Arabs, Persians, and Kurds
7th Grade Social Studies
Our Standard Says…
 SS7G8: TSW describe the diverse cultures
of the people who live in SWA.
 B. Explain the diversity of religions within the
Arabs, Persians, and Kurds.
 You need to understand the fact that there
is a wide diversity of religions inside each
ethnic group.
 There can be more than one religious group
in a ethnic group.
Arabs, Persians, and Kurds
 These are three prominent ethnic
groups found in SWA.
 Remember an ethnic group is a group
of people who are tied together by
some kind of common background
(shared language, physical
appearance, customs, traditions, etc.)
 There can be many religious groups
in an ethnic group.
The Arabs
 A Southwest Asian ethnic group living
primarily on the Arabian peninsula,
but also in other Southwest Asian
locations and many other parts of the
world.
The Arabs
 Much of Southwest Asia’s population belongs
to the Arab ethnic group. Arabs are people who
can trace their ancestors to the original tribes of
Arabia. Arab people have lived in Southwest Asia
for thousands of years. Their predominant language
is Arabic. Most Arabs are Muslims; however
many are Christians or hold to other faiths.
Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and the Arabian
Peninsula all feature large Arab populations.
Palestinians within Israel (i.e. in the Gaza Strip) are
predominantly Arab as well.
The Arabs
 Most of the population of SWA.
 Especially in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan,
Iraq, the West Bank, and the Arabian
peninsula.
 Most speak Arabic
 Made up of the people who can trace
their roots back to the Arabian
peninsula
 Most but not all are Muslim.
The Arabs- Religions
 Religions
 Islam
 Most are Sunni
 Some are Shia
 Before Islam, most Arabs were polytheistic.
 Ismaili
 Druze
 Christians
 Small populations of Arab Christians in SWA
and northern Africa.
Where are the Arabs?
 Green= Areas where
Arabic is the primary
language
 Blue= Arabic is one of
several languages.
 Found all over SWA
and northern Africa.
 Don’t get along with
the Jews (Arab-Israeli
Conflict)
The Persians
 A Southwest Asian ethnic group found
mostly in Iran. The main thing that
ties this ethnic group together is the
use of the Persian language.
The Persians
 Persians originate from Iran and still
live in the regions around the Persian
Gulf. While most Persians live in Iran,
some also live in surrounding countries.
The majority of Persians are Shiite
Muslims. However, there are also
Jewish Persians, Christian Persians,
other monotheistic Persians, and
atheistic Persians.
The Persians
 Originate from Iran.
 Most live in Iran and the Persian Gulf
region.
 Most Persians are Shiite Muslims, but
there are many religions in this ethnic
group.
The Persians- Religions
 Religions
 Islam
 Most are Shia
 Especially in Iran
 Sunni
 Zoroastrianism
 Christianity and Judaism
 Atheistic Persians
Where are the Persians?
 Mostly found in
Iran.
 Iran was known
as Persia until
1935.
The Kurds
 A Southwest Asian ethnic group living in a
region known as Kurdistan (which includes
parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey).
 Formally part of the Ottoman Empire, they
were promised a homeland (Kurdistan)
after the end of World War I, but that never
happened. Since 1925, the Kurds have
staged revolts in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.
The Kurds
 The Kurds are an ethnic group found in
parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey,
and Lebanon. They originate from an
area often referred to as Kurdistan.
They speak Kurdish and are of the
victims of discrimination. Kurds have
long called for an independent Kurdistan
to be carved out of portions of the
countries in which Kurdish people live.
The Kurds
 For years, some Kurdish groups have
launched military campaigns in their
quest for independence. In retaliation,
during the late 1980s, the Iraqi
government destroyed roughly
2,000 Kurdish villages and
massacred close to 100,000 Kurds
(most of who lived in Iraq). In
February, 2008, Turkey caused an
international stir when it sent troops into
northern Iraq looking for Kurdish rebels.
The Kurds
 Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims.
However, there are also Shia
(plural of Shiite) Kurds, Christian
Kurds, Jewish Kurds (most of
whom live in Israel), as well as
some who practice religions
traditional to the region.
The Kurds
 Found mostly in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and
Turkey.
 Many Kurds fight for the
establishment of Kurdistan.
 Most speak Kurdish.
 Kurds have been victim to violent
discrimination.
 Saddam Hussein and Iraq in the late
1980s.
 Turkey in 2008.
The Kurds
 Most are Sunni Muslim.
 There are many religious groups in
this ethnic group.
The Kurds- Religions
 Religions
 Islam
 Majority of Kurds
 Most Sunni
 Small minority are Shia (plural of Shiite)
 Alevi
 Yazdanism
 Judaism and Christianity
 Most Kurdish Jews live in Israel.
Where are the Kurds?
 Found
mostly in
the land
that was
to be
Kurdistan.
 Parts of
Turkey,
Armenia,
Iran, Iraq,
and Syria.
Our Standard Says…
 SS7G8: TSW describe the diverse cultures
of the people who live in SWA.
 B. Explain the diversity of religions within the
Arabs, Persians, and Kurds.
 You need to understand the fact that there
is a wide diversity of religions inside each
ethnic group.
 There can be more than one religious group
in a ethnic group.
Discussion Questions
 Which of the following is an ethnic
group found in Turkey, Iraq, and
Syria?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Immigrant Jews
Persians
Kurds
None of the Above
 True/False: There can only be one
religious group in an ethnic group.
So…
1. Which ethnic group is the most widely
distributed in SWA?
2. Why do Kurds believe they are entitled to a
homeland (a.k.a. Kurdistan)?
3. Which ethnic group is found mostly in Iran?
4. What are some things that tie these groups
together?
5. Most Arabs are Muslims. Joe is an Arab.
Can you be positive Joe follows Islam? Why
or why not?