name	Ahmad and Ahmed
pronunciation	, or . . . .
gender	Male
meaning	''Highly praised''
language	Arabic
variant	Achmad, Achmat, Achmed, Achmet, Ahmat, Ahmet
wikt	}}

Ahmad or Ahmed are the principal transliterations of the Arabic given name, ''''. The name comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D, meaning ''"highly praised"'', implying ''"one who constantly thanks God"''.

Etymology

One of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's many names is Ahmad, the name "Muhammad" pre-dating "Ahmad". The context by which "Ahmad" is referred to as ''"praised"'' can at times be mistaken. This has to do with the fact that since the prophet Muhammad was so highly regarded in Islam that the name "Ahmad" has come to mean ''"highly praised"''.

The name has its origins in a prophecy from Jesus Christ, mentioned once in the Quran in Surah 61: The Ranks.

''61:6 And [this happened, too,] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O children of Israel! Behold, I am an apostle of God unto you, [sent] to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to give [you] the glad tiding of an apostle who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he [whose coming Jesus had foretold] came unto them with all evidence of the truth, they said: "This [alleged message of his] is [nothing but] spellbinding eloquence!"''

Transliterations

''Ahmad'' is the most elementary transliteration and is used commonly all over the Muslim world mainly in the Middle East, in recent times it has seen an uprise in the United States due to African American use.

''Ahmed'' is the most common variant spelling, and Ottoman Turkish spelling of ''Ahmad'', and is used all over the Muslim world.

''Ahmet'' is the modern Turkish spelling of ''Ahmed''.

Other spellings of ''Ahmad'' are used by Muslims, for example, in Indonesia and Russia.

Given name

Ahmad

Ahmad (rapper), West Coast hip hop performer

Ahmad Abbas, Saudi Arabian footballer

Ahmad Abdalla, Egyptian film director

Ahmad Shah Abdali, founder of Durrani Empire

Ahmad Adel, Egyptian footballer

Ahmad Ahmadi, Iranian physician

Ahmad Alaq, Khan of eastern Moghulistan

Ahmad A'zam, Uzbek writer

Ahmad Bahar, Iranian politician

Ahmad Black, American football safety for the Florida Gators

Ahmad Bradshaw, American football running back for the New York Giants

Ahmad Brooks, American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers

Ahmad Carroll, American football free agent

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Founder of the Hanbalite School of Law and Theology

Ahmad ibn Fadlan, Abbasid ambassador to the Volga Bulgars

Ahmad Fanakati, financial officer of Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty

Ahmad Hardi, Kurdish poet

Ahmad Hawkins, American football defensive back for the Alabama Vipers

Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone

Ahmad Kasravi, Iranian linguists and historian

Ahmad Maher, various people

Ahmad Mohammad Hasher Al Maktoum

Ahmad Shah Massoud, an Afghan military leader Deputy Justice on the Supreme Court of Afghanistan

Ahmad Miller, former defensive tackle for the National Football League

Ahmad Merritt, American football free agent

Ahmad Nivins, American basketball player

Ahmad ibn Rustah, Persian chronicler born in Isfahan, Persia

Ahmad Rashad, sportcscaster and former football player

Sheikh Ahmad of Siam

Ahmad Shah, various people

Ahmad Shamlou, Persian poet and writer

Ahmad Shukeiri, first Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization

Ahmad Sohrab, Persian author

Ahmad Tajuddin, 27th Sultan of Brunei

Ahmad Tekuder (d. 1284), leader of the Mongol Ilkhanate

Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar

Ahmad Treaudo, American football cornerback for the California Redwoods

Ahmad Shah Qajar, Last Shah of the Qajar dynasty

Ahmad Zarruq, Shadhili Sufi Sheikh

Ahmed

Ahmed I, sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Ahmed II, sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Ahmed III, sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Ahmed Ahmed, Egyptian American actor and comedian

Ahmed Arif (1927–1991), Turkish poet

Ahmed Baduri, Eritean diplomat

Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, former President of Iraq

Ahmed Ben Bella, the first President of Algeria

Ahmed Sheikh Ali "Burale", Somali writer and politician

Ahmed Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress

Ahmed al-Ghamdi (1979–2001), Saudi hijacker of United Airlines Flight 175

Ahmed al-Haznawi (1980–2001), Saudi hijacker of United Airlines Flight 93

Ahmed Hulusi, Turkish writer and Sufi

Ahmed Imamovic, Bosnian film director

Ahmed Khadr, Egyptian-Canadian senior associate and financier of al-Qaeda

Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, Mujaddid of 14th century of islam

