People of the Middle East
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Background
• The Middle East is home to a broad
diversity of people
• Even throughout its history it has been
home to many peoples
• The Arabs make up the majority in several
countries
Different ethnic people in the
Middle East according to language
Arabs
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More the half of the people are Arabs
Speak Arabic language
Religion they practice is Islam (90%); Christianity (10%)
Trace their roots to the Arabian Peninsula but today live in all
countries of the Middle East
• Three things that govern their attitude and actions
– Belief in Islam
– The Arabic language
– The Arabic Culture
The Saudis
• Saudi Arabia is regarded with deep respect within the Muslim world
– Birth place of Muhammad
– Site of Mecca and Medina
• Creation of a man whose name the country bears
– King Ibn Saud (1882-1953)
• Saudi royal family still rules the kingdom
• Oil was discovered in 1936 and BOMB – area became important to
the world
The Egyptians
• The World is fascinated with Egypt due to its history
– The mummies, pyramids, sphinxes
• In the past was considered to be an ally of the United States in the
Middle East
• Viewed Egypt as a way to make moderate changes in the Middle East
• First nation to recognize and make peace with Israel
• One of the most stable nations in the Middle East
Iranians
• Not Arab – Persian
• Most are Muslim (90% are Shia, 10% Sunni)
• Language – Persian, or Farsi, an Indo-European language that is distantly related
to English
• Location – was Persia; now Iran
• Iran means “land of the Aryans”
• Persian Empire was established in 500 BC
– One of the greatest empires of its time
• 600 AD Arabs invaded the region and established Islam
• 1979 new gov took over and set up an Islamic republic
• Took Americans hostage (50 for over a yr)
• War with Iraq in 1980
• Relationship with the United States is strained
Lebanese
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Descendants from the great sea traders the Phoenician
One of the most westernized of the Middle Eastern countries
Capital, Beirut, is the Paris of the Middle East
Made up of Christian, Druze, Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims
– Spelled doom
• Its neighbors also cause problems for Lebanon
– Syria and Israel
• Civil Wars took places between 1975-1990
• Still dominated by Syria today
• Israel still upset at Lebanon for harboring Hizballah militiamen in their fight
against Israel
Syrians
• Really hate the west
• Sometimes called the “Paymaster” to worldwide terrorist groups
– Hizballah, Hamas, Islamic Jihadist
• US believes that the Syrian government is backing the Sunni
insurgency in Iraq
• The Assad ruling dynasty tries to rule with an iron fist
– But at times its own home grown terrorist organization have cause problems
for the government
• The current government might not have a very tight grip on its own
people
Turks
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Language – Turkish, comes from the Central Asian roots
Religion – Islam
Location – was Asia minor; now Turkey
56 million Turks
First people to live in Asia minor = Greeks and Hittites
Great city of Constantinople fell to Islam in 1453
– Changed name to Istanbul
– Greatly changed Turkey’s future
Greatly “westernized” after WWI
Once thought to be an ally of the United States
– US offered Turkey $6 billion to use military bases to attach Iraq
• Parliament said no
Problems in Turkey today
– Upsurge of Islamic terrorism
– The Kurds
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Armenians
• Language – Armenian
• Religion – Christianity
• Location – was Turkey; now Turkey, former Soviet Union
(Republic of Armenia)
• Were Christians living in a Muslim country, wanted own
land
– Massacred by Turks during WWI – about 1 million
The Iraqis
• Home of ancient Mesopotamia “the cradle of civilization”
– Gave us agriculture and writing
• Made up of Shi’ite (60%) Sunnis (32%) and Kurds
– Each regard itself to be a separate nation and wanting its own homeland
• After independence overthrew and executed the king and his family
• Proclaimed a republic
• Border disputes with Kuwait and Iran
• Oil made the country wealth and powerful
• Baath Party gained power in 1968
– Saddam Hussein came to power in 1979
• Ever sense the country has been in turmoil
Kurds
• Language – Kurdish
• Religion – Islam
• Location – was and is border separating Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and former Soviet
Union
– Call area Kurdistan
– Do not have self rule
– Largest ethnic group in world without a homeland
• Have been slaughtered by the Iranians, the Turks and the Iraqis
• The P.K.K (Partiya Karkaren Kurdistan) are a militant group of Turkish Kurds
fighting for a homeland
• A Kurdish saying
– “Kurds have no friends”
Palestinians
• Language – Arabic
• Religion – Islam
• Location – was Palestine the areas surrounded by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria
and Lebanon
• In 1948, Palestine was formed into the Jewish state of Israel
• Many Palestinian lost their homes, farms and businesses
• Many became refugees (4.5 / 7.5 million Palestinians)
– Some live in Israel (1 million)
– Some live in West Bank and Gaza areas
– Some live in surrounding countries (Jordan and Lebanon)
– Many live in refugee camps
• Many want a fully independent Palestinian state
• Conflict between Palestinians and Israeli continues today
Israelis
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Language – Hebrew and Arabic are official
Religion – Jewish (82%) rest are Muslim and Christians
Location – Israel
– Israel today = 4.1 million Jews; .9 million Arabs
– Jews have move to various parts of the world
Abraham led his people to Canaan
Roman Empire conquered the region called it Palestine
– Forced Jews to move = diaspora
Arabs conquered Palestine in the mid-1600s
Come under control of Ottoman Empire
End of WWI come under British control
Movement known as Zionism began
In 1948, Israel was created by the United Nations as a homeland for the Jews
Women in the Middle East
• Prior to Islam women were slightly less valuable than livestock
• Islam improved the lives of women greatly
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Outlawed infanticide
Education of girls a duty
Woman had the right to own and inherit property
But they are not equal
• Lives are governed by the Shari’a
• No single picture of women living under Islamic law
• Veil tradition/required by law in many Arab countries
– Represents freedom for many and pride in Islam