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Moustapha Akkad
12 posts
Moustapha Akkad (مصطفى العقاد): A Syrian-American film producer and director, best known for his work on the “Halloween” series and the films “The Message” and “Lion of the Desert.” He aimed to bridge cultural gaps through his films. Tragically, he was killed in the 2005 Amman bombings.
Omar al-Mukhtar and the Airplanes Under the Throne
Omar al-Mukhtar, the Libyan resistance leader who fought Italian colonial rule, is credited with a famous reply about Italian airplanes and the Throne of God. But did he really say it?
Right-Wing, Wrong-Way
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) wants "Gang Rapists" to go home, but their Arabic text is walking backwards. A lesson in layout fails from the far-right.
Listen or Enjoy? That is the ت
Ever sent a text message that went a bit sideways? In Arabic, sometimes a single, tiny letter can be the difference between telling someone to 'Listen up!' and wishing them 'Enjoy!'.
SATTS: The Forgotten U.S. Military System for Transliterating Arabic in the Cold War
When Arabic characters couldn't be displayed, SATTS (Standard Arabic Technical Transliteration System) offered a solution. Reginald Hefner takes a historical look at this pre-digital military system, explaining how it allowed Arabic to be read and written in Latin characters without pronunciation cues, and its role during the Cold War era.
JAIS: An In-Depth Review of the “Arabic ChatGPT”
Media calls Jais the "Arabic ChatGPT," a new AI trained with Arabic data. This article reviews Jais's practical performance on tasks like writing messages, correcting grammar, answering facts, and translating, revealing its current capabilities and limitations.
Camels or Rain Clouds? The Surprising Meaning of ‘Ibil (إِبِل) in the Qur’an
The word Ibil (إبل) in the Qur'an has a debated meaning. This article, the last in our camel series, explores how Ibil can mean both "camels" and "rain clouds" in verses like 88:17, examining linguistic and contextual evidence for its interpretation
Why Does the Qur’an Use لَمْ نَكُ? The Deletion of the Nun in كان
When reading the Qur'an, you may encounter لَمْ نَكُ which seems unusual. This article explains the deletion of the letter ن from the verb كان in its jussive mood, detailing its prerequisites and hidden meanings.
“How a dive trip to Egypt led a 14-year-old to teach himself Arabic” | Georg Binder | 9273 Roots #29
Long before the internet, a dive trip to Egypt inspired 14-year-old Georg Binder to teach himself Arabic in his small Austrian town. He discusses his lifelong passion, his love for Khalil Gibran's The Prophet, and his "have a go" approach to mastering the Egyptian dialect.
The History of the Minaret: From Prayer Call to Islamic Icon
The minaret is a key symbol of Islam, but early mosques likely lacked them. This article traces the history of the Islamic prayer call (Adhan) and the development of minarets, discussing their origins and meaning in Islamic architecture.
Why the Quran Can Be Hard to Read: 6 Keys to Its Unique Stylistic Beauty
This article explores the Quran's stylistic forms (balagha), covering key techniques like oaths, intensive adjectives, emphasis, affective sentences, and iltifaat to deepen your understanding.