Ahmed Köprülü, Ottoman Grand Vizier of the Köprülü family

Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, United Arab Emirati politician

Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, United Arab Emirati businessman

Ahmed Mohiuddin, a noted Pakistani biologist

Ahmed Nadeem, cricketer

Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, founder and chairman of Etihad Airways

Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Emirati businessman

Ahmed al-Nami (1977–2001), Saudi hijacker of United Airlines Flight 93

Ahmed Nazif (born 1952), Egyptian politician

Ahmed Nizam, Indian cricketer

Ahmed Patel, Indian politician

Ahmed Plummer, former NFL player

Ahmed Rushdi, Pakistani singer

Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, member of the royal family of Saudi Arabia

Ahmed Sanjar, a ruler of the Seljuk Turks

Ahmed Santos, Mexican newspaper columnist

Ahmed Şerafettin, Turkish football manager

Ahmed Sheikh, Palestinian journalist

Ahmed Talbi, Moroccan footballer

Ahmed Sékou Touré, African political leader and president of the Republic of Guinea

Ahmed Yassin, former leader of Palestinian Hamas

Ahmed Yesevi, a leader of Sufi mysticism

Ahmed H. Zewail, the winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry

Ahmet

Ahmet Alkan, Turkish economist

Ahmet Almaz, Turkish journalist

Ahmet Bilek, Turkish Olympic champion

Ahmet Çelikzencir, Turkish footballer

Ahmet Dursun, Turkish footballer

Ahmet Enünlü, Turkish bodybuilder

Ahmet Ertegun, Turkish American founder and president of Atlantic Records

Ahmet Gülhan, Turkish wrestler

Ahmet Güvenç, Turkish rock musician

Ahmet İzzet, Ottoman general

Ahmet Kanneci, Turkish guitar virtuoso

Ahmet Kireççi, Turkish sports wrestler

Ahmet Koç, Turkish musician

Ahmet Kuru, Turkish footballer

Ahmet Öcal, Belgian footballer

Ahmet Suat Özyazıcı, Turkish footballer

Ahmet Cevdet Pasha, Ottoman statesman

Ahmet Polat, Turkish photographer

Ahmet Sağlam, Turkish footballer

Ahmet Necdet Sezer, tenth President of the Republic of Turkey

Ahmet Burak Solakel, Turkish footballer

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Turkish writer

Ahmet Türk, Turkish politician

Ahmet Fikri Tüzer, Turkish politician

Ahmet Ümit, Turkish author

Ahmet Uzun, Turkish Cypriot politician

Ahmet Vardar, Turkish journalist

Ahmet Yıldırım, Turkish footballer

Ahmet Yıldız, Turkish scientist

Ahmet Zappa, American musician, actor and novelist

Other spellings

Achmad Jufriyanto, Indonesian footballer

Achmad Nawir, Dutch East Indies footballer

Achmad Saba'a, Arab-Israeli footballer

Achmat Dangor, South African writer

Achmed Abdullah, Russian writer

Achmed Akkabi, Moroccan-Dutch presenter and actor

Achmed Labasanov, Russian mixed martial artist

Achmet (oneiromancer), Occultist

Ahmat Acyl, Chadian Arab insurgent leader

Ahmat Brahim, Chadian footballer

Ahmat Taboye, Chadian writer

Surname

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, former Prime Minister of Malaysia

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, former President of Somalia

Adnan Ahmed, football player

Aneel Ahmad, film director

Dajan Ahmet, Estonian actor

Hocine Aït Ahmed, Algerian politician

Iajuddin Ahmed, the Former President of Bangladesh

Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait

Kafeel Ahmed (died 2007), one of the perpetrators of the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack

K. S. Nissar Ahmed, popular Kannada poet and writer from India

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran

Matthew Ahmat, Australian rules footballer

Matthew Ahmet, British wushu practitioner

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Messiah claimant from India, founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement of Islam

Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Mirza Nasir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih III of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih III of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Mısırlı Ahmet, Turkish virtuoso darbuka player

