Glossary • 483Kurdistan: Autonomous state projected by Treaty of Sèvres (1920) and still de¬
sired by many Kurdish nationalists
Kuwait (koo-WAYT): Oil-rich principality on the Gulf, occupied by Iraq from
August 1990 to February 1991
Labor Alignment: Coalition of Israel's labor parties, ruling up to 1977, governing
jointly with the Likud (1984-1990), and in power from 1992 to 1996 and 1999
to 2001
Lahud, Emile (la-HOOD, ay-MEEL): Lebanon's president (? -2004), backed by
Syria
Lakhmid (LAWKH-mid): Arab tribe near Iraq, prominent before Islam and usu¬
ally allied with the Sasanids
Lampson, Sir Miles: British high commissioner and ambassador in Egypt
(1934-1946)
Lausanne (loe-ZAHN): (1) 1923 conference and treaty between Turkey and the
World War I Allies, replacing the Treaty of Sèvres; (2) abortive 1949 peace con¬
ference between Israel and the Arab states
Lawrence, T. E.: British intelligence officer who aided the Arab Revolt; gifted
writer and advocate of Arab nationalism (d. 1935)
Lepanto, Battle of (le-PAHN-toe): European naval victory over Ottomans (1571)
Levantine: Pertaining to the Levant or the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, or
to its inhabitants, especially non-Muslims
Likud (lee-KOOD): Coalition of Israel's right-wing parties, in power from 1977
to 1984, in coalition with Labor (1984-1990 and 2001-2003) and with the reli¬
gious parties (1990-1992,1996-1999, and 2003-2004)
Loya Jirga (LAW-ya JEER-ga): Meeting of Afghan tribes, notably in 2003
Macedonia: Much-disputed area of northern Greece and southern Yugoslavia
madhhab (MEDH-heb): Sunni legal rite or school
madrasa (MED-ra-sah): Muslim school, especially for law
mahdi (MEH-dee): Rightly guided one, precursor of the Judgment Day
Mahdi of the Sudan: Muhammad Ahmad (d. 1885), leader of successful Sudanese
rebellion against Egyptian rule
Mahmud II (mah-MOOT): Ottoman sultan (1808-1839) and westernizing
reformer
Mahmud of Ghazna (mah-MOOD): Ghaznavid ruler (998-1030)
Majlis (MODGE-liss): Iran's bicameral legislature
Maliki (MA-li-kee): Rite of Sunni Muslim jurisprudence, which originated in
Medina and stresses use of hadiths as authoritative legal sources
Malikshah (ma-lik-SHAH): Seljuk sultan (1072-1092)
mamluk (mem-LOOK): (1) Turkish or Circassian slave soldier; (2) (cap.) mem¬
ber of a military oligarchy ruling Egypt (1250-1517) and Syria (1260-1516)
and retaining power in some areas up to the nineteenth century
Mamun (ma-MOON): Abbasid caliph (813-833)