ADAB AL-BASRAH

The conflict between the old and the new is an eternal one, woven through every age. At its core, it reflects a clash of souls, ideas, and creative visions. One telling example of this struggle is the criticism voiced by the Lebanese writer Mikhail Naimy (1889–1988) against traditional Arabic prosody and rhyme in his influential critical work Al-Ghirbal (The Sieve). Recognizing poetry as an inherently musical art, this study explores how Naimy viewed the role of meter and rhyme within poetic expression.
The introduction sketches a brief portrait of Naimy’s life and the intellectual environment that shaped him. The first section considers what drove him to challenge the Khalilian system of prosody, noting how his era was marked by intense literary and intellectual ferment. The second section delves into Naimy’s nuanced stance on Khalilian metrics, showing how he balanced respect for its place in tradition with a call for innovation. For Naimy, true poetic creativity was anchored in thought, meaning, and unfettered imagination — a process that begins within the poet’s own spirit. In this light, he argued that poets should not feel bound by rigid meters and rhymes, but instead be free to develop a personal musicality that better serves their artistic vision.

The present study addresses intertextuality in selected models of Iraqi music and songs, revealing its types, sources, levels, and artistic mechanisms. Considering music as a communicative event and a text with various textual elements, this perspective allows for the examination of music as a set of creative texts that interact and intertwine with one another. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology and analyzes four selected samples encompassing both music and singing in the Iraqi context. A carefully designed analytical tool was employed to achieve the research objectives, structured around three core axes: (1) types of intertextuality, (2) mechanisms of intertextuality, and (3) sources of intertextuality. Through this framework, the research reached several conclusions, the most significant of which is that it is difficult to provide a singular, precise, and comprehensive definition of intertextuality. Likewise, categorizing its types and mechanisms in a universally accepted manner proves to be equally challenging, leaving the concept open to multiple interpretations. However, the central premise underpinning these interpretations is that intertextuality constitutes relationships between two or more texts occurring simultaneously. As a textual form, music represents a network of intertwined relationships at both the formal and semantic levels, where certain elements imitate others through mechanisms of absorption and transformation, resulting in textual overlap. Intertextuality may thus represent a phase in the evolution of the musical text. Despite the diversity of its sources, musical intertextuality largely originates from secular music and singing traditions. It often emerges in the early stages of an artist’s development as a means of self-discovery and stylistic formation, but tends to diminish significantly as the artist matures.

Argumentation is a strategy used by a speaker to persuade the audience, adopting a specific mode of communication aimed at achieving persuasion, which lies at the heart of human interaction and discourse. At its core, argumentation presupposes a disagreement between the two parties — the sender and the receiver — over a particular topic, with the former attempting to convince the latter of their viewpoint by providing evidence and reasoning.
This subject has attracted significant scholarly interest, with researchers exploring it from rhetorical, linguistic, semantic, and pragmatic perspectives. This study seeks to compare classical Arabic and modern Western approaches to argumentation. In Western thought, argumentation has historically been linked to rhetoric and persuasive discourse, going back to ancient Greece, particularly among the Sophists, who viewed it as a means of reclaiming lost rights. It then received focused attention from philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, for whom rhetoric was a distinguished art of public speech. From there, rhetoric became the foundation of Western argumentation studies, extending into the modern era, as seen in the work of Perelman and Ducrot through their theories of rhetorical argumentation and linguistic argumentation.
As for argumentation in the Arab tradition, it can be traced in the writings of Arabic scholars such as Al-Jahiz in Al-Bayan, Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani in Al-Nazm, Al-Sakkaki in Al-Istidlal, and Al-Khatib al-Qazwini in the art of rhetorical speech and discourse. The ultimate goal of Arabic rhetoric was also persuasion, achieved by stimulating the audience’s mind through various means and influencing their response. Thus, the point of convergence between classical Arabic and modern Western rhetorical traditions lies in their shared aim of persuasion, which remains the essence of argumentation.

The issue of educational reform emerged as a major driver of change in Iran during the Qajar era. Reformists increasingly called for comprehensive modernization, after they were well aware of their country's backwardness and its need for reform. As a result of the increasing centralization of education, the issue of educational reform emerged and turned into a serious conflict between the modernizers who admired Western civilization and its educational systems and the conservative traditionalists who feared the negatives of that civilization and its systems. There had to be an intellectual framework for the educational reform process to be a planned project that could be followed by the executive authority represented by the Shah. Many figures emerged in this direction, the most important of which were: (Mirza Hussein Khan Moshir al-Dowlah and Mirza Malek Khan Sepahslar), who played an important role in reforming the educational system in Iran. Through their calls that promoted the adoption of Western systems in education.