Nazir Ahmed, Baron Ahmed, British peer and politician

Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir, President of Sudan

Rangzieb Ahmed, British terrorist, director of Al-Qaeda in the United Kingdom

Robert Ahmat, Australian rules footballer

Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait

Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad, British peer and politician

Zackie Achmat, South African activist

Fictional characters

Ahmed Johnson, American former professional wrestler

Prince Ahmed, prince in the ''Arabian Nights''

Category:Arabic-language surnames Category:Arabic masculine given names Category:Bosniak given names Category:Iranian masculine given names Category:Turkish-language surnames Category:Turkish masculine given names

ar:أحمد ca:Àhmad bs:Ahmed fa:احمد fr:Ahmed pt:Ahmad tr:Ahmet

Name	Ras Kass
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	John Austin IV
Alias	"The Waterproof"
Born	September 25, 1973 in Watts, California, USA
Origin	Carson, California, USA
Genre	Hardcore hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, Producer
Years active	1994 - present
Label	Priority, Zoo Life
Associated acts	The HRSMN, Xzibit, 40 Glocc, Krondon, Phil Da Agony, Immortal Technique, Da Beatminerz, Dr. Dre, Mack 10, Crooked I, Teedra Moses, NameBrand, Coolio, Jaz-O, M.O.P., Wu-Tang Clan, Joell Ortiz
website	www.raskass-central.com }}

John Austin IV, (born September 25, 1973) better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is also a part of hip hop supergroup The HRSMN along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt.

Biography

Austin was born in Watts, California on September 26, 1973.

Early career

Ras Kass sent waves through the hip-hop world with his debut independent single release "Remain Anonymous," earning him a Hip-Hop Quotable in ''The Source Magazine''. Before his signing with Priority/EMI Records, Ras Kass began making guest appearances on several records and freestyles on numerous radio shows, further solidified the emerging lyricist's notoriety. Recorded guest appearances include Sway & King Tech's "Come Widdit" (feat. Ras Kass, Ahamad & Saafir) (Priority Records) and their "Wake Up Show Anthem ’94" (feat. Ras Kass, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Chino XL, Organized Konfusion & Saafir), as well as Chino XL's "Riiot" American Records, and KeyKool & Rhettmatic's "E=MC5" (feat. Ras Kass, LMNO, Meen Green & !) Up Above Records.

''Soul on Ice'' & ''Rasassination''

From a young age, Austin was influenced by hip hop music, inspired by a variety of emcees including Ice Cube, Rakim, Scarface, and KRS-One. His first album, ''Soul on Ice'', was released in 1996. Taking its name from a book by Eldridge Cleaver, Ras addressed racial relations in the same manner, most notably with "Ordo Abchao" and "Nature of the Threat." The album was released on Priority Records, as was the follow-up, ''Rasassination'', which featured beats from Easy Mo Bee and guest appearances by RZA, Twista, Xzibit, Mack 10 and Dr. Dre. Lead single "Ghetto Fabulous" featured Dre and Mack 10 and was pushed by a lavish video shoot. The album received generally positive reviews, and shortly afterward the MC announced his third album, ''Van Gogh''.

Priority Issues, ''Van Gogh'' & ''Goldyn Chyld''

During the recording of Ras's intended third album, ''Van Gogh'', Priority Records merged with Capitol Records, which acquired the emcee’s contract and his material. Initially near completion, the album was heavily bootlegged before any single or promotion could be prepared. In fact, the would be single "Van Gogh" was even played on an episode of The Sopranos. Ras went back to work overhauling the project, procuring tracks from DJ Premier, Hi-Tek, and Dr. Dre and retaining songs from Rockwilder and Battlecat. Tensions arose during the re-recording, from budget restrictions to lack of promotion:

Ras Kass was also involved in The HRSMN, sometimes called the 4 Hrsmn, consisting of himself, Kurupt, Killah Priest, and Canibus. ''The Horsemen Project'', a white-label of rough tracks by the four, was released in 2003, but no other releases have been subsequently forthcoming. Finally, nearing the completion of his album, the MC and Priority disagreed over the lead single. Originally pushing "Goldyn Chyld," produced by DJ Premier, Priority executives decided to try to release the Dr. Dre-produced "The Whoop" instead, against the wishes of both Ras Kass and Dr. Dre. As he was finishing up ''Goldyn Chyld'', Kass was pulled over in California and arrested for a D.U.I., marking his third; though sentenced to jail time, he was given an extension. Two weeks before the start of his sentence, Priority informed him of their decision not to put out ''Goldyn Chyld'' after all. Becoming a fugitive, Ras attained the masters to his project, recorded some music, and finally turned himself in to police. During this time, he also had minor problems with producer the Alchemist, who sold Ras a beat that he later re-sold to rapper Jadakiss, which ultimately formed the basis for the track "We Gon' Make It."

