Middle East
Cultural
Cultural Crossroads & Chokepoints
Hearth of 3 World Religions
Conflict
Physical
Aridity
Oil
Cultural Crossroads
Chokepoints
Suez Canal
Religious Hearths
Judaism, Christianity & Islam
Popular Labels
Dry World, Arab World, Islamic World, Middle East
A Dry World ?
Dry/arid climate prevails
With Exceptions
An Arab Realm ?
As Relates to Language:
Arabic is the dominant language in 16 States of the realm.
In Non-Arab States, indigenous languages dominate.
Turkey - Turkish
Iran - Farsi
Israel - Hebrew
Racially refers to Arabian Peninsula
Islamic Realm?
Dominates #s & Area
Not only religion though
Abrahamic Mythology/Religions
Judaism
Shares Early Narrative of Christianity & Islam
Monotheistic
Born into the Religion
Diaspora in AD 70
Christianity
Based on teaching of Jesus/Continues out of Judaism
Constantine – 313
Council of Nicaea in 325 – European Christianity
Trinity & Elimination of other Gospels/books in Bible
Islam
Islam/Muslim
Muhammad (571- 632 AD)
‘Issues’ with Christianity other faiths
Jesus was prophet, not Son of God
Polytheism – Reject Trinity
Role of Women
Wealth
Sunnis & Shi’ites
Islam
Five Pillars of Faith
The Profession of Faith in Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger
Daily Prayer (5 Times)
Month of Daytime Fasting
Giving of Alms
Pilgrimage To Mecca During One’s Life
Integration with Government
Integration with Local Cultures
Fundamentalism/Religious Revivalism
Women in Government
Pilgrimage to Mecca
Middle Eastern City - Medina
Mosque
Suq (bazaar)
Israel
Diaspora in 70 AD
Return in 1800s
British Mandate
Palestine
UN Partition Plan 1948
Refusal to Recognize/Accept
Arab – Israeli Conflicts
1948: War of Independence/The Catastrophe
1956: Suez War
1967: Six-day War – Israel Gains Control of:
Gaza Strip
Sinai Peninsula
West Bank of the River Jordan
East Sector of Jerusalem
Golan Heights in Syria
1973: Yom Kippur War (will relate later to OPEC)
Arab-Israeli Conflict
Major Unresolved Issues
Right to Exist
Jewish Settlements
Palestinian Issues & Restrictions
Water
Security Fence/Wall
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Sacred to all three
Palestine
Palestinians – Multi Ethnic/Backgrounds
Government – ‘Palestinian Authority’
Hamas – Terrorists or Legitimate?
Vow end of Israel
Provide Schools & Defense
Democratically Elected
Only in Gaza now
Terrorism?
Tool against overwhelming opposition
Tool of weaker groups
With no other options – seems valid
Unfortunately, it does has some results…
Lebanon
Multi-Ethnic
Civil War
Egypt and the
Lower Nile Basin
Egypt
Continuous Civilization > 5,000 Years
“Gift of the Nile”
Suez Canal
Built in 1859 by French
Sold to UK in 1882
Nationalized in 1956 by Nasser
Modern Irrigation
Aswan High Dam
Control Flooding
Expand Agriculture
Hydroelectricity
Sudan
A Divided Country – 20 year civil war
2 million dead & 4 million refugees
Muslim North
Christian & Animistic South
Oil in South
The Darfur Tragedy
The Maghreb and its Neighbors
Libya
Qaddafi
American Attacks in 1986
Recent Rejection of Terrorist Support
Algeria
Former French Department
Oil
Bombings in Paris in 1990s
Morocco
Tip of Africa – Crossroads
Occupies Western Sahara
The Persian Gulf/SW Asia
Oil
British, US & French built industries
West supported leaders friendly to West
Saddam Hussein’s Bath party by CIA
1960s Nationalization begins (post Suez)
OPEC
1973 Yom Kippur War
Saudi Arabia
Most Oil = Most Wealth
Unitary State
Women’s Rights Limited
UAE Tourism
Iraq
Post WWI Instability
US Backed coups in 1950s & 1960s
Hussein Comes to Power
1991 War with Kuwait
Former portion of Iraq
Instability in Oil
2003 War with US
Why?
Sunni, Shiite & Kurds
Kurds & Kurdistan
Stateless
Minorities
The Empire States
Iran
Early leaders of oil industry & OPEC
Shah in Power by US
1979 Fundamentalist Movement
Anti Shah (anti-US)
US Embassy Hostages
1980-90 War with Iraq
Islamic Republic
Turkey
Turkish Ottoman Empire
Declined in Early 1900s
Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk)
Turkey broke free from the Arab World
Western Economic Focus recently
EU ?
Kurds
Westernization
Islam Lost Official Status
Roman Alphabet Replaced Arabic
Islamic Law Replaced by Western Code
Monogamy Became Law
Women Gained Rights
Turkey Separated from Arab World
Ataturk Dam Project
Euphrates River
Conflict w/ Syria & Iraq
Afghanistan
Buffer State
Turbulent History
Soviet “Invasion” 1979
Kabul
Mujahideen
Taliban Era
Good & Bad
Oil
Operation Enduring Freedom
Kabul
Qanats
Water Supply