by Jean Sasson
Amman: Capital city of Jordan, population 1,182,000.
Arab: A linguistic group of approximately 260 million people that experts believe originated in the Hijaz region in Saudi Arabia. All Iraqis other than Kurds are Arabs.
Arab League: Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen formed the League as a bulwark against Soviet expansion into the Middle East.
Arab Nationalism: Defined as the opposition to foreign rule, first against the Ottomans and then against Great Britain and France. Sati Al-Husri, Mayada Al-Askari’s paternal grandfather, was considered one of the most prominent Arab nationalists.
Arab Union: Iraq and Jordan founded the Union in 1958 as a counter to the Nasser-dominated United Arab Republic of Syria and Egypt, established the same year.
Arabic Language: Arabic belongs to the Semitic language family with its sisters Hebrew and Aramaic. Arabic is written from right to left. Arabic has been a written language since the early fourth century.
Armenian: Armenians are an ancient Indo-European people originating from Eastern Turkey. In the Middle East today, Armenians mainly live in Iran and Lebanon.
Assyrians: Invaders who founded an empire in Mesopotamia from 1200 to 612 B.C.E.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1900-1989): A religious leader of the Shiite Muslim sect who was instrumental in overthrowing the Shah of Iran in 1979. Khomeini ruled Iran until his death in 1989.
Azhar University: Islamic University in Cairo established in A.D. 977 in the al Azhar Mosque in Cairo. It is the oldest institution of its kind in the world, and is the leading center for higher Islamic learning. Some of Mayada’s ancestors attended Azhar University.
Aziz, Tariq: Iraqi politician who is a Catholic from Mosul. A member of the Baath Party, he served as Saddam Hussein’s Deputy Prime Minister. He was arrested by the Coalition Forces in 2003.
Baath: The Arab Baath Socialist Resurrection Party was formed on April 7, 1947, by Michel Aflaq and Salah ad-Din al-Bitar, two Syrian university students. The tenets of the Baath Party include adherence to socialism, political freedom and pan-Arab unity. Baath parties rule in Syria. The Baath Party in Iraq was toppled in 2003 when Coalition Forces overthrew Saddam Hussein’s government.
Baath Socialist Party, Iraq: The party started secretly in 1950. The party increased in size and overthrew the Iraqi government in 1963. Out of power only seven months later, the Baathist came back in 1968 and remained in power until 2003.
Babylon: One of the oldest cities in the world and a leading city in ancient times. It was situated by the Euphrates River, which has since changed course.
Baghdad: Capital city of Iraq, with a population of five million. The city is situated by the Tigris River. Baghdad was once considered the heart of the Arab Empire and was second only to Constantinople in terms of size and splendor during the city’s golden age from 638 to 1100 C.E., when Baghdad flourished as a center of learning, philosophy and commerce.
Bakir, Hassan (1914-1982): Baathist President of Iraq from 1968 to 1979 and a cousin to Saddam Hussein.
Basra: Second largest city in Iraq, located by the Shatt al Arab in southern Iraq and the heart of Shiite territory.
Beirut: Capital of Lebanon. The nation’s principal port, Beirut has a history that stretches back to the Phoenician era.
Euphrates: One of two main rivers in Iraq, eastern Turkey and northern Syria.
King Faisal I (1885-1933): The third son of the first king of Hijaz (modern-day Saudi Arabia), King Hussein bin Ali. Faisal was born in Taif, educated in Constantinople and linked with Great Britain’s T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) to fight against the Ottoman Empire. He became King of Syria and King of Iraq. He was a close friend to members of Mayada Al-Askari’s family.
King Faisal II (1935-1958): The only son of King Ghazi I. He was only four years old when his father died in an automobile accident. The young king was killed in the revolution that occurred on the morning of July 14, 1958.
King Ghazi I (1912-1939): The only son of King Faisal I, Ghazi was born in Hijaz and left to the care of his grandfather, King Hussein, while his father was fighting in World War I. King Ghazi died under mysterious circumstances when he drove his automobile into a lamppost on April 3, 1939. King Ghazi was a close friend of Mayada’s mother, Salwa Al-Askari.
Hammurabi Code: A principle of law established in ancient Mesopotamia (now modern Iraq) that established the role of the state as an agent of justice for wrongdoing, rather than the individual.
Hashemites: The Hashemite kings came from a prominent Saudi Arabian family who descended from Prophet Muhammad and once ruled parts of Saudi Arabia. After their military defeat by Abdul Aziz Al-Sa’ud, the father of the present day rulers of Saudi Arabia, the British placed members of the family as kings in Iraq, Transjordan and Syria. King Faisal I was placed on the Iraqi throne. (The present-day king of Jordan, King Abdullah, is a Hashemite.)