Incarceration, ''Institutionalized'', Priority Release

After serving only 19 months for his D.U.I. charge, Ras Kass recorded the album ''Institutionalized'' and began seeking release from his contract with Priority/Capitol Records. Though intended to be an album, it was released as a mixtape, generating a moderate buzz despite Capitol's alleged reluctance. He would go on to release two more mixtapes in 2006, ''Revenge of the Spit'' and ''Eat or Die'', and got into a fight with former G-Unit rapper The Game over an alleged reference to the rapper's son in a freestyle . In October 2007, Kass finally succeeded in being released from his record contract. However, after rumors of a deal with Def Jam or G-Unit Records, he was again incarcerated, this time for violating his parole by flying to the 2007 BET Awards. During this time, he put out the album ''Institutionalized Vol. 2'' on Babygrande Records. After nearly two years of incarceration, Ras Kass was released from jail at the end of May 2009.

Rass Kass talks about his arrest and incarceration in the 2011 film ''Rhyme and Punishment'' which documents Rap artists who have spent time behind bars.

The Quarterly

Featured in HipHopDX's Underground Report, Ras Kass revealed that his next release would be a project called ''The Quarterly''. Originally intended to be completed within the fourth quarter of 2009, it comprises a song a week released in the fashion of fellow west coast emcee Crooked I's ''Hip-Hop Weekly'' and Freeway's ''Month of Madness''. Though released in this format, the collected songs was released as an album. "The Quarterly" was released on November 23, 2009 via www.raskass-central.com and includes nineteen tracks featuring collaborations by Killah Priest, Mistah F.A.B. and Krondon of Strong Arm Steady, with production from Pete Rock, Veterano, and others.

A.D.I.D.A.S. Kickstarter Project & Save The Ras Kass

In 2010 Ras Kass launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the manufacture of 1000 CDs and 500 vinyls for his A.D.I.D.A.S. project and a viral marketing campaign called Save The Ras Kass, which included a series of satirical webisodes about the plight of the endangered emcee. In an interview with MTV UK writer Han O'Connor he explained his decision to use Kickstarter, stating "we started trying different angles at solving old problems. Kickstarter was the natural evolution of trying creative new business models. When we put out ''The Quarterly'' there were people that said, ‘well how come you didn’t create a CD for this?’ and I’m like ‘well if I have to spend that $5000 and you want one, I appreciate it but there’s the small problem that I spent $5000.’" His webisodes document the downfall of an emcee, as he explained, "You just see this downward spiral; it’s just that fall from grace and I’m kind of making fun of that and using me as the vehicle for it."

Discography

Studio albums

{|class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Album !colspan="2"|Peak chart positions |- !width=40|U.S. !width=40|U.S. R&B; |- |1996 |''Soul on Ice''

Released: October 1, 1996

Label: Priority

|align="center"|169 |align="center"|35 |- |1998 |''Rasassination''

Released: September 22, 1998

Label: Priority

|align="center"|63 |align="center"|11 |- |2010 |''A.D.I.D.A.S. (All Day I Dream About Spittin)''

Released: 2010

Label: none

|align="center"| |align="center"| |- |}

Street Albums

"Van Gogh" (2001)(unreleased)

"Goldyn Chyld" (2002)(unreleased)

"Institutionalized" (2005)

"Eat Or Die" (2006)

"Revenge Of The Spit" (2006)(mixtape)

"Chinese Graffiti" (2007)(Unreleased)

"Institutionalized Vol. 2" (2008)

"Quarterly" (2009)

"Who Popped Ya" (2010)(street single)

"Endangered Lyricist 3" (2011)(mixtape)

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions	Album
!width="40"	!width="40"
	align="left"
align="left"
	align="left"

Filmography

1997 ''Rhyme & Reason''

1998 ''I Got the Hook Up''

2000 ''Brothahood''

