Glossary • 491Reza Shah Pahlavi (REH-za shah pah-luh-VEE): Iran's ruler (1925-941)
Rhodes: Mediterranean island; site of the 1949 "proximity talks" between Arab
states and Israel, mediated by Ralph Bunche
ridda (RID-da): Rebellion of the Arab tribes against rule from Medina after
Muhammad's death, quelled under Caliph Abu-Bakr
Riyadh (ree-YODH): Saudi Arabia's capital; site of 1976 Arab summit meeting
that tried to end Lebanon's civil war; also of terrorist attacks against Americans
in 2003-2004
Road Map: Plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, to be achieved in stages, prepared in
2002 by George W. Bush with European Union, Russia, and the UN, but not
accepted by Israel
Rogers Peace Plan: US proposal in 1969-1970 to end the War of Attrition, calling
on Israel to give back lands occupied since 1967 and on Arabs to recognize Israel
Rum (ROOM): (1) Arabic, Persian, and Turkish word for Anatolia; (2) collective
term for Greek Orthodox Christians
Rumayla: Large oil field shared by Iraq and Kuwait
Rushdi, Husayn (ROOSH-dee): Egypt's prime minister (1914-1919)
Russo-Turkish War: Conflict (1877-1878) between Russia and the Ottoman Em¬
pire, in which the latter lost land in Anatolia and the Balkans
Saba (SAH-ba): Ancient Arabian kingdom in Yemen
Sabah, Al- (sa-BAH, AL): Ruling family of Kuwait
Sabra (SOB-ra): (1) Jewish native of Israel; (2) Beirut refugee camp, site of Pales¬
tinian massacre in 1982
al-Sadat, Anwar (es-sa-DAT, AN-war): Egypt's president (1970-1981)
Saddam Husayn (sad-DAM): Iraq's president (1979-), who began the Iran-Iraq War
(1980-1988) and invaded Kuwait in 1990, leading to Operation Desert Storm
Safavid dynasty (SAH-fa-vid): Azerbaijani Turkish family, Sufi at first, that ruled
Persia (1501-1736) and upheld Twelve-Imam Shi'ism and promoted Persian
culture
Safed (sa-FED): City in northern Israel
Sa'id (sa-EED): Egypt's viceroy (1854-1863)
Salah al-Din (sa-LAH ed-DEEN): Arabic name for a Kurdish military adventurer
who took over Egypt from the Fatimids and Syria from the Zengids, defeated the
Crusaders in 1187, and regained Jerusalem for Islam but failed to expel the Cru¬
saders from Acre; also known as Saladin (r. 1171-1192)
salam (sa-LAM): Arabic word for "peace," sometimes having the sense of "truce";
also a Muslim greeting
salat (sa-LAWT): Ritual prayer, or worship, in Islam
Samanid dynasty (sa-MAWN-id): Persian family that took over Khurasan and
Transoxiana in the late ninth century and later imported Turkic nomads, such
as the Ghaznavids and the Seljuks, to serve as border guards
Samaria: Biblical name used by some Israelis for the northern part of the West Bank
Samarqand (sa-mar-KAWND): Major city in Transoxiana