One minor point on this article http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_264b.html Cecil comments “(1) there is no generally accepted authority for romanizing Arabic names”. I don’t doubt this is true but there is an entire language based around this idea - Maltese. It is the only Arabic based language written with the English (or Roman) alphabet.
So you could use that as a standard for most other Arabic based languages. Since I speak Maltese I can personally testify that you will get weird spelling for many words but at least it would be consistent.
I did not know this. In fact, I found the topic fascinating enough that I decided to read up on it on Wikipedia. Interesting stuff!
I am glad I was able to add to the knowledge pool 
And … so … how do they spell whatisname?
I can speak/comprehend Maltese fairly fluently but thats about it. Sorry.
I’ve alwas read it as Moammar Qaddafi.
Or you can spell it “Mad Dog”.
Tim Kaserinsky (sp?) did a “newscast” about this on an early-80s episode of SNL. Fairly funny; eventually they just began scrolling every single word that began with a K or a Q.
Sir Rhosis