2007 ''BEEF IV

2011 ''Rhyme and Punishment''

References

External links

Official website

Category:Living people Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:Priority Records artists Category:African American rappers Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:1973 births Category:Underground rappers

de:Ras Kass es:Ras Kass fr:Ras Kass pl:Ras Kass pt:Ras Kass sv:Ras Kass

Name	Ahmad Black
Currentteam	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Currentnumber	43
Currentpositionplain	Safety
Birth date	December 12, 1989
Birth place	Lakeland, Florida
Heightft	5
Heightin	9
Weight	185
College	Florida
Draftyear	2011
Draftround	5
Draftpick	151
Pastteams	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-present)
Highlights	SEC Championship (2008) BCS National Championship (2009)
Espn	232012 }}

Ahmad Black (born December 12, 1989) is an American college football player who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on April 30, 2011.

Early years

Black was born in Lakeland, Florida, and he attended Lakeland High School. As a sophomore playing for the Florida Class 5A high school football powerhouse Lakeland Dreadnaughts, he recorded 71 tackles and 10 interceptions, and 71 tackles with six interceptions and as a junior. As a Dreadnaught senior, Black recorded 82 tackles and four interceptions.

College career

Black received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he has played college football for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2007 to 2010. As a freshman, Black played in seven games as a cornerback for the Gators and recorded seven tackles. As a sophomore in 2008, Black started all 14 games at strong safety and made 59 tackles and seven interceptions for 191 return yards and two touchdowns. Black caught his seventh interception in the Gators' 24–14 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. He received 2nd Team All-American honors his senior season. To end his college career, he had two interceptions, returning one 80 yards for a touchdown against Penn State in the Outback Bowl, earning Player of the Game honors.

Professional Career

Black was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

External links

Florida Gators bio

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:American football safeties Category:Florida Gators football players Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players

''For the British writer/director see Babar Ahmed.''

Babar Ahmad, born in London, England has been held in custody in the UK since August 2004. He has never been convicted of any criminal offence, but is held fighting extradition to the United States on allegations of involvement in websites supporting Chechen and Afghan insurgents.

In March 2009, he was awarded £60,000 compensation at the High Court in London after an admission by UK anti-terrorist police that they subjected him to ‘grave abuse, tantamount to torture’ during his first arrest in December 2003.

He also appeared in the media in February 2008, when it was discovered that his conversations with Sadiq Khan MP had been monitored by the police during prison visits. An investigation of the monitoring found no impropriety.

He remains in prison awaiting the outcome of his final appeal against extradition at the European Court of Human Rights, which is expected to rule in early 2010.

Early life

Babar Ahmad was born in London in May 1974, and grew up in Tooting, South West London. His parents migrated to England from Pakistan in the early 1960s. His father is a retired civil servant and his mother a retired science teacher.

He went to a public school where he won academic prizes and obtained GCSEs and A-Levels. He then went to university and obtained a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of London. Before his imprisonment in August 2004, he was working in the IT department at Imperial College London.

According to Mr. Sadiq Khan MP of the House of Commons, Ahmad "is known locally in Tooting as a caring and helpful member of our community".

US prosecution of Ahmad and others

Babar Ahmad was arrested in London on 5 August 2004 on charges that of providing material support to terrorism, providing illegal support to the Taliban, money laundering and conspiring to kill people. An affidavit filed with the US court details that Ahmad used aliases to operate Azzam.com, a website supporting Chechen and Taliban fighters. It further describes that items recovered from a house used by Ahmad included a British Airways Executive Club card in his name and next to it a floppy disk containing a password-protected document containing a detailed description of the US Fifth Fleet, its ships, the date and time of its expected passage through the Straits of Hormuz, and that it was vulnerable to attack by "RPG" (rocket-propelled grenade). Ahmad was later indicted by a grand jury of US citizens in October 2004. Another man Syed Talah Ahsan, was indicted in 2006 of involvement with Ahmad and with the battlegroup information in the document, and thereafter a US former navy seaman, Abu Jihad was indicted and convicted of passing this information to them.

Under the Extradition Act 2003, the US does not have to provide any evidence before seeking the extradition of a British citizen.

US extradition documents state that ‘at all times material to the indictment’ Babar Ahmad was resident in London, UK. However, the UK Crown Prosecution Service declared in July 2004 and December 2006, as did the UK Attorney General Lord Goldsmith in September 2006, that there was ‘insufficient evidence’ to charge Babar Ahmad with any criminal offence under UK law.

