Samir Abu Hawash is one of the best culture/media critics in the Arab world. In As-Safir, he offers an excellent critique of Al-Arabiyya, and compares its personality cult of `Allawi with the personality cult of `Allawi's former boss (Saddam). He is particularly irritated that the special `Allawi series on Al-Arabiyya, which begins tomorrow, is titled: Narrative of a Man and a Homeland. The title, Abu Hawwash states, reduces the homeland to this man, just as Saddam used to do. (I have the program taped, and will report on it.)