ʿĀd

‘Ad (Arabic: عاد‎, ʿĀd) was an ancient tribe mentioned frequently in the Qur'an. ‘Ad is usually placed in the south of Arabia, in a location referred to as al-Ahqaf. The tribe's members, referred to as ‘Adites, formed a prosperous nation until destroyed in a violent storm after they had rejected the divine message preached by Hud. ‘Ad is regarded as one of the original Arab tribes, the "lost Arabs".

Legend

In local folklore, Hud and the tribe of ‘Ad have been linked to a legendary king ‘Ad, who ruled over a region whose capital was in "Wūbar".

Ontology of Quran

Aad are referred to in verse (11:60) of chapter (11) sūrat hūd (Hud): The verses related to this concept in the Quran (eg (7:65:2) refers to the second word of sura 7:65). There are 24 occurrences of concept of Aad in the Quran, namely (7:65:2)(7:74:7)(9:70:9)(11:50:2)(11:59:2)(11:60:10)(11:60:15) (14:9:9)(22:42:8)(25:38:1)(26:123:2)(29:38:1)(38:12:5)(40:31:5)(41:13:8)(41:15:2)(46:21:3) (50:13:1)(51:41:2)(53:50:3)(54:18:2)(69:4:3)(69:6:2)(89:6:6)

L7a9d

L7a9d or El Haqed (Arabic: الحاقد‎; real name Mouad Belaghouat–born 1988 in Casablanca) is a Moroccan rapper and human rights activist who rose to prominence when he was imprisoned for criticising Mohammed VI the king of Morocco.

After two years in prison he was released in 2013. In February 2014 he released a new album called Waloo.

On 13 February 2014, the police raided a library where he was holding a press conference in which he intended to present his new album.

Third imprisonment

On 18 May 2014, L7a9d was arrested again at the entrance of the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca. He was trying to attend a game between Raja Casablanca and Moghreb Tetouan, and policemen arrested him claiming he was selling tickets in the black market, an accusation which he denied. Additionally the police pressed charges against him for allegedly beating four policemen during the event.

In September 2014 he was nominated by European United Left–Nordic Green Left for the Sakharov Prize, along with the Tunisian rapper Weld El 15 and the Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah. The following month, the nomination was withdrawn after controversy over some 2012 tweets by Abd El-Fattah at the time of Israel's bombing of Gaza.

Area denial weapon

An area denial weapon is a device used to prevent an adversary from occupying or traversing an area of land. The specific method used does not have to be totally effective in preventing passage (and sometimes is not) as long as it is sufficient to severely restrict, slow down, or endanger the opponent. Some area denial weapons pose long-lasting risks to anyone entering the area, specifically to civilians, and thus are often controversial.

Historical methods

Anti-cavalry

In medieval warfare, sharp and sturdy stakes were buried at the bottom of long lines of ditches, pointed end up diagonally, in order to prevent cavalry charges in a given area. Even if the stakes were spotted, soldiers would be forced to dismount and effectively give up their purpose as cavalry as well as becoming easier targets. The correct layout of these extensive lines of ditches and the quality control of stake size, form and placement was part of the craft of war.

A more modern version, allowing quicker dispersal and providing the advantage of being hidden more easily, are caltrops, though items bearing close similarity (small balls with spikes) had been in use for most of antiquity. Many variants were also used, such as boards with metal hooks, as described during battles of Julius Caesar.