Having been refused bail, Babar Ahmad was detained in prison, where he remains. On 17 May 2005, Senior District Judge Timothy Workman approved his extradition at Bow Street Magistrates Court, stating, ‘This is a troubling and difficult case. The defendant is a British citizen who is alleged to have committed offences which, if the evidence were available, could have been prosecuted in this country...’

In September 2005, Sadiq Khan MP, Member of Parliament for Tooting, presented a petition of 18,000 signatures of then Home Secretary Charles Clarke asking Babar Ahmad to be tried in the UK, instead of being extradited. On 16 November 2005, Charles Clarke approved his extradition to the US.

On 28 November 2005, the UK Parliamentary Home Affairs Select Committee raised serious concerns about the one-sided UK-US extradition arrangements and, in particular, the case of Babar Ahmad. In a House of Commons emergency debate on 12 July 2006 about UK-US extradition, several MPs from all parties raised concerns at the case of Babar Ahmad. His name has also been mentioned repeatedly in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords in relation to UK-US extradition. Thousands have attended demonstrations in support of him.

On 30 November 2006, he lost his appeal at the High Court. On 4 June 2007, the House of Lords refused to grant him leave to appeal to them.

On 10 June 2007, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (France) ordered the UK Government to freeze Babar Ahmad’s extradition until they had fully determined his final appeal. This order remains in place as of December 2009. The European Court of Human Rights is expected to deliver judgement in the case in early 2011.

Police abuse case

Babar Ahmad was first arrested at his Tooting home on 2 December 2003 by UK anti-terrorist police of 1 Unit 1 Area Territorial Support Group based at the high security Paddington Green Police Station. By the time he arrived in the custody suite of the police station, he had sustained at least 73 injuries, all later documented by both police and independent doctors, as well as in photographic and video evidence.

He filed a formal complaint that was supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). He complained that officers had beaten him with fists and knees, stamped on his bare feet with boots, rubbed metal handcuffs on his forearm bones, sexually abused him, mocked the Islamic faith by placing him into the Muslim prayer position and taunting, ‘Where is your God now?!’, and applied life-threatening neck holds to him until he felt he was about to die. Officers denied the claims, saying Ahmad had battled like a "caged tiger" during his arrest, adding his injuries were either self-inflicted or caused by a legal tackle that took him to the ground when he was first detained.

On 10 September 2004, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that there was ‘insufficient evidence’ to prosecute any of the police officers involved in the attack. However, on 17 January 2005 the IPCC declared that PC Roderick James-Bowen (born 1971) would face internal police disciplinary procedures over the alleged assault.

On 13 April 2005 PC James-Bowen was cleared at a Police Misconduct Tribunal held at Woolwich Crown Court. Metropolitan Police Commander Andre Baker, the President of the Tribunal, stated that PC James-Bowen should be ‘commended, not castigated... for his great bravery’ in arresting Babar Ahmad.

On 18 March 2009, Babar Ahmad was awarded £60,000 compensation at the High Court in London after the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson admitted that he had been the victim of a ‘serious, gratuitous and prolonged attack.’

On 26 March 2009, Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced an inquiry into the Babar Ahmad case with external judicial oversight by retired judge Sir Geoffrey Grigson, to report back to the Metropolitan Police Authority.-

On 3 November 2009, following his acquittal in a separate racial abuse trial, 42-year old PC Mark Jones of 1 Area TSG was named as being involved with the attack on Babar Ahmad. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, announced that he was taking the case ‘very seriously’ whilst considering whether to prosecute PC Jones and the other officers involved in the alleged assault on Babar Ahmad.

In August 2010 it was announced that Police constables Nigel Cowley, John Donohue, Roderick James-Bowen and Mark Jones would be prosecuted for their part in the alleged assault on Babar Ahmad. The trial began on Tuesday 03 May 2011 at Southwark Crown Court, London. On 3 June 2011 they were found not guilty. A recording from an MI5 bug in Ahmad's home did not include any screams of agony and that no officers could be heard mocking Ahmad's faith.

