MIDDLE EAST ETHNIC GROUPSMIDDLE EAST ETHNIC GROUPS

Religious Religious GroupsGroups

• A religious group A religious group shares the same religion, shares the same religion, a belief system, in a god a belief system, in a god or godsor gods, with a specific with a specific set of rituals and set of rituals and literature. literature.

• Examples, Jews, Christians, Examples, Jews, Christians, MuslimsMuslims

• People from different ethnic groups may share the same religion; through they may be from very different cultures.

Ethnic GroupsEthnic Groups• An ethnic group is a group of people who share An ethnic group is a group of people who share culturalcultural

ideas and beliefs that have been a part of their ideas and beliefs that have been a part of their communitycommunity for generations. for generations.

The characteristics they may have in common could included a language, a language, a religion, a shared religion, a shared history, history, types of foods, and a set of types of foods, and a set of traditional stories, beliefs, or traditional stories, beliefs, or celebrationscelebrations. These things make up a common culture shared by those in a particular ethnic group.

ArabsArabs• Southwest Asia is home to many different ethnic groups

who share similar religions. • They make up the majority of those who live throughout the They make up the majority of those who live throughout the

region known as the Middle Eastregion known as the Middle East, though there are many differences among them

• The Arabs of Southwest Asia believe themselves to be descendants of Abraham in the Bible, through his son Ishmael.

• Most Arabs practice the religion of Islam and call themselves Muslims.

Arab • Arabs comprise most Arabs comprise most of the population of of the population of Southwest Asia.Southwest Asia.

• However, many Arabs also live in Arabs also live in Northern AfricaNorthern Africa, Canada, Europe, and the US.

• Most Arabs practice Most Arabs practice Islam and speak Islam and speak Arabic.Arabic.

• Small numbers of Arabs practice other religions.

• Those who call themselves Muslims are further divided, as the majority call themselves Sunni majority call themselves Sunni MuslimsMuslims, while others are Shia Muslims.

• Some Arabs are Christians. • Most Arabs, whether they are Muslim or

Christian, speak the Arabic language.

KurdsKurds

live in the Middle East (SW Asia)(SW Asia)

live primarily in several countries, i.e., Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Turkey, Iraq, Iran and various other various other countriescountries

1/5th of the population of Turkey is KurdishKurdish

Kurdishmost Kurds today are MuslimsKurdish Muslims are usually lessless

strictstrict about certain Islamic practices (Sunni)

KurdsKurds share many aspects of their culture with Iranians

many have been persecuted & harmed throughout history

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein was responsible for killing thousands of Kurds. He wanted them out of his country. This was his own form of genocidegenocide

PersiansPersians• Persians are those who live in the modern country of Iran. Persians are those who live in the modern country of Iran.

The country of Persia became known as Iran after World War I.

• The Persian people are descended from a different group than those who are Arabs and Jews. Their ancestors were ancestors were Indo-Europeans from Central Europe and Southern Russia. Indo-Europeans from Central Europe and Southern Russia.

• Persians, or Iranians, speak Farsi, a language that uses the Persians, or Iranians, speak Farsi, a language that uses the Arabic alphabet but is actually a different language. Arabic alphabet but is actually a different language.

• They practice Islam, but most belong to the Shia group of Muslims.

Persian• Persians make up about Persians make up about

half of Iran’s current half of Iran’s current population.population.

• They have their own language called Farsi.language called Farsi.

• Most Persians in Iran today practice Shi’a Islam, which tends to be more more strictstrict, but some are Sunni and other religions.

• Persian women Persian women do not have many rights…but they are increasing

Jews• Jews can be BOTH a Jews can be BOTH a

religious and an ethnic religious and an ethnic groupgroup– IsraelIsrael is home for most

Jews living in the ME– Much of the Jewish

migration happened during the 2020thth century century, after the formation of Israel in 1948

– They Speak Hebrew

Wailing Wall of Jerusalem