Answer to Puzzle Contest (From the Contest Winner):

"A.D. (Anno Domini) refers to the Christian (Gregorian) calendar. A.H. (Anno Hegirae) refers to the Islamic calendar, which began in the year of the Hegira (A.D.666), the year when Muhammud moved from Mecca to Medina. The year 2004 in the Christian calendar corresponds to the years 1424 and 1425 in the Islamic calendar. 'New Year's Day' in the Islamic calendar began this year on March 22, 2004; 1 Safar was the first day of the first month of 1425."

The mano a mano part was a hint that year a year was in effect anno a anno (spelled and pronounced much like mano)

Winner: Shirley Wolf, Rockville, MD