Monitoring of MP visit to Ahmad

On 3 February 2008, the British newspaper ''The Sunday Times'' reported in 2008 that UK anti-terrorist police had covertly bugged prison visits between Babar Ahmad and his local MP, Sadiq Khan, Member of Parliament for Tooting. The bugged conversations took place at HM Prison Woodhill in May 2005 and June 2006.

This information was reportedly leaked to the press by Detective Constable Mark Kearney, the police intelligence officer who conducted the covert surveillance of the visits, in alleged contravention of the Wilson Doctrine that banned Government surveillance of politicians in 1966.

Following widespread international media coverage of the revelation, the previous Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw MP, announced in Parliament the day after the article was published that he had asked a retired High Court judge, Sir Christopher Rose, to conduct an official inquiry into the affair.

The Rose Inquiry reported back to the House of Commons later in February 2008, stating that the police had done nothing wrong, causing some commentators to dismiss the report as a whitewash.

See also

Talha Ahsan

Notes and references

Isolating terrorists; preserving justice - BBC News, last updated May 21, 2007.

Former U.S. Navy sailor arrested on terror charges - CNN, March 8, 2007

UK pair lose US extradition fight - BBC News, November 30, 2006

Islamic group holds protest march - BBC News, December 10, 2005

UK orders terror suspect extradition to U.S. - CNN, November 16, 2005

Briton charged in terror conspiracy - CNN, October 7, 2004

Terror suspect 'can be extradited' - CNN, May 17, 2004

Terror suspect remains in custody - CNN, August 16, 2004

Father defends terror suspect son - BBC News, August 8, 2004

Terror suspect 'had Navy plans' - CNN, August 6, 2004

External links

Official Support website

Three Years In Captivity by Babar Ahmad

Caged Prisoners entry for Babar Ahmad - Ahmad's poems, letters, articles, etc.

http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/4737002._Cops_should_face_criminal_charges_following_Tooting_man_s_assault_/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6901957.ece

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5934380.ece

Category:English Muslims Category:English people of Pakistani descent Category:Living people Category:1974 births

Name	Ahmad Zahir
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ahmad Zahir
Born	June 14, 1946 laghman, Afghanistan
Died	June 14, 1979 Salang, Parwan Province, Afghanistan
Genre	''Boozy''-rock, pop, ghazals
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, composer
Instrument	Harmonium, piano, accordion, Farfisa, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, combo organ
Years active	1967–1979
Label	Afghan Music, Aj Musik, EMI, Music Center }}

Ahmad Zahir (Pashto/ - ''Aḥmad Zāhir''; 14 June 1946 – 14 June 1979) was a singer, songwriter, and composer from Afghanistan. He is considered an icon of music in Afghanistan and is sometimes called the "King of Afghan music". Almost all of his songs are in Persian and based on well-recognized Persian poems, while a few are in Pashto and English.

Biography

Zahir was born on June 14, 1946 (Jauza 24, 1325 of the Jalali calendar) in Laghman. His father, Abdul Zahir, was a royal court doctor, minister of health, Prime Minister of Afghanistan between 1971 and 1972, speaker of the parliament and an influential figure in the Zahir Shah era who helped write the Constitution of Afghanistan. Ahmad Zahir belonged to the Pashtun ethnic group but he lived in Kabul, so he also used Dari language.

Ahmad Zahir attended Habibia High School in Kabul in the early 1960s. He sang and played the accordion in a band mainly consisting of his friends and classmates including Omar Sultan on guitar, Farid Zaland on congas and Kabir Howaida on piano. The band later became known as the amateur band of Habibia High School and performed in local concerts during celebratory occasions like Nowruz, Eid, and Afghan Independence Day.

He later attended and graduated from ''Daru' l-Malimeen'' ("Teachers' College") in Kabul, then continued his higher education for two more years in India to get a degree as an English instructor. Eventually, however, he decided that music was his true calling. Ahmad Zahir began his solo career composing songs based on well-recognized Persian poems. His first recorded song, "Gar Kuni Yak Nizara", was his own composition, sung in the pilu raga. He continued writing and recording songs such as "Azeezam Ba Yaadat", "Ahista-ahista", "Akhir Ay Darya", "Hama Yaranam", "Agar Sabza Boodam", "Guftam Ke Mekhwaham Tura", "Shabe Ze Shabha" and "Parween-e Man".

