the modern middle east. middle east the middle east goes from egypt to iran and east to turkey most...
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The Modern Middle East
Middle East
• The Middle East goes from Egypt to Iran and east to Turkey
• Most people in the Middle East are Muslim, though there are Christians
• The state of Israel is mostly Jews• Most countries have large religious minorities
Kurds
• Kurds live in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey• They are minorities in all of those countries• They have been discriminated against,
particularly by Turkey and Iraq• Most Kurds are Muslim
Israel
• After World War II, the British issued the Balfour Declaration
• It gave a large portion of Palestine, in the Middle East to Jews as a homeland
• Jews from all over the world relocated to the new state of Israel
• Palestinian Arabs, along with other Arab nations opposed this move
Israel
• Israel is surrounded by hostile Arab neighbors• Several wars have been waged, with Israel
winning these wars• Many Palestinians live in refugee camps
Kibutzes
• A kibbutz is a collective farm• Many Jews were skilled businessmen and
farmers• These kibitzes produce many crops for both
the Jews and for export
OPEC
• The nations that comprise the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are located in the Middle East
• They include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates
• In 1973, they blocked oil deliveries to the United States in protest of the US support of Israel– this led to a worldwide recession– OPEC no longer acts politically, but economically
Islam or Secular Government?
• Most Middle Eastern countries are Muslim• There is pressure by some groups to force
Sharia (or Islamic law) to influence government
• Some countries follow Sharia, others follow the western model of a secular government, free from religious influence– Sometimes this leads to violent confrontations
Women
• Treatment and status of women in the Middle East varies from country to country
• In some countries, women can work outside the home– In some countries, women cannot even leave the
house without a male of the family to accompany them
– In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive• Men, traditionally, have the power in a marriage
Women
• Many Muslim women have to cover their hair or body when in public
• The requirements vary from simple head covering, to a hijab, or a burqa
Women
• In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive
• Some countries do not allow girls to attend school
• Women generally have fewer rights under the law than do men– For example: in Islamic court, one male witness is
equal to two female witnesses
Egypt
• Egypt has the largest population of the nations of the Middle East
• Egypt is next door to Israel and the Suez Canal, which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea
• One of Egypt’s modern leaders, Gamal Nasser, nationalized the Suez Canal
• He also led the Egyptians in two failed wars with Israel
Anwar Sadat
• Nasser’s successor, Anwar Sadat, made peace with Israel
• Also, Sadat weakened ties with the Soviet Union (which Nasser had established)
• Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists
Iran
• Iran, under Mohammad Mosaddeq, nationalized Iranian oil fields– These fields and refineries had been built by the
British, the U.S., and the Soviet Union• The U.S. backed a coup led by Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi– The shah returned the oil fields to the West
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
• Muslim fundamentalists, led by Muslim leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, overthrew the shah and set up a Muslim government
• The shah was forced out of Iran• The west was denounced and evil and corrupt
Theocracy
• A theocracy is a government ruled by religious leaders
• Women lost all rights that they had gained under the shah– They were no longer allowed to wear western
style clothes– They lost all legal rights they had gained under the
shah
Saudi Arabia
• The largest oil fields are found in Saudi Arabia• The holiest of Muslim religious sites are found
in Saudi Arabia– Mecca and Medina are the most famous
Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Arabia is ruled by the House of Saud• They need military support of the U.S., but
also claim to be leaders of Islam and support Muslim fundamentalists (who oppose the U.S. as being evil)– This places Saudi Arabia in a difficult situation
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