Glossary • 493Sèvres, Treaty of (SEVR): Abortive treaty imposed by the World War I Allies on the
Ottoman Empire in 1920; later replaced by the Treaty of Lausanne
Shafi'i (SHA-fi-ee): Rite of Sunni Muslim jurisprudence, originating in Cairo,
making considerable use of analogy
shahid (SHA-hid): Professional witness in Muslim law
Shajar al-Durr (SHA-jar ed-DOR): Woman ruler of Egypt in 1250; sometimes
called Shajarat al-Durr
shaman (sha-MAHN): Pre-Islamic Turkish wizard or soothsayer believed capable
of communicating with the dead, healing the sick, and preserving tribal lore
Shamir, Yitzhak (sha-MEER, yits-KHAHK): Israel's prime minister (1983-1984
and 1986-1992), head of the Likud coalition and former Stern Gang leader
Sham'un, Kamil (sham-OON, ka-MEEL): Lebanon's President (1952-1958)
Shari'a (sha-REE-a): The highly articulated code of approved Muslim behavior,
based primarily on the Quran and sunna and secondarily on analogy, consen¬
sus, and judicial opinion
sharif (sha-REEF): Descendant of Muhammad
Sharm al-Shaykh (sharm esh-SHAYKH): Fortified point in southern Sinai near
the Straits of Tiran
Sharon, Ariel (sha-ROAN, ah-ree-EL): Israeli general, defense minister during Is¬
rael's 1982 invasion of Lebanon and alleged facilitator of Sabra and Shatila
killings; prime minister (2001-)
Shatila (sha-TEE-lah): Beirut refugee camp, site of 1982 massacre of Palestinians
Shatt al-Arab (shot-el-AH-rab): Confluence of Tigris and Euphrates rivers, con¬
tested in Iran-Iraq War
shaykh (SHAYKH): (1) Arab tribal leader; (2) ruler; (3) learned Muslim
shaykh al-Islam (SHAY-khul-iss-LAHM): Chief Ottoman legal and religious offi¬
cer, appointed by the sultan
Shaytan (shye-TAWN): Satan, or the devil, in Muslim belief
Shi'i (SHEE-ee): Muslim who believes that Muhammad's leadership of the umma
was bequeathed to Ali, to whom special legislative powers and spiritual knowl¬
edge were vouchsafed
Shishakli, Adib (she-SHEK-lee, a-DEEB): Syria's president (1949-1954)
shofar (SHOW-far): Ram's horn blown by Jews on religious occasions
al-Shuqayri, Ahmad (esh-shoo-KAY-ree): First PLO leader (1964-1968)
shura (SHOO-ra): Council chosen by Umar in 644 to elect his successor
shuttle diplomacy: Kissinger's method of mediating between the Arab countries
and Israel in 1974-1975
Shu'ubiya (shoo-oo-BEE-ya): Ninth-century literary movement in which Per¬
sians sought equal power and status with Arabs
Sidon: City in southern Lebanon
Siffin, Battle of (sif-FEEN): Indecisive clash in 657 between partisans of Ali and
those of Mu'awiya, who wished to avenge Uthman's death
Sind: Lower Indus valley region, now part of Pakistan