Ibn Zaynab al-Nu‘mani, the author of Kitab al-Ghayba, noticed that when the Shi‘a faced trials and doubts, many began to drift away from the teachings of the Prophet’s family, the Ahl al-Bayt. This led some to lose sight of the core belief in the Imamate, which calls for patience and resilience in the face of hardship until the just rule of the Qa’im is established.
In his book, al-Nu‘mani highlights important ideas like the special status, sacred lineage, knowledge, and wisdom required of those who take on the role of the Imam. He argues that the Imamate isn’t something that can be chosen by election or consultation but is a divine appointment meant to preserve God’s true religion and to keep believers firmly connected to the Prophet’s family — who never strayed from the right path.
Al-Nu‘mani stresses that the authentic teachings must be received directly from the Ahl al-Bayt and carefully verified, so believers aren’t confused, misled, or swayed by those with harmful intentions. Ultimately, his goal is to help people come closer to God and to shed light on the true meaning of occultation and the Imamate — truths that many have misunderstood or been misled about over time.

This study aims to explore the historical reality of Mesopotamia as presented in the articles of the Lebanese magazine Al-Mashriq. The magazine highlighted the influence of cities such as Babylon and their kings on the development of civilization and the political landscape, particularly their control over surrounding regions and the fall of key cities like Assur and Babylon. Additionally, Al-Mashriq addressed the ancient religious beliefs of Mesopotamia, noting that the people worshipped gods and attributed daily events and natural phenomena to divine causes. The magazine also mentioned that the origins of mythology trace back to Sumer.

The Soviet Union's policy toword the dewish issue for the period (1922-1939) included the integration of Jews into Soviet society by dissolving the national identity of Jews and replacing it with a communist class identity, through implementing the program of "rebuilding the social composition of the Jewish population in the Soviet Union as an alternative to the Zionist project of the "Jewish national homeland" in Palestine, and focusing on socialist projects in Soviet regions with a Jewish majority such as Belarus and Ukraine. Within this framework, the "Jewish Autonomous Region" was established in Birobidzhan, as soviet covemment sought to provide a communist solution to the Jewish question away from the idea of a nation-state in Palestine. Despite the success of the project at its beginning, Stalin's coup against the Jews and the liquidation of large numbers of them under the pretext of conspiring against the Soviet state, in addition to his rapprochement with Hitler in 1939, prompted many Jews to flee to Palestine and the Birobidzhan project failed

Iraqi officers played an important role in the Najd-Hejaz conflict between 1919 and 1925. They helped build and train the regular army in Hejaz, taking on leadership roles and providing much-needed military expertise. One of their most significant contributions was during the Battle of Turaba in 1919, a key moment in the conflict. Even though the Hejaz army faced setbacks, these officers remained committed to their duties. Many eventually returned to Iraq after the national government was established in 1921, but their influence stayed strong, and they continued to be trusted in Hejaz’s military affairs.
Sharif Hussein showed great trust in Iraqi officers by appointing Major General Sabri Pasha al-Azzawi as Minister of War and giving Jamil al-Rawi command over Medina’s garrison. As the Kingdom of Hejaz faced increasing political and military difficulties, these officers confronted many challenges. Still, they carried out their responsibilities with dedication despite internal divisions that eventually contributed to the fall of Hejaz to Abdul Aziz Al Saud’s forces in 1925.

The deterioration of water resources in Iraq, caused by reduced water flow and rising salinity levels, has led to numerous significant consequences. The decline in river water quality has directly impacted public health. However, the effects extend beyond health, affecting economic activities—particularly agriculture, which depends heavily on river water for irrigation—as well as the industrial and energy sectors. These challenges have triggered population displacement in affected regions, contributed to land desertification, and caused environmental degradation of the marshlands. Moreover, the issue has had broader political implications for the country.

