Uniform Insignia Forum

Hi all
On the http://www.uniforminsignia.org/show.php?stat=Lebanon&podkategorie=Army&num=3&id=1530 there are names of ranks put in the Arabic letters. Are they the same for all other countries using the same names (as showed in latin transliteration)? What are the Arabic spelling for other rank names, not mentioned on Lebanon website?

For Captain, the arabic script says "Naqib" but transliterates it as Ra'is ("Head") I presume to mean "Boss". Is it the case that the proper rank title is Naqib but everyone in the Lebanese Army refers to the rank as Ra'is? Or is the rank for the Lebanese Army actually Ra'is and the person who did this rank chart didn't know that the arabic didn't say Ra'is?

Currently, the arabic says 'Amad for Lt. General and Awwal 'Amad for General, not Fariq/Fariq Awwal as it currently is transliterated. Is the arabic written correctly, shouldn't it be 'Amad Awwal instead?

Hello All,

I've been absent for a while.

Dear Brigadier Khalik,

I understand that the rank of Fariq coresponds with the rank of Lieutenant General in most other armies, but would it not translate more as "general" while Fariq Awwal being more akin to "first General" ? Just the command responsibilities usually Corps level so that would lead people to associate Fariq with a Lt. General. A Mulazim is a 2LT while a Mulazim Awwal is a 1LT so I always figured that could apply to Fariq and Fariq Awwal. Syria follows this line of thought I believe.

Secondly Sir, could you provide any information on the rank of Syria's Bashar Assad? His shoulder boards have the Syrian eagle then three stars like a brigadier and crossed swords. This is the only example I have ever seen of this type. His father and Mustafa Tlass both just wore the eagle and crossed swords with two stars. They called themselves 1st Lt. Generals.

rsagris wrote:For Captain, the arabic script says "Naqib" but transliterates it as Ra'is ("Head") I presume to mean "Boss". Is it the case that the proper rank title is Naqib but everyone in the Lebanese Army refers to the rank as Ra'is? Or is the rank for the Lebanese Army actually Ra'is and the person who did this rank chart didn't know that the arabic didn't say Ra'is?

Currently, the arabic says 'Amad for Lt. General and Awwal 'Amad for General, not Fariq/Fariq Awwal as it currently is transliterated. Is the arabic written correctly, shouldn't it be 'Amad Awwal instead?

So sorry I didn't notice the Amad rank and comment on it.

As I wrote, something was wrong with the Naqib. I'm sorry my English is not that good. In Arabic it says Naquib as in the other Arab countries. All Arab countries speak Arabic, but every country has it's own dialict. As an Egyptian I speak with an Egyptian dialect, but can also speak in a comman Arabic dialect (= Saudi Arabia). If I were to speak to a person from Lebanon, I would have to speak correct Arabic (like the Saudis). In the Lebanese dialect it is called Ra'is, so the Lebanese would call it Ra'is (which can mean chairman/leader/boss). In the correct and official Arabic it is called Naqib.

It says Amad in arabic. Again it is Amad in Lebanese dialect. When you hear about the lebanese President on the TV, he is called 'Amad Lahoud (as his father was also called 'Amad Lahoud). So the Lebanese use 'Amad (awwal), althogh it is called fariq (awwal) in correct Arabic.

It's a bit difficult to explain, and I hope you understand. Rais and Amad would be sort of a lebanese slang, whereas naquib and fariq is correct arabic.

rsagris wrote:For Captain, the arabic script says "Naqib" but transliterates it as Ra'is ("Head") I presume to mean "Boss". Is it the case that the proper rank title is Naqib but everyone in the Lebanese Army refers to the rank as Ra'is? Or is the rank for the Lebanese Army actually Ra'is and the person who did this rank chart didn't know that the arabic didn't say Ra'is?

Currently, the arabic says 'Amad for Lt. General and Awwal 'Amad for General, not Fariq/Fariq Awwal as it currently is transliterated. Is the arabic written correctly, shouldn't it be 'Amad Awwal instead?

So sorry I didn't notice the Amad rank and comment on it.

