phased out in most developed countries during the latter half of the 20th century but continue to operate in many other regions internationally. It is now generally accepted that orphanages are detrimental to the emotional wellbeing of children, and government support goes instead towards supporting the family unit. A few large international charities continue to fund orphanages, but most are still commonly founded by smaller charities and religious group ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muhsin Al Amin
Al-Sayyed Mohsen al-Amin (b.1284 A.H./1867 C.E. - d.1371 A.H. /1952 C.E.), also transliterated Muhsin al Amin, was a Shia scholar, biographer, traditionist, and jurist. He was born in Jabal Amil, Lebanon. His most important work is ''A'yan al-Shi'a''. Early life and education Family background Al-Amin was born in 1867 to a well-known Sayyid family in Jabal Amil, Lebanon. His father, Abdul al-Karim al-Amili, was a scholar of his time. His father died in Iraq was buried, when he had gone to pilgrimage in Iraq. His maternal grandfather was ′Shaykh Muhammad Hussein al Amili al Musawi, was one of the scholars who went to Najaf for education and died there. Education Sayyed Mohsen began to study the Qur'an and elementary Arabic grammar at the age of seven under a village teacher. Four years later, he learned jurisprudence for three years under Shaykh Musa Sharara who returned to Iraq. In 1890, arrangements were made for him to study in Najaf, Iraq. Finally he was a learned M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hawza Najaf
The Najaf Seminary (), also known as the al-Hawza Al-Ilmiyya (الحوزة العلمية), is the oldest and one of the most important Shia seminaries (hawza) in the world. It is located near the Imam Ali Shrine in the city of Najaf in Iraq, and also operates a campus in Karbala, Iraq. Grand Ayatollah Sayed Ali Sistani currently serves as head of the Hawza Al-Ilmiyya in Najaf, which includes two other Ayatollahs - Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad and Bashir al-Najafi. The number of students studying there has waxed and waned in modern times, from 15,000-20,000 in the mid-20th century, down to 3000 during the repressive reign of Saddam Hussein, to around 13,000 as of 2014. As of 2014 the curriculum has been updated to include many modern subjects as well as interfaith and inter-sect initiatives. History Founding The exact date of the establishment of the Hawza of Najaf is unknown, and indeed in what century it was established is disputed, with one view maintaining that the Hawza ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kuttab
A kuttab ( ''kuttāb'', plural: ''kataatiib'', ) or maktab () is a type of elementary school in the Muslim world. Though the ''kuttab'' was primarily used for teaching children in reading, writing, grammar, and Islamic studies, such as memorizing and reciting the Qur'an (including ''Qira'at''), other practical and theoretical subjects were also often taught. The kuttāb represents an old-fashioned method of education in Muslim majority countries, in which a sheikh teaches a group of students who sit in front of him on the ground. Until the 20th century, when modern schools developed, kuttabs were the prevalent means of mass education in much of the Islamic world. Name Kuttab refers to only elementary schools in Arabic. This institution can also be called a ''maktab'' () or ''maktaba'' () in Arabic—with many transliterations. In common Modern Standard Arabic usage, ''maktab'' means "office" while ''maktabah'' means "library" or "(place of) study" and ''kuttāb'' is a plural wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
'Aynata
Aynata () is a municipality in Lebanon. It is located in the southern part of the country. It is a stronghold for Hezbollah and during the war with Israel in 2006, about 60% of the homes in the town were destroyed. History Israeli archaeologist Yohanan Aharoni identified Aynata as ancient En-hazor, and says it appears in the topographical lists of Thutmose III. In 1854, Charles William Meredith van de Velde proposed that Aynata was Beth-Anath. W.M. Thomson repeated this claim in 1859,Thomson, 1859, p315/ref> and Victor Guérin came to the same conclusion in 1880.Guérin, 1880, p374/ref> The same view was held by historical geographer Georg Kampffmeyer (1892). Foundations and columns of a ruined temple complex in the woods near the village were recorded by William McClure Thomson, who thought them to have once been called ''Kubrikha''. He remarked that "the whole neighborhood is crowded with ancient but deserted sites." Ottoman era In 1596, it was named as a village ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
