ethnic groups of the middle east. ethnicity vs. religious group what is the difference between an...
TRANSCRIPT
Ethnic Groups of the Middle East
Ethnicity vs. Religious Group• What is the difference between an
ethnic group and a religious group?• An ethnic group (or ethnicity) is a
group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, consisting of a common language, a common culture and a tradition of common ancestry (what you are born into).
Religious Group
• Shares a belief system in a god or gods, with a specific set of rituals and literature (you have a choice)
Arabs
• Largest ethnic group in Southwest Asia
• Most Arabs practice Islam• Speak Arabic• Have a long history and rich
traditions
Bedouin• Speak Arabic• Most now live in cities in Saudi
Arabia, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.• Ruled by tribal leaders called
sheikhs• Most practice Islam.• Well known for their dress & music
Kurds• Live in mountainous areas of Turkey,
Syria, Iraq, and Iran• Most Kurds are Muslims.• Speak Kurdish language, a branch of
the Iranian language• Kurdish women enjoy greater
freedoms; they do not cover their faces and they do not wear the full-cover garments
Persians• Ethnic group that lived in Iran before
arrival of Islam; today make up about half of Iran’s population
• Speak Persian or Farsi• Most practice Shi’i Islam• Persian women have faced many
challenges as a result of strict religious practices.
• Persian rugs are among the finest in the world.
Literacy & Development• Education is free in many countries in the
Middle East.• Students required to attend school
through high school.• Literacy rates are 77% in Syria; 79% in
Israel; and 79% in Saudi Arabia• More men tend to be able to read & write• Women’s education not valued as much
as men’s• Literacy rates indicate a country’s
development• Increase in literacy rate leads to a better
economy