The Sultanate of Oman is one of the countries that worked in a political and domestic foreign diplomatic manner to obtain membership in the League of Arab States. The Sultanate of Oman witnessed a diplomatic change during the reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, embodied by its support for internal reform programs through a flexible policy towards the components of the Omani people, and strengthening its relations with the Arab countries that influenced the decision to join the League through a set of steps and procedures, including establishing a new political discourse based on partnership in facing challenges, and sending a group of delegations to Arab countries to explain the role and policy of the Sultanate in the new era and commitment to what the Arab League decides regarding the issue of joining. Oman faced challenges, including internal opposition from some parties competing for power and other external opposition from some Arab countries due to ideological and political differences. However, thanks to diplomacy, it was able to overcome these obstacles and join the League of Arab States in September 1971.

Al-Mawdudi’s political thesis is based on the idea that Sharia constitutes a comprehensive system, with the Islamic government representing the unified epistemological core of this system. This system is built upon four fundamental principles: ethical, social, economic, and metaphysical. Wahid al-Din Khan offers a critical reinterpretation of these principles, arguing that the essence of Sharia lies in the relationship between humans and God, while other aspects represent subsidiary matters within Sharia.

This study looks into how Iraqi criminal policy addresses women’s rights by examining the laws that are supposed to protect women and how well these laws actually work in practice. While Iraq has made important legal strides to support women’s rights, there are still many challenges—both in the laws themselves and in how they’re enforced—that prevent these protections from fully taking effect.
The research reviews key parts of Iraqi law, including the constitution, penal code, personal status laws, and regulations on domestic violence and women’s workplace rights. It also compares these laws with international standards like the CEDAW agreement, to see how well Iraq’s policies line up with global commitments.
What the study finds is that there are significant legal gaps—some forms of violence against women aren’t clearly criminalized, and some laws still contain discriminatory language. Beyond that, social customs, weak enforcement, and a general lack of awareness about women’s rights make it hard for the laws to have real impact.
The study recommends updating laws to ensure true gender equality, improving enforcement mechanisms, and raising public awareness about women’s rights. It also emphasizes the need for stronger collaboration between government agencies and civil society groups to better protect Iraqi women and help build a fairer society for everyone.

This study explores the portrayal of Imam Ali (PBUH) in the battles of Siffin and Nahrawan from the perspective of one of the foremost Ibadi scholars, Al-Qalhati, as presented in his work Al-Kashf wal-Bayan. The importance of this research lies in its focus on the Ibadi viewpoint based directly on their own writings, rather than relying on sectarian Islamic literature, which often reflects the biases of its authors rather than the authentic beliefs of the Ibadi community. Overall, the depiction of Imam Ali (PBUH) in these battles, according to Al-Qalhati, appears to be unconventional and problematic, inviting critical scrutiny and debate.

This paper examines the challenges of translating the thematic structure of samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot from English into Arabic. The primary aim is to assess the accuracy, acceptability, and effectiveness of rendering the thematic structures in the translated version of the play. The analytical framework adopted for this study is Firbas’s (1992) model of communicative dynamism, complemented by Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) for comparative analysis. The data analyzed are drawn from the first act of the play. The findings reveale significant differences in thematic structures between the original text and its Arabic translation, particularly in terms of theme types and their linguistic realizations. These discrepancies are attributed to variations in communicative dynamism between the two languages.

This study evaluates translating legal documents in general and commercial texts “contracts”(2) in particular before the re-correction (i.e., editing) process performed by sworn translators(3) at Basrah Federal Appeal Court, with the aim of assessing the quality of the translated texts. Legal translators play a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of translations in the legal field. By assessing the initial translations of commercial contracts done by sworn translators at Basrah Federal Appeal Court, the study aims to identify common issues and challenges faced by translators in this field. The findings will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the translation process and suggest ways to improve the quality of legal translations.