Zahir worked with mentors such as Ismail Azami (saxophonist), Nangalai (trumpeter), Abdullah Etemadi (drummer), and other musicians including Salim Sarmast, Naynawaz, Taranasaz, and Mas'hour Jamal. He recorded over 22 albums in the 1970s. His songs were noted for their mellifluous tone, poetic style, compelling depth, and passionate emotional evocation. His lyrics covered a wide range of subjects. Many of his songs contained autobiographical elements or political criticism of Afghanistan's government. As a result many of his recordings were destroyed by the government.

The king professionally was on the scene of Aghan Music for only 10 years at max; however, the king managed to record a record number of albums which was more than 30 albums, this was and is unheard of in any music industry around the world, to note, all these albums were superhits and widely accepted (to this date) by everyone. The kings managed to complete these recordings almost 40yrs ago with almost no technology of today's world, and all was done in live recordings. It is said the kings recorded his Arian Music Album 1 in one day, that had more than 12 songs, all live. Long live the King Ahmad Zahir...

Death and legacy

Zahir died on June 14, 1979, on his 33rd birthday. According to his son Rishad, Zahir "was assassinated by the order of a communist general named Daud Taroon, who used one of Ahmad Zahir’s best friends as an accomplice to carry out his orders". Ahmad Zahir’s political stance was at odds with the communist government of the time who claimed that he had died in a car accident. A large crowd of mourners attended Zahir's funeral in Kabul, clogging the city streets and bringing daily activities to a halt.

After his death Zahir became a national hero and his image was mythologized by the Afghan people. Because of his privileged family background, Zahir helped to establish music as a more respected profession which in turn led to the founding of The Kabul Music School in 1974.

Ahmad Zahir's son Rishad Zahir currently lives in the United States.

Discography

Afghan Music albums

''Vol. 1 - Dilak am'' (1973)

''Vol. 2 - Bahar'' (1973)

''Vol. 3 - Shab ha ye zulmane'' (1974)

''Vol. 4 - Mother'' (1974)

''Vol. 5 - Awara'' (1975)

''Vol. 6 - Ghulam-e Qamar'' (1975)

''Vol. 7 - Sultan Qalbaam'' (1976)

''Vol. 8 - Az Ghamat Hy Nazaneen'' (1976)

''Vol. 9 - Gulbadaan'' (1971)

''Vol. 10 - Yaare Bewafa'' (1977)

''Vol. 11 - Lylee'' (1977)

''Vol. 12 - Ahmad Zahir and Jila'' (1978)

''Vol. 13 - Ahange Zindagee'' (1978)

''Vol. 14 - Shab-e Hijraan'' (1979) (posthumous release)

Note: Audio cassette versions of many of Zahir's ''Afghan Music'' albums are missing some songs that are present on the original vinyl records.

Ariana Music albums

''Vol. 1 - Daard-e Dil'' (1972)

''Vol. 2 - Mosum-e Gul'' (1977)

Note: The original ''Ariana Music'' record albums contain many hidden tracks.

Music Center albums

''Vol. 1 - Ashiq rooyat Mon'' (1973)

''Vol. 2 - Neshe Gashdum'' (1976)

''Vol. 3 - Lylee Jaan'' (1977)

''Vol. 4 - Ahmad Zahir Ba Sitara Haa'' (1977)

''Vol. 5 - To Baamanee'' (1978)

Private albums

''Shamali''

''Hindi Songs''

''Afghanistan Songs''

''Agar Bahar Byayad''

''Ahmad Zahir & Nainawaaz''

''Almase-Sharq''

''Gulhaayi-Jawedan''

''Gulhayi Nafaramoshshuda''

''Khateraha''

''Khudaat-Medani Guleman''

''Laily-Laily-Jan''

''Raaze-Penhan''

''Soorodhayie-Jawedan''

''Yaad-Mandaha''

''Zindani''

Other discography information

He has over 10 private recording albums from 1965–1978.

He only recorded 2 music videos in Radio Kabul TV: "Laylee Jaan" in 1976 and "Khuda Buwat Yarret" in 1977.

Ahmad Zahir recorded several songs in ''Radio Kabul'' and ''Radio Afghanistan'' studios which later came out as albums. Eight of these albums have been released.

References

External links

AhmadZahir.com Official website

Category:1946 births Category:1979 deaths Category:Afghan musicians Category:Afghan singers Category:Pashtun people Category:Persian music

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