Every thing that starts with "Al" is BAD NEWS

What Senator Graham has perhaps failed to realize is that “Al” means “the”. (File photo: AP)

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By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News
Wednesday, 6 May 2015

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham believes everything that starts with “Al” in the Middle East is “bad news.” Lindsey made thestatement in a speech to AIPAC at the New England Leadership Dinner on Monday night.

But we at “Al” Arabiya would like to explain why it’s not all bad!

“Al” is the definite article with the English equivalent of “the,” and appears with proper nouns, such as names and places, so much to the dismay of Senator Graham, “Al” is staying.

The South Carolina Senator gave “al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula” as examples to support his point of “Al” being “bad news.”

However, other examples for the use of “Al” include Al Arabiya News Channel, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Al-Mamlakah al-Arabiyah as-Sa'ūdiyah) and, well, even the United States of America (al-Wilāyāt al-Muttaḥidah al-Amrīkīyah).