The Middle East

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The Middle East

• Cultural
• Geography

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Three major ethnic groups of the Middle East

• Arabs
• Persians
• Turks
• The major religion is Islam, followed by
  Christianity and Judaism.

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• TURKS
• The Ottoman Empire followed in the footsteps of
  its ancestors and set up a system based on
  tolerance for the many differences among its
  subjects.
• Turkey today is the result of what was formed
  during the Ottoman Empirewhich you will learn
  about soon?
• Language Turkish (an Altaic language)
• As with all cultures, this one is rich with
  music, arts, cuisine (food), and tradition.

• ARABS
• 22 Arab countries/areas Algeria, Bahrain, the
  Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,
• Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania,
  Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,
  Sudan,
• Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
• Arabic is the dominant language.
• Multitude of ethnic and linguistic groups.
• ?Close to 60 of earths oil reserves are at or
  near
• the Arabian Peninsula
• ?To be an Arab, like an American, is a cultural
  trait
• rather than racial. ?
• The Arab world includes Muslims, Christians and
  Jews.
• ?Any person who adopts the Arabic language is
  typically
• called an Arab. ?
• Arabic is the official and the original language
  of the
• Quran, the Islamic holy book

• PERSIANS
• Persia is now IRAN
• Algebra
• Poetry (epic, narrative)
• Language Farsi
• Zoroastianism one of the oldest monothesistic
  religions!

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Misconceptions Regarding the Arab World

• All Arabs are Muslims, and all Muslims are Arab.
• -Arabs are religiously diverse group
• significant numbers of Arab Christians in
• Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and
• Iraq. Arabs make up between 15-18 of the
• Muslim world.
• The Arab world is backwards and uncivilized.
• -Actually represents a highly developed culture
• and civilization where modern cities mingle
• with ancient ones.
• The Arab world is one big desert.
• Truly geographically complex and diverse.

• Stereotypes of Arab males
• -All are oil-rich Sheiks. As in the West, there
• are economically diverse segments of the
• population.
• -Mad dictators. Various types of political
• systems in Arab world.
• -Terrorists. Overwhelming majority are law
• abiding citizens with families and a wide
• variety of occupations.
• Stereotypes of Arab women
• -All are oppressed by men. Not true.
• -All are veiled. According to Islam women are
• supposed to wear veils. In some countries, like
• Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, it is no imposed
• upon them and women are free to choose
• whether to wear veils. However, in other
• places, all women, even non-Muslims, wear
• veils out of fear of mist
• reatment by fanatics or

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Three religions originated in this region

• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam

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Dont get confused!

• All 3 Middle Eastern Religions (Judaism,
  Christianity, and Islam) are monotheistic (belief
  in one god)
• Christians, however, believe in God as a trinity
  (father, son, holy spirit) and that Jesus was
  Gods son
• Muslims believe that Muhammed was Gods messenger
  (not son)
• Jews believe that the Messiah has not yet arrived
• All 3 share the same foundation through the
  lineage of Abraham

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Countries with the Largest Muslim Population
1. Indonesia 183,000,000 6. Iran 62,000,000
2. Pakistan 134,000,000 7. Egypt 59,000,000
3. India 121,000,000 8. Nigeria 53,000,000
4. Bangladesh 114,000,000 9. Algeria 31,000,000
5. Turkey 66,000,000 10. Morocco 29,000,000
Arabs make up only 20 of the total Muslim
population of the world.
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To whom does the term Arabic refer?

• People who speak Arabic and share a common
  culture
• By what factors are Arabs united?
• Their language, customs, and (to some extent)
  their religion

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How do the Turks and Persians differ from the
Arabs?

• Although they share the Muslim religion, their
  customs and languages are different from those of
  the Arabs.

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Muslims practice Islam

• The word Islam means submission or surrender to
  the will of God.
• An Arab merchant named Muhammed taught that there
  was only one Allah, or God.
• He said that he was Gods messenger.
• His teachings are the foundation of Islam.

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Abrahams GenealogyThe left side is the origin
of IslamThe right sideJudaism and
Christianity
ABRAHAM
SARAH
HAGAR
Isaac
Ishmael
12 Arabian Tribes
Esau
Jacob
12 Tribes of Israel
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Five pillars of Islam

• The hajj (the pilgrimage to the city of Mecca,
  the birthplace of Muhammed)
• Belief in one God
• Prayer 5 times daily

• The giving of alms
• Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan

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The hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) is an important
aspect of Islam

• Millions travel to Mecca each year!

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What about these required prayers?
The mandatory prayers performed 5 times a
day dawn noon late
afternoon sunset before going
to bed Wash before praying. Face Mecca and use
a prayer rug.
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• The call to prayer by the muezzin in the
  minaret.
• Pray in the mosque on Friday.

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• Those who complete the pilgrimage can add
  the title hajji to their name.

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Non-Arab Muslim groups include

• Turks
• Persians
• Kurds
• Indonesians
• Pakistanis
• Nigerians

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What foundations of faith do Christians and Jews
have that are comparable to the five pillars?
The Ten Commandments
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Which Middle Eastern people are non-Muslim, and
where do they live?

• ChristiansCyprus and Lebanon
• JewsIsrael

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How are the roles of Middle Eastern women
different from those of the United States and
Western Europe?

• In many Middle Eastern countries, women and men
  are expected to live apart more often.
• Generally speaking, women have less power and
  opportunity in the Middle East. In some
  countries, laws limit their conduct and they must
  follow strict rules.

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Bazaars

• Bazaars are outdoor markets where many of the
  same items traded long ago are still traded
  today.
• Textiles, fine carpets, and farm products are
  often traded.

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OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries

• This organization was formed to help the
  oil-producing countries get a fairer price for
  their oil.

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More oil facts

• The Middle East and North Africa produce 1/3 of
  the worlds oil annually.
• Saudi Arabia produces the most oil annually (over
  3 billion barrels)!
• Oil-rich nations use oil money to produce
  schools, airports, highways, ports, hospitals,
  and factories.

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Agriculture in Israel

• To farm their harsh lands, the early settlers of
  Israel developed two special kinds of farms
• a moshav (cooperative farm)
• a kibbutz (collective farm)

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Arts and Recreation

• Storytellers are highly regarded in this region.
• Muslim artists are known for their calligraphy.
• Camel racing is a popular traditional sport.
• Sports and recreation in this area combine old
  and new pastimes.

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Middle Eastern Governments

• Absolute rulers have complete power. Their
  authority cannot be challenged.
• Most Middle Eastern rulers have traditional
  titles such as sultan or emir.
• Many governments in the Middle East rely on
  Islamic law, or sharia, to govern them fully or
  partially.

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A History of Conflict

• The Israelis and the Palestinians have been
  fighting for years over a region considered to be
  both groups homeland.
• Yitzhak Rabin, the prime minister of Israel, and
  Yasir Arafat, a Palestinian leader, shook hands
  after a peace agreement in 1995, but Rabin was
  assassinated before the agreement was put into
  action.

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More recently, the Middle East has received a
great deal of attention for an anti-government
Afghan terrorist group.

• There is a Muslim extremist group that has added
  a sixth pillar of Islam. This sixth pillar is
  the jihad, or holy war. It includes the
  belief that dying in the name of Allah sends one
  directly to heaven.