Middle East and

North Africa

What is this?

Oldest (still standing) Islamic site in the world◦ Built in 688-691CE

◦ Adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque – third most holy mosque in Islam

Dome was originally real gold◦ Replaced by copper and then aluminum – adorned

with gold leaf Not a Mosque, it is a shrine.

◦ It was built around the stone that Muslims believe Muhammad was standing on when he ascended to heaven

◦ It is also believed, by Jews and Christians, to be the stone upon which Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac

Dome of the Rock

What is this?

Petra, Jordan

Carved out of the mountains running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba

Established as early as 312BCE and then abandoned around 112CE

Discovered by Swiss explorers in 1812

Name the country…

Islam Arabic

Why is Egypt and the rest of North Africa part of the Middle East?

What city is this?

Tallest building in the world…

Man-made islands Oil wealth

Dubai, Unite Arab Emirates

What is this?

A salt lake Lowest elevation on land (429m below sea

level) 9.6 times saltier than the ocean – nothing

can live in it.

Dead Sea, Israel

Where is this?

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The Great Mosque◦ Built around the Ka’aba

The “black box” Literally means cube in

Arabic Focus of the Hajj

It is believed, by Muslims that Abraham and Ishmael built the Ka’aba as a sanctuary

Who knows the story of these two brothers? Jews around the world trace their

beginnings to Isaac Arabs have traced their beginnings to

Ishmael

Isaac and Ishmael

Roots of Three Religions

JudaismChristianity

Islam

Judaism

First Monotheistic

Religion

Sects:ReformOrthodoxConservative

Judaism

Beliefs:Ten Commandments

Text:Torah (Hebrew Bible)

Ultimate Goal:Living a good life.

Christianity

Jesus