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