No one disputes that international relations, in their broad sense, are interactions between two or more countries occurring within temporary or ongoing time frames, defined by the outcomes and results of these interactions—whether positive or negative. The Iranian–North Korean relations during the period from 1979 to 1997 are characterized by ambiguity and uncertainty, partly due to limited information and media leaks related to their interactions. This situation prompted the researcher to undertake detailed research, investigation, and analysis to produce a solid and reliable study aimed at better understanding this complex and somewhat obscure relationship.
There is no ideological convergence or clear economic benefit linking the two countries; rather, their primary commonality lies in their shared hostility toward the United States. This shared antagonism had consequences mainly confined to the military domain. While this fact is clear and undisputed by both parties, many aspects of the relationship remain shrouded in mystery regarding its scope and comprehensive nature. In particular, questions remain about the impact of this relationship on Iran, especially during and after the Iran-Iraq War.
Accordingly, numerous questions and uncertainties surrounded these bilateral relations, which the researcher sought to address through a scientific methodology appropriate for such an important and sensitive subject

This research studies the construction of characterization in Don DeLillo’s Falling Man through the transitivity system of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) stylistically. It focuses on three pivotal characters;Keith Neudecker, Lianne Neudecker, and Hammad . Quantitatively, the research considers how grammatical patterns reflect psychological trauma, shifting identity, and ideological dissonance in post-9/11 fiction. By using UAM Corpus Tool for annotation and analysis, the research compares the distribution of Material, Mental, Relational, and Verbal processes of these three characters. The findings disclose distinct transitivity profiles which brighten deeper narrative and psychological dimensions. Material processes were the most dominant issue of Hammad’s discourse .This portrayed Hammad as a man of action and ideological commitment.In reverse, there was a limited introspection or relational depth. Lianne and Keith, in contrast, established more balanced linguistic profiles. They were engaged in Mental and Relational processes.This assures their emotional turmoil, efforts to reconnect, and search for meaning in the wake of trauma. Their low Verbal process usage highlights the difficulty of articulating trauma. This shows how people in psychological disruption , they live the limitations of language profoundly.Finally,the stylistic and quantitative approach enriches our understanding of DeLillo's portrayal of trauma, extremism, and human resilience.

Diplomatic missions played a crucial role in shaping political and economic affairs. The seventeenth century saw a boom in diplomatic ties between major powers across Asia and Europe, with exchange of envoys becoming a key part of how these relationships worked. In this setting, the connection between Tsarist Russia and the Safavid Empire in Iran stood out, marked by a series of missions that reflected their shared interests and the geopolitical challenges they faced.
Russia aimed to increase its influence in the Caucasus and build closer ties with the Safavids to push back against the Ottoman threat. On the other hand, the Safavids welcomed this alliance as a chance to gain a strong Christian partner in their ongoing conflict with the Ottomans. These Russian missions weren’t just about politics—they also had commercial and religious goals, and they marked some of Russia’s first moves toward engaging with the Islamic East, especially with hopes of gaining access to warm-water ports. Looking closely at these missions helps us better understand the complex international dynamics of that time.

Compulsory attendance policies, wherein instructors document student presence by recording lecture dates and times, remain a debated issue in academia due to their mixed effects on learners. This mixed-methods study investigated the implications of such policies by examining three research questions through a questionnaire distributed to 96 volunteer students from Basic Education, Translation, and English Language departments at the Universities of Sulaimani, Halabja, and Raparin (54% male, 46% female). Findings revealed a strong association between absenteeism and poorer academic performance, with over half of respondents acknowledging that missed classes adversely affect success, underscoring the need for targeted attendance interventions. Additionally, results indicated gender disparities in perceived validity of absence justifications, with male students’ excuses viewed less leniently than females’, suggesting potential bias in policy enforcement. The study highlights the importance of fostering consistent attendance while advocating for equitable, student-centered approaches to mitigate barriers and promote inclusivity.

This study addresses the occasional phenomenon of Self-translation (SLF-TR) when the author transforms a source text (ST) into a target text (TT), transferring experiences directly in two languages while engaging two different cultural backgrounds. This study has selected “Corpse Washer” by Sinan Antoon as a prototype of self-translation and post-traumatic experience to investigate how far self-translation could balance the fidelity, invisibility, and fluency of the original text's psychological and cultural realities. This study investigates the relationship between fidelity, invisibility, and fluency, examining how translation changes impact the narrative's psychological depths, cultural nuances, and reception by foreign readers. Based on Bakhtin's dialogism theory and Freud's psychoanalysis theory (the subconscious and the id’s concept), the study investigates how self-translation reflects the protagonist's experience with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and internal struggle. It has been demonstrated that although self-translation offers a channel for transmitting the author's purposes, it often struggles to balance fidelity with the needs of fluency and invisibility, which may compromise the fidelity to the original text. This study obviously contributes to translation studies by combining literary and psychoanalytic perspectives to investigate self-translation within trauma narratives.