Hijaz: Western region of Saudi Arabia. It is the birthplace of Islam. Hijaz was a province of the Ottoman Empire from 1517, but after World War I, it became an independent kingdom under King Ali al-Hussein. King Hussein was the father of King Faisal I, who became the King of Iraq. Abdul Aziz bin Rahman bin Sa’ud, the father of the present-day kings of Saudi Arabia, conquered the Hijaz in 1926 and declared himself king, combining the Hijaz with the Nejd into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Hussein, Saddam (1937-): The son of a landless peasant who died before his birth, Saddam was raised by his uncle, rose to power through the Baath Party and became the President of Iraq in 1979. Saddam not only led a reign of terror over all Iraqis, but attacked his neighbors Iran and Kuwait, creating war in the region. Saddam Hussein’s government was overthrown in 2003 by coalition forces.
Iraq, Republic of: In 1923, a European Convention led by the British and French governments created modern-day Iraq. The country was made up by combining the Ottoman provinces of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul.
Islam: Religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad. The emphasis in Islam is on submission to the will of a single God.
Kurds: The Kurds are not Arab or Iraqi or Turkish or Persian, but are members of a twenty-five-million-strong ethnic group that inhabits areas in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Saddam Hussein waged extensive military campaigns against the Kurds in Iraq, including gas attacks in 1988.
Kuwait: Small kingdom founded on June 19, 1961, that is located on the southern border of Iraq. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and occupied the country until the coalition forces during the Gulf War of 1991 pushed them out. There have been uneasy relations between Iraq and Kuwait since that time.
Lawrence of Arabia (1888-1935): Thomas Edward Lawrence grew up in Oxford, England, and graduated from Jesus College, specializing in medieval military architecture. Between 1911 and 1913, he worked as an Oxford archaeologist in Mesopotamia. Following the outbreak of World War I, he was assigned to military intelligence in Cairo. He developed a strong relationship with Prince Faisal (later King Faisal I of Syria and Iraq). During World War I, Lawrence organized and fought alongside the Arabs against the Ottoman armies, where he became good friends with Mayada’s grandfather, Jafar, and her father’s uncle, Nouri. Ironically, after surviving many close calls in the war, he died in a motorcycle accident in England. Lawrence was the author of several best-selling books about his military campaigns.
Mesopotamia: The Greek term meaning “the land between the rivers” includes the area between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Early civilizations emerged in this area. Today the area is in Iraq.
Mosque: An Islamic place of public worship.
Mosul: Iraq’s third largest city, with an estimated population of 1.4 million people. Mosul has a long history and was a leading city in ancient times.
Mother of All Battles: Saddam Hussein’s name for the ground war during Operation Desert Storm. After losing the war, Saddam portrayed it as an Iraqi victory.
Mukhabarat: Popular term in Arab countries for the secret police or intelligence apparatus. During
Saddam Hussein’s reign, Iraq had five intelligence agencies, all known generally as the Mukhabarat.
Muslim: An adherent of the religion known as Islam.
Nasser, Gamal Abdul (1918-1970): First independent Arab leader of Egypt; served as President from 1956 to 1970, when he died of a heart attack. During the 1950s Nasser contended with Iraqi leaders for leadership of the complete Arab world. Nasser was a great admirer of Sati Al-Husri, Mayada’s maternal grandfather.
Operation Desert Shield: Military build-up of Arab-Western coalition troops in Saudi Arabia in 1990 and 1991 for the purpose of expelling Saddam Hussein’s armies from Kuwait.
Operation Desert Storm: Arab-Western coalition troops began a bombing campaign against Iraq on January 16, 1991. A ground invasion followed on February 23, 1991. The ground war lasted only one hundred hours and resulted in a military victory for the coalition against Iraq.
Ottomans: Empire established by the Turkish people, which emerged in Anatolia in 1301, conquered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453 and the Arab lands, including Iraq, in 1516 and 1517, lasting for four hundred years. The empire became known as the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire joined the Axis powers during World War I, and with the Allied victory, the empire formally ceased in 1918. Modern Turkey was carved from the remains of the Ottoman Empire.
Pahlavi, Shah Mohammed Reza (1919-1980): Born in Tehran, succeeded his father, who abdicated in his son’s favor, in September 1941. Dedicated enemy of the Muslim cleric Khomeini, who returned to Iran and seized power after the Shah left on January 16, 1979.
Pan-Arabism: An international Arab movement that promoted Arab interests and was dedicated to the creation of a single Arab state.
Portsmouth Treaty: Treaty signed in 1948 defining the relationship between Great Britain and Iraq. The treaty was for the benefit of Great Britain, compromised Iraqi sovereignty and created outrage in Iraq.
Quran: Islamic holy book. The paramount authority of the Muslim community, the Quran is the ultimate source of Islam. The Quran is composed of the divine revelations received by the Prophet Mohammed over the last twenty years of his life.
Republican Guard: Elite Iraqi troops personally loyal to Saddam Hussein who are recruited from the Sunni sect, the ruling party of Iraq.
Shiite: Islamic sect at odds with Sunni sect over successor to Prophet Mohammed, among other things.
Sunni: The leading Islamic sect in terms of numbers.
INDEX
abduction by secret police
Adel (Mayada’s employee)
African jasmine plant and Nizar Jafar Al-Askari (Mayada’s father)
Ahmed, reciting Surah
Al-Ani, Sabah
Al-Askari, Abdiya (Mayada’s sister)
Al-Askari, Fay (Mayada’s daughter), ransom by Mamoun
Al-Askari, Jafar Pasha (Mayada’s grandfather)
Al-Askari, Mayada
abduction by secret police
Alef Ba feature writer
Al-Jumburiya
Anna (nanny)
appearance of
arrests of, Dr. Fadil Al-Barrak’s intervention
Baath officials’ suspicions of printing companies
Baath Party, exemption from
birthday parties
birth of
blackmail by Mamoun
Chemical Ali interviews
childhood of
children (Fay and Ali), concern for
children (Fay and Ali), reuniting with
contacting families of shadow women
”Darb Al-Sad Ma red”
”Decoration of Perfection”
democratic exercise of Chemical Ali
depression of
divorce from Salam Al-Haimous
education of
extrasensory perception (ESP) research for Saddam Hussein
family home of
family tree
Fay (Mayada’s daughter), ransom by Mamoun
52 as unlucky for family
fortune-telling articles
gifts from Saddam Hussein
government’s atrocities, deceiving herself about
heart attack of
homecoming of
imprisonment by secret police
interrogation of
Iraqi Liberation Day
”Itlatat” (Overviews) column
Jordan home of
Kuwaiti invasion
leaving home and country
letter to Samara (shadow woman)
Majalaty Wa Al-Mizmar
marital relationship
Michael Simpkin and
miracles at Baladiyat
Muslim, evolution into
Nostradamus translation by
pictures taken with Saddam Hussein
“pin-up hero” (Ayatollah Khomeini)
political journalism and
print shop of
punishment for remaining in Iraq
qabaj chirping, as sign of moving from current place
release, hope of
release of
rowdiness of
Saddam Hussein, personal encounters with
Scottie (family dog)
shadow women, affection for
“This Beautiful Science”
time, article on concept of
torture of
treason, accusation of
Um Sami family helped by
“Vertical Rays of Sun”
world leaders, connections to
writings, honored for
See also Al-Barrak, Dr. Fadil; Chemical Ali; four black doors; Hussein, Saddam; Hussein, Sajida (Saddam’s wife) “The Lady”; Samara (shadow woman); Sati, Jido (Mayada’s grandfather); shadow women of cell; torture
Al-Askari, Mustafa (Mayada’s great-grandfather)
Al-Askari, Nizar Jafar (Mayada’s father)
African jasmine plant and
colon cancer of
curse, early death of Al-Askari men
death of
grave, visited by Mayada
property confiscated by Baath Party
Scottie (family dog) and
shots, given by Mayada
Al-Azhar
Al-Bakir, Ahmed Hassan
Al-Barrak, Dr. Fadil
appearance of
arrest of
arrests of Mayada, intervening in
Chemical Ali hatred
Chemical Ali interview with Mayada
Daphne Parish helped by
death of
Director General of Iraqi Secret Police
disappearance of
Dr. Kareem Al-Saadi helped by
Dr. Mohammed and
Dr. Saib Shawket helped by
Fatin Fuad (financé)
gifts from Saddam Hussein
Head of Intelligence Service
helping others due to Mayada’s relationship
Iraqi Military Attaché to Soviet Union
Jinan Fuad (wife)
journalistic advancement of Mayada
manipulation by Salwa Al-Husri (Mayada’s mother)
“pin-up hero” (Ayatollah Khomeini) of Mayada
Saddam Hussein’s advisor
Salam Al-Haimous, helped by
Sati Al-Husri’s papers, interest in
Shiites killed by
spy accusations
spying request of Salwa Al-Husri (Mayada’s mother)
torture of
two worlds of
Al-Berezenchi, Haqi
“Al-Da’wah al Islamiyah” (Islamic Call)
Al-Dulaimi, General
Alef Ba
Al-Hadithi, Dr. A.
Al-Haidari, Jalela
Al-Haimos, Mohy
Al-Haimous, Salam (Mayada’s husband)
divorce from Mayada
helped by Mayada
military service of
remarriage to Mayada to leave Iraq
Al-Hakimiya
Al-Husri, Hilal
Al-Husri, Salwa (Mayada’
s mother)
Baath Party, exemption from
birth of Mayada, on grandfather’s birthday
book gift to Saddam Hussein
breast cancer of
clothing advice for Saddam Hussein
Daphne Parish, life saved by
death of
Dr. Fadil Al-Barrak manipulation by
education of
foreign printed material, smuggled by
gifts from Saddam Hussein
heirlooms inherited from Jamila
Jordan and
manners (polished) of
message from Baladiyat
Michael Simpkin and
release of Mayada
Saddam Hussein, personal encounters
Sajida (Saddam’s wife) and
social successes of
spying request from Dr. Fadil Al-Barrak
traveling of
Al-Husri, Sati. See Sati, Jido
Aliya (shadow woman)
Al-Jaddir, Adib
Al-Jaddir, Muayad (Judge)