Download A Tour of the Middle East

A Tour of the Middle East
An Original PowerPoint presentation by Jami Shimer
A Desert Land
• Much of the Middle East is dry, hot desert
– These harsh conditions dictate where people
can and cannot live
• Most people have settled in areas near water
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–
–
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River valleys
Oases
Mountain bases
Along the coast
Water in the Desert
Most oases are natural
springs that feed wells
or even irrigation
systems- oasis means
“fertile place in the
desert
A wadi is a temporary water
source at a mountain base.
People in the desert have
discovered how to drill a well into
the base of a mountain to get
water. This is where most trees
and large bushes are found
Bedouin
• Arab nomadic (person who travels from place to place
in search of food and water) group of people
– Travel with their animal herds
• Camels
• Sheep/goats
• Cattle
– 3 or 4 adults in a tent
• Extended family units
– Follow strict code of rules
• Great shame if break rules
• Stress values of loyalty, obedience, generosity, hospitality,
honor, cunning, and revenge
Bedouin Hospitality
• Hospitality (diyafa)
– Highest Bedouin virtue
– ANY stranger may approach a tent and
receive 3 days lodging, food, and protectionafter which he can leave in peace
• Even an enemy!
– Offer guests fantastic meals, even if it is the
last food they have!
– Bedouin honor is bound to how well they treat
their guests
Bedouin Guests
• When guests arrive, a special rug is spread for them to
sit on
• They are served first with sweet tea in a small glass
• Main ritual- serving coffee
– Coffee ground in front of guest
• Using a mortar and pestle
– Brass coffee pot filled with water, coffee, and spices
– Brought to a boil 3 times
– Served in tiny, egg shaped china cups
• Coffee making = art
– People proud of their skill at it
Bedouin Influence
• Much of Middle Eastern society is modeled after
Bedouin rules of behavior
– This explains strict social behavior in Middle East
• Privacy
– Homes built to insure others do not see in
– Do not enter others’ home without explicit (clearly stated)
permission
• Admiring objects and gift giving
– If guests admire something, host feels obligated to give it to
them
» No matter how important it is to host
– Gifts are not usually opened in front of giver
Bedouin Influence cont.
– Social Duties
• Society requires many social “niceties”
– Social Calls
» People visit your home
» Illness
» Return from trip
» Marriage
» Baby born
– All reasons to bring gift and certain nice things are
commonly said
Quiz
1. What is the difference between an oasis
and a wadi?
2. Who is higher in Bedouin social order, a
camel herder or a cattle herder?
3. What is the highest virtue, according to
Bedouins?
4. Explain 2 aspects of Middle Eastern life
that are influenced by Bedouin society.
Islam
• Islam is an Arabic word that means
“surrendering your will to Almighty God”
– Believe that if you want peace in your life you have to
give up your will to God
– Teaches that all religions have same message
• Give in to God
• Worship Him only
– Muslim
• Arabic word that means “someone who has surrendered their
will to God”
Muslims
• Although most Arabs are Muslims, NOT ALL
MUSLIMS ARE ARABS
– Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups
and nationalities
– Islam has a universal message for all people
• Muslims believe
– There is only one God, whose name in Arabic is Allah
– Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the SAME God
Muslim Beliefs
• Christians, Jews and Muslims believe that God (Allah)
sent messengers to tell them how to behave and what to
believe
– Abraham, Moses and Isaiah are some of the Old Testament
prophets
– Muslims believe that Jesus was also a prophet
• Muslims do not believe that Jesus is God’s son (Christians do)
– Mohammed was the last prophet (according to Muslims)
• The Qur’an
– Holy book containing God’s message given to Mohammed by
the Angel Gabriel
• There is no picture of Mohammed
– Muslims believe that the picture would make the messenger
more important than the message
Wrap Up Quiz
1. What does Islam mean in Arabic?
2. What major thing do Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam have in common?
3. What is the name of the holy book in
Islam?
4. Who, according to Muslims, was the last
Prophet sent by God?
Bellwork
1. True or False? Christians, Jews, and
Muslims worship the same God.
2. Why are there no pictures of
Mohammed?
3. Are most Arabs Muslims?
4. Are most Muslims Arabs?
5. Which (Muslim or Arab) could YOU
choose to be? Why?
Great Split in Islam
• Two different sects in Islam
• Islam’s Schism (great split)
– Began in 632 A.D., right after Prophet
Mohammed died without naming a successor
• Fighting began over who should take his place as
Caliph (viceroy of God)
• Some said it should stay in Mohammed's bloodline
– his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib should be
Caliph
• Most people said his friend Abu Bakr should be
Caliph
Great Split cont.
• Abu Bakr became Caliph
• Mohammed’s son-in-law became the 4th
Caliph
– Murdered in 661
• Succession argued again
– Led to great split in Islam
Sunnis vs Shi’ites
• Majority of Muslims supported the son of
the Governor of Syria
• Those who supported Mohammed’s
bloodline ruling supported the son of Ali,
Hussein (Mohammed’s grandson)
• Led to battle in 680
– Hussein is killed and decapitated (head cut
off)
Sunnis vs Shi’ites
• The governor of Syria (Mu’awiyah)
becomes Caliph
– Those loyal to him are called Sunnis
• Means followers of the Way, or Prophet
– Sunnis become most common, and most
powerful people
– Today 90% of Muslims are Sunni
Sunnis vs Shi’ites
• Shi’ism still attracts followers
– Continue to venerate (honor) Mohammed’s
descendants
– Usually the underclass in Islamic society
– Important to remember- these people are
still angry about Hussein’s murder in 680
A.D.
Shi’ite Countries
• Form majority here:
– Iraq, Iran, Bahrain,
• Significant Minorities here:
– Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Pakistan
• Shi’ites control the oil in
– Iran, Iraq, and eastern Saudi Arabia
• Control oil, control money from oil
• BUT Sunnis still control the government
and military everywhere EXCEPT Iran
Sunnis
• Keep control by not giving Shi’ites any
military or government positions
• Sunni= elite
• Shi’ites = underclass
– Manual labor jobs only
Sunni vs Shi’ites
• Main Points
– Both groups agree on major beliefs in Islam
– Disagree on who should have power
• Mohammed’s bloodline (Shi’ites)
• People with power in government (Sunnis)
– This has been an issue for hundreds of years
• They have been killing each other for HUNDREDS
OF YEARS
Sunni Control in Iraq
• Suddam Hussein was a Sunni Muslim
– Kept the Shi’ites “firmly under his thumb”
– After the Gulf War he killed about 300,000 Shi’ites in
Iraq
– Was often said that he would kill a Shi’ite just for
being a Shi’ite
• Post Suddam
– Shi’ites have gotten more power
• Using this power to get revenge on Sunnis
• Huge amount of killing and fighting between the two sects
• Every Muslim country is worried about this
Bellwork
1. Who do the Shi’ites think should be the
leader of Islam? Who do the Sunnis
support? (not one specific person, in
general.)
2. ___ % of the world is Sunni Muslims.
3. What two countries are currently
controlled by Shi’ite Muslims?
4. (When this is complete- study for map
game!)
Sunni/Shi’ite Control in Iraq
• Shi’ites are now more powerful than
Sunnis in Iraq
– Iran (their neighbor) is leading Shi’ite power in
world
• Iran wants to help keep Shi’ites in power
– The rest of the Middle East does NOT want
Shi’ites to keep power, because then the
Shi’ites in their countries might try to get
power
Oil
• Due to a dip in the crust of the earth, a
large pool of oil has accumulated under
the lands of North Africa and the Middle
East
– Especially around the Persian Gulf
– Have 71% of world’s oil
– By 2020 they will have 83% of world’s oil
– Countries have joined together to form OPEC
• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OPEC
• Purpose of OPEC
– Keep oil prices high
• Limit amount of oil each
country pumps
– Punish other countries by
refusing to sell them oil
• Done to U.S. in 1970’s
because of our support of
Israel
– Americans had to wait in
long lines to buy gas
– Could only buy $5.00
worth of gas every other
day
Terrorists Threaten Oil
• The Strait of Hormuz
– Narrow body of water that
connects Persian Gulf to
Arabian Sea
• 50% of world’s oil goes
through here
• If we took over oil supply
(as some people say we
should)
– Terrorists would blow up
pipelines or block the Strait
• NO OIL COULD GET OUT
Saudi Arabia
• Capitol- Riyadh
• GovernmentMonarchy
• Language- Arabic
• Religion-Islam
Saudi Arabia
• Birthplace of Islam
• Home to 2 holiest cities in Islam
– Mecca
• Birthplace of Mohammed, Prophet of Islam in 570
A.D.
• People here accepted Islam in 630 A.D.
• Every Muslim who is able to is expected to make
the pilgrimage (journey to holy place or shrine) to
Mecca at least once in their lifetime
– Called a hajj
The Grand Mosque in Mecca
The Square in the Middle is the Ka’aba
Saudi Arabia cont.
– Medina (2nd Holy City of Islam)
• Mohammed’s base of power
• Continues to be center of arts and learning
• Has become center for codifying (writing down and
determining) Islamic law
• Historically, no non-Muslims may live
within the city walls of Mecca
– Although, some have been admitted for
various reasons
Osama Bin Laden
• Wants to return to days when people were ruled
by Islamic religion
– Hates modern world- especially the U.S.
• Believes that we turn people away from worshipping God
– Helps create terrorist attacks against the U.S. in order
to keep us out of the Islamic regions of the world
– Founded al Queda
• Terrorist network
• Against non-Muslim world
Osama Bin Laden
• Bin Laden’s original problem with the
United States began because of our
occupation of Saudi Arabia following the
Gulf War
– He wanted us to get out of the country
• He did not like U.S. forces (non-Muslims) so close
to their holiest places
Social Issues In M.E.
• Women/children
– Clothing
• Dress conservatively
– Very conservative woman might wear an “abayah”
» Long black garment that covers body from shoulders to feet
– Others might wear a “hejab”
» Head scarf that covers hair but not face
– Fingernails
• Cannot wear finger nail polish
– Stoning
• The punishment for adultery in some countries is stoning
– A woman is buried in sand up to her neck, and then rocks are thrown at
her head until she dies
– Driving
• Many Middle Eastern women are not allowed to drive
Iran
• Southwestern Iran is
home to the Kuzestan
plain
– Near Persian Gulf
– Full of petroleum
deposits (oil)
Iran
• Religion
– Shi’ism
• Iran is a constitutional theocracy
– Principles of one religion become the laws of the country
• Shi’ism adds two pillars to the other five pillars of faith in Islam
– 1-Jihad- crusade to protect Islamic beliefs
– 2-Requirement to do good works and avoid ALL evil
» What effect do these beliefs have on the way the government
works?
– There are other religions present in the minority (and protected
by the current constitution)
• Kurds= Sunni Islam
• Christians
• Jews