THE MIDDLE EASTUnit 3

Ancient History

Some of the world’s oldest settlements have been found in the Middle East

The world’s oldest civilizations were in Mesopotamia – the first, being Sumer

A Cradle of Religions

Three of the world’s most powerful religions originated in the Middle East:Judaism (0.2% of world’s population)Christianity (33% of world’s population –

largest in the world)Islam (20% of world’s population – second

largest in the world)

Distribution of World Jewish Population

Distribution of World Christian Population

Distribution of World Muslim Population

A Cradle of Religions

Judaism (c. 2000BC) Abraham made a covenant with GodStart of the first major monotheistic religionAbraham’s descendants were the beginning of

the Hebrew (Jewish) raceJewish history is fraught with discrimination and

tragedyThe first and only Jewish state is Israel, formed

after WWII (1949)Three modern day branches: Orthodox,

Conservative & Reform

A Cradle of Religions

Christianity (c. 30AD) Jesus of Nazareth begins his ministryBelievers call him Christ – the Son of GodHe is crucified by Roman authorities, and is said to

have been resurrected three days later to continue his ministry for another 40 days

Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire during the 300s

Orthodox split from Catholic in 1054Protestant Reformation of 1519 created the third

major branchMany modern restoration churches

A Cradle of Religions

Islam (622-630) Muhammad receives his revelations from GabrielMuhammad led an army and seized control of

Mecca, where he established his religionAfter his death, those close to Muhammad wrote

down his prophecies, which is called the QuranFollowers believe the Quran fixed the corrupted

message of GodIslam is split into two main branches: Sunni and

Shi’iteMuslim civilizations are responsible for many

scientific and medical discoveries

Post-Muhammad History

Throughout most of history, the Middle East has been controlled by various Islamic Empires (such as the Umayyad Dynasty, the Seljuk Turks, and the Ottoman Empire)

Many clashes with Western crusaders over control of Jerusalem (‘the Holy Land”)

The Ottoman Empire held control over most of the Middle East, until its defeat after WWI

Modern History

Turkey was the first Middle Eastern nation to modernize, starting in 1921Under the direction of Mustafa AtaturkFirst to secularize the governmentAllowed private industry to formWesternized their dress, alphabet, and improved

the status of women

Modern History

Iran attempted a similar modernization under Riza ShahAn invasion by the Soviets and British in 1941

halted his efforts, after Riza Shah had become corrupt and cruel

In 1959, Shah Mohammed Pahlavi secured the throne by ousting the Ayatollah KhomeiniDiscontent over his policies led to a revolutionWhen the shah left for the US for medical

treatment, the Khomeini returned

Modern History

Iran, cont…The US attempted to return the Shah to power,

but followers of the Ayatollah stormed the US Embassy and took 52 Americans hostage○ After a failed (and deadly) rescue attempt, the

hostages were released over a year later in 1981Since then, Iran has waged war against Iraq and

has continued to be ruled in a traditional Shi’ite manner

Modern History

Egypt, while African, shares more commonalities with the Middle East than the rest of AfricaEgypt modernized under Gamal Nasser, who

wanted to unite all Arab nationsHis successors, starting with Anwar Sadat,

focused on Egypt’s internal problems

Modern History

Other nationsSaudi Arabia modernized its law, but did not

secularize like Turkey didMilitary rule controlled Syria, Turkey, and Iraq

from the 1970s on through current timesConflicts over oil, secularization, and

Communism were common during the 1970s and 1980s

Arab-Israeli Conflict

Discontent after the creation of a Jewish state where a Muslim majority lived (Palestine)

Conflicts between Israel, Egypt, and the Muslim majority in Palestine fight starting in 1956

(This will be discussed more thoroughly later)

Modern Problems

Human rights violations in the more extreme Muslim nations (such as Iran and Afghanistan)

Terrorist groups, such as the PLO and al Qaeda, involvement in domestic and international terrorism

The US-led coalition of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

Attempts at democratization (such as Afghanistan and Egypt)

Domestic violence in Libya and Syria