Southwest Asia

1
Chapter 22

• Southwest Asia
• The Middle East

2
22.1 Arabian Peninsula

• Many towns serve as trade centers.
• Other cities were ports where goods were
  exchanged from the Silk Roads and the Indian
  Ocean.
• Bedouins- nomadic desert dwellers that moved from
  oasis to oasis. Adapted to the harsh conditions.
• Fighting skills helped spread a new religion that
  developed.

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22.1 Arabian Peninsula

• Islam- monotheistic religion based on the
  teachings of Muhammad.
• New religion united people of the Arabian
  Peninsula.
• Based on Five Pillars
• Faith
• Prayer
• Charity
• Fasting
• Pilgrimage

4
22.1 Arabian Peninsula

• Religious leaders controlled the government and
  relied on religious law to run the country.
• During the 1600s Muslim nations were weak and
  European powers saw this as the perfect time to
  establish new empires.
• Two reasons that other countries wanted this
  land. . . Oil and the Suez Canal.
• Canal was a vital link between colonies in Asia
  and European Ports.

5

• Satellite image 1881 Drawing
• Links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea

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22.1 Arabian Peninsula

• Arabian Peninsula nations make almost all of
  their export money and a large share of the GDP
  (gross domestic product) from oil.
• OPEC- Organization of Petroleum Exporting
  Countries,
• purpose is to help members control worldwide oil
  prices.
• Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Iran and Kuwait are a
  part of this organization.

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22.1 Arabian Peninsula

• Due to modernization in technology life has
  changed somewhat in this region.
• Pick up trucks and motorcycles have replaced
  Camels (watch out they spit!!)
• 83 of the population now live in the cities
• Religion is still a staple in everyday life.
• Prayer is performed at prescribed times
• dawn,
• noon,
• mid-afternoon,
• sunset
• before bed.

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22.1 Arabian Peninsula

• Fasting in the month of Ramadan is another duty
  that shapes Muslims lives.
• do not eat or drink from before dawn until
  sunset.
• There is a big celebration after Ramadan.

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Page 508-

• Discuss the
• differences in
• religious
• architecture.

10
22.2 Eastern Mediterranean

• Middle East consists of 3 major monotheistic
  religions
• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
• All 3 claim Jerusalem as a holy city.
• Jewish Heritage- Temple Mount hosted the earliest
  religious temples.
• Western Wall is the only remaining piece of the
  Second Temple
• Christian Heritage- location of the final
  suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.

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22.2 Eastern Mediterranean

• Islamic Heritage- Shrine called the Dome of the
  Rock houses the spot where Muslims believe the
  Prophet Muhammad rose into heaven.
• Western (Wailing) Wall and Dome of the Rock have
  prompted clashes between Jews and Muslims
• Right next to each other!

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22.2 Eastern Mediterranean

• Just like in Africa colonialism played a pivotal
  role in development.
• France controlled the northern part,
• British controlled the southern part
• finally tensions rose and the people of this
  regions rebelled and gained independence.
• Jews were pouring into Palestine to escape
  persecution from Germany and the British were
  trying to halt immigration due to the increased
  tensions with the Arabs and Jews.

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22.2 Eastern Mediterranean

• 1947- United Nations developed a plan to divide
  Palestine in two states (One for Arabs and One
  for Jews)
• With this Israel, the nation, was created.

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22.3 Northeast

• Some of the oldest cultures in the world
• Developed in Iraq along the Tigris Euphrates
  Rivers
• Mesopotamia- land between the rivers
• fertile soil
• rivers served as highways to transport goods

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22.3 The Northeast

• Hittites- empire stretched across present day
  Turkey
• Introduced iron weapons
• Persians- developed in present day Iran
• Innovations in government copied by many
• Divided huge empire into smaller regions for
  better controlsound familiar?

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22.3 The Northeast

• Two main branches of Islam
• Sunni- 83 found in Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan
• Shiite- Iran, some Iraq and Afghanistan

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22.3 The Northeast

• Clashes over land increased after WWI
• Kurds claim a homeland in parts of Turkey, Iran
  Iraq
• At end of WWI they were promised a homeland but
  never received it
• Called a stateless nation
• Clashes have prevented them from becoming a
  nation-state

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22.3 The Northeast

• Iran has become home to refugees
• Refugees from Iraq Afghanistan have fled
  oppressive govt
• Came here because
• of location

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22.3 The Northeast

• Discovery of oil in 1908 made Iran center of
  conflict
• Powerful nations want control over these
  resources
• Willing to fight for them
• Iran Iraq fought between 1980-1990
• 1990-1991 Iraq invaded Kuwait starting Persian
  Gulf War
• US and 32 other nations fought to drive Iraq out
  of Kuwait keep oil fields open

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22.3 The Northeast

• Turkey Iran- modernizing economies
• Turkey tapping into hydroelectric resource
• Boosting production
• of cotton
• Ideal location
• for trade

21
22.3 The Northeast

• Progress interrupted by political problems and
  devastating wars
• Taliban extremist Muslim group in Afghanistan
  that imposes strict rules on peoples behavior

22
Group Activity

• Groups of 4
• Read Modern Arabic Life (p. 505-507)
• Discuss and Answer
• How might a shift to a Western work environment
  create conflict?
• As Muslim women enter the workplace, do you think
  they will decide to retain their traditional
  Muslim dress?
• If the individual becomes more important in
  society, how might this impact Islams
  requirement of charity?

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Group Activity

• Create a political cartoon addressing one of the
  three issues discussed
• Western work environment
• Muslim women entering workplace
• Individual becoming important in society