As I wrote, something was wrong with the Naqib. I'm sorry my English is not that good. In Arabic it says Naquib as in the other Arab countries. All Arab countries speak Arabic, but every country has it's own dialict. As an Egyptian I speak with an Egyptian dialect, but can also speak in a comman Arabic dialect (= Saudi Arabia). If I were to speak to a person from Lebanon, I would have to speak correct Arabic (like the Saudis). In the Lebanese dialect it is called Ra'is, so the Lebanese would call it Ra'is (which can mean chairman/leader/boss). In the correct and official Arabic it is called Naqib.

It says Amad in arabic. Again it is Amad in Lebanese dialect. When you hear about the lebanese President on the TV, he is called 'Amad Lahoud (as his father was also called 'Amad Lahoud). So the Lebanese use 'Amad (awwal), althogh it is called fariq (awwal) in correct Arabic.

It's a bit difficult to explain, and I hope you understand. Rais and Amad would be sort of a lebanese slang, whereas naquib and fariq is correct arabic.

thegoodboy wrote:Hello All,

I've been absent for a while.

Dear Brigadier Khalik,

I understand that the rank of Fariq coresponds with the rank of Lieutenant General in most other armies, but would it not translate more as "general" while Fariq Awwal being more akin to "first General" ? Just the command responsibilities usually Corps level so that would lead people to associate Fariq with a Lt. General. A Mulazim is a 2LT while a Mulazim Awwal is a 1LT so I always figured that could apply to Fariq and Fariq Awwal. Syria follows this line of thought I believe.

Secondly Sir, could you provide any information on the rank of Syria's Bashar Assad? His shoulder boards have the Syrian eagle then three stars like a brigadier and crossed swords. This is the only example I have ever seen of this type. His father and Mustafa Tlass both just wore the eagle and crossed swords with two stars. They called themselves 1st Lt. Generals.

hello!

I can only speak on behalf of Egypt. The rank of fariq awwal does excist, but no-one hold the rank in Egypt. I'm not that good at English, and only hold an administrative job in the armed forces so I don't know that much about ranks, but I do believe that your translation is quite good - although it is not used in official documents in English. However the official translation we use when (for instance) introducing a new military attache to a country, is Lt. General = farriq. It makes more sence with your translation, but it is not used. Farriq is translated to Lt. General in all official papers.

I don't know what's happening for the Assad's in Syria. I can confirm seeing fotos of Hafez with to stars and Bashar with 3 stars. The people I've asked, claim that he is a field marshal (although it doesn't make any sence). So I would like to believe he is a field marshal.

Adam Abdel Khalik wrote:

thegoodboy wrote:Hello All,

I've been absent for a while.

Dear Brigadier Khalik,

I understand that the rank of Fariq coresponds with the rank of Lieutenant General in most other armies, but would it not translate more as "general" while Fariq Awwal being more akin to "first General" ? Just the command responsibilities usually Corps level so that would lead people to associate Fariq with a Lt. General. A Mulazim is a 2LT while a Mulazim Awwal is a 1LT so I always figured that could apply to Fariq and Fariq Awwal. Syria follows this line of thought I believe.

Secondly Sir, could you provide any information on the rank of Syria's Bashar Assad? His shoulder boards have the Syrian eagle then three stars like a brigadier and crossed swords. This is the only example I have ever seen of this type. His father and Mustafa Tlass both just wore the eagle and crossed swords with two stars. They called themselves 1st Lt. Generals.

hello!

I can only speak on behalf of Egypt. The rank of fariq awwal does excist, but no-one hold the rank in Egypt. I'm not that good at English, and only hold an administrative job in the armed forces so I don't know that much about ranks, but I do believe that your translation is quite good - although it is not used in official documents in English. However the official translation we use when (for instance) introducing a new military attache to a country, is Lt. General = farriq. It makes more sence with your translation, but it is not used. Farriq is translated to Lt. General in all official papers.

I don't know what's happening for the Assad's in Syria. I can confirm seeing fotos of Hafez with to stars and Bashar with 3 stars. The people I've asked, claim that he is a field marshal (although it doesn't make any sence). So I would like to believe he is a field marshal.

What about Mushir("Field Marshal") Tantawi. Doesn't having him hold a rank that is higher than Fariq Awwal, imply that the Eqyptian Army has a few "Furaqa' Awa'il" hanging around? ;-)