The Arabic Names Project: Will Be Back Soon!

The Arabic Names Project will be back soon. Adisa Banjoko's been preoccupied with the Hip Hop Chess Federation's recent Mind Over Matter II event.

Guess we'll have to scratch "weekly" but, otherwise, it's all good.

The Arabic Names Project: Nasir

Nasir "Nas" Jones' Illmatic Album Cover

Nasir - The Names by which God is known in Islam are divided into two categories: the Names of the Essence and Names of the Qualities. One of them, Nasir, means helper. Arabic names are usually intended to remind the individual of their duty to humanity.

Some of the people who carry this name include rap icon Nasir "Nas" Jones, the second president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Pakistani Urdu poet Nasir Kazmi.

For more information on the name Nasir:
The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam by Cyril Glasse

Each week we will discuss another name, its meaning and the people who share it to spread knowledge of the stories behind Arabic names and, in our own small way, help lessen uninformed prejudice against people with such names.

The Arabic Names Project is written by Adisa Banjoko.

The Arabic Names Project: Muhammad

Muhammad Ali: "What's My Name?"

Muhammad - The name of the Prophet of Islam. It means "The praised one" or "He who is glorified".

Muhammad was born, according to tradition, in 570 A.D., the "Year of the Elephant", when Mecca was attacked by Abrahah, the Abyssinian ruler of Yemen. Muslims believe that at the age of forty, the angel Gabriel came to Muhammad and delivered the first revelations of the Qu'ran.

It is an extremely popular Arabic name for boys from Russia to Indonesia and America. Some of the more mainstream people with the name Muhammad include world champion boxer Muhammad Ali, A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad, founder of the Nation of Islam Elijah Muhammad and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

For more information on the name Muhammad:
The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam by Cyril Glasse

Each week we will discuss another name, its meaning and the people who share it to spread knowledge of the stories behind Arabic names and, in our own small way, help lessen uninformed prejudice against people with such names.

The Arabic Names Project is written by Adisa Banjoko.

The Arabic Names Project: Hussein/Husayn

Official Portrait of U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama

Hussein/Husayn (5-61 Islamic Calendar/624-680 AD) or better: al-Husayn.

It is a common Arabic name, meaning "good looking boy". Historically, Hussein is the second son of Ali and Fatimah, and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. He is revered by Shi'ites and Sunni Muslims alike. Both sects see his death at the battle in Kerbala, Iraq in the (10th Muharram 680 AD) as a religious holiday.

Many other famous and infamous people have carried the name Hussein. Some of them include Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein, platinum rapper Hussein Fatal from Tupac's Outlaw Immortals, King Hussein of Jordan and America's newly elected President, Barack Hussein Obama.

For more information on the name Hussein:
The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam by Cyril Glasse

Each week we will discuss another name, its meaning and the people who share it to spread knowledge of the stories behind Arabic names and, in our own small way, help lessen uninformed prejudice against people with such names.

The Arabic Names Project is written by Adisa Banjoko.

Introducing The Arabic Names Project w/Adisa Banjoko

Back when I discussed inundating readers with the overuse of Arabic names in order to desensitize Americans to their apparent strangeness, I had no idea it would lead to The Arabic Names Project, a new series by Adisa Banjoko.

And, since Barack Hussein Obama is about to be our new President, we're kicking things off with Hussein/Husayn.

You can follow Adisa's posts via our Arabic Names Project category.

Barack Hussein Obama: Say It With Me Now!

I propose that we, including you, initiate a process of desensitizing the American public to the dreaded sight and sound of Arabic names by finding as many different highly visible ways to use them over and over again until everyone is so sick of hearing them that the next time someone tries to insinuate that someone is a terrorist due to their Arabic name even hardcore Republicans and ex-Gitmo guards will double over in laughter.

Seriously.