Download People of the Middle East and the Issues they Face

People of the Middle East
and the Issues they Face
Ethnic Groups
• Ethnic groups are a group of people who share
a common religion, language, ancestry, and/
or culture.
• A group’s customs and traditions often come
from their religion, from where the groups
lives, or the demands of daily life.
•
Examples- Sicilians, Serbians, Turks,
Mayans, etc.
Jews
• Jews are one ethnic
group who live in the
Middle East.
• Most can be found in
Israel
• They usually speak
Hebrew and mostly
practice Judaism
Orthodox Jews in Israel
Arabs
• Most Arabs live throughout
the Middle East (North
Africa and Southwest Asia)
• Largest Ethnic group in the
middle east
• They speak Arabic
• Arabs were the original
inhabitants of the Arabian
Peninsula
• Most practice Sunni Islam,
small groups practice Shi’a
or Christianity
Persians
• Persians mostly live in Iran
• Iran used to be called Persia
(during the Persian Empire)
• Most practice Shia Islam
and practice Sharia law
• Small groups practice
Zoroastrianism and some
are Christians
• Since 1979 (in Iran) women
must wear a chador (a
covering that only reveals
your face)
• They speak Farsi also
known as Persian
Kurds
• The Kurds are a group of people who live in
Kurdistan (Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey)
• They can also be found in Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Israel, Russia, Georgia, and Lebanon
• There are approximately 35 million Kurds in
the Middle East
• They are the 4th largest Ethnic Group in the ME
• They speak the Kurdish language
• Most Kurds practice Sunni Islam and a small %
practice Shi’a, some are Christian
• Kurdish women have more rights than in some
other Ethnic Groups (because of less strict
religious beliefs)
• A lot of Kurds suffered discrimination under
the rule of Saddam Hussein in Iraq
Religious Groups
• Religious groups are people who share the
same religious beliefs and practices they do
not have to belong to the same ethnic group
– Examples- Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Christians,
Taoists
Jews
• Judaism is the oldest
monotheistic (belief in one
god) religion.
• It was founded by Abraham in
the modern day country of
Iraq
• It teaches that there is only
one God and that the Jews are
his chosen people. They also
believe that a messiah is yet to
come
Muslims
• Islam is the most commonly
practiced religion in the Middle
East.
• People who practice Islam are
called Muslims (one who submits
to Allah ).
• Founded in 622 A.D. by the prophet
Muhammad.
• They believe in the 5 Pillars of Islam
–
–
–
–
Muhammad is his prophet
Making the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Giving alms (helping the poor)
Fasting during Ramadan (Islamic holy
month)
– Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
• In 632 A.D. the prophet Muhammad died
• After his death the Muslim community disagreed over
who should lead Islam.
• Sunnis believed that the leader of the Muslims did not
have to be a blood descendent of Muhammad while the
Shia branch believed that a relative should.
• Today there are more Sunni Muslims in the world
• Shi’ites also believe that you should have a religious
leader as your political leader.