Download The role of religion in the middle east

The Role of Religion in the
Middle East
 Judaism
 Christianity
 Islam
Jerusalem
 Religion has always been an important factor in
the history of the Middle East. It is holy to the
three largest monotheistic* religions in the world:
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Control over
the region has exchanged from one religious
group to another over the years, bringing battles
both political
and
that continue to this
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*belief in one god
Old Jerusalem
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Judaism
1300 B.C.E.
Palestine/Israel
Abraham, Moses
Torah
(Old Testament)
 Talmud
( Laws: 10 Commandments)
 Yahweh, Jehovah
 Monotheistic




 Jews over the ages
have built a series of
temples in Jerusalem
 They are the focus of
Jewish practices and
beliefs
 Western Wall: (Wailing
Wall) symbolizes the site
of ancient temples
 Jews say prayers to this
stone wall, and write
prayers on small pieces
of paper left in the
cracks of the wall.
Judaism
 Worship in a
synagogue, temple
 Rabbi’s, Cantors
 Religious day:
Saturday
Major Branches
 Orthodox
 Conservative
 Reform
Religious Holidays:
 Yom Kippur:
Atonement
 Chanukah:
Festival of Lights
 Rosh Hashanah:
Happy New Year
 Hebrews /Jews
Christianity
30 C.E.
Palestine/ Israel
Jesus, Peter, Paul
Bible:(Old Testament)+
New Testament
 Ten Commandments
 God




Christianity
 Church, Chapel,
Cathedral, Basilica
 Priest, Pope,
Pastor,Minister,
Deacon,Preacher
 Religious day:
Sunday
Christianity
Religious Holidays:
 Christmas, Lent,
Easter
 Protestant, Catholic
 Christians
Islam



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

Began in 622 C.E.
Saudi Arabia
Mecca
Medina
Jerusalem
Founder:Muhammad
Islam
 Qu’ran /Koran:
religious text
 Allah:
supreme being
 Sharia:
religious Law
Five Pillars Of Islam
 Prayer: 5 times a day
facing Mecca
 Pilgrimage: Hajj
 Alms/Charity
 Fasting during the
month of Ramadan
 Confession of Faith
Islam




Mosque
Minarets, Muezzin
Imams
Religious day: Friday
Islam
 Mecca: Hajj: pilgrimage
 Kabba: This place is considered to
be the center of the earth. It is the
world's first and oldest worshiping
place since the
times of Adam and Eve.
All of the Allah's
Prophets have come
and prayed here, one
time or another. Its
known as Kabba,
meaning square or four
sides, East West North
South, probably the
modern English word
"cube" is derived from it. You
can be any where in this world, face
towards Kabba and pray, because
Allah is everywhere.
Islam
Dome of the Rock
 The sacred rock over which the Dome of the
Rock is built was considered holy before the
arrival of Islam. Jews believed, and still believe,
the rock to be the very place where Abraham
prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac.
In addition, the Dome of the Rock is believed by many
to stand directly over the site of the Holy of Holies of both
Solomon's Temple and Herod's Temple.
The Dome of the Rock was built by the Umayyad caliph
Abd al-Malik from 688 to 691 AD.
It was not intended to be
a mosque, but a shrine
for pilgrims.
 According to tradition,
the Dome of the Rock
was built to commemorate
Muhammad's ascension
into heaven after his night
journey toJerusalem.
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 Ramadan: holiest
month in Islam
Islam
 Can eat after
sun down-sun up
 Moslems/Muslims
 Sunnis: more
orthodoxtraditional beliefs
 Shi’ites: Believe
to be direct
descendants
of Muhammad
Religion in the Middle East
 Jerusalem is holy to the three largest monotheistic
religions in the world: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
Many of the holiest places of Christianity are found in
present-day Israel. Christianity spread out towards
Western Europe where the majority of Christians lived
by the Middle Ages.
 Islam flourished in the Middle East in the 800’s and
Arabic became the official language of this region.
 Except for the Crusades, the Middle East has been
dominated by Muslims for almost 1400 years.
 WWII: Jewish claims to the region,
especially the land of Palestine; the
creation of the State of Israel has
brought religious tension to the region
and the continuous fight over who
rightfully owns the land.
 Dominance over the region has shifted
from one religious affiliation to another
over the years, bringing battles both
political and religious that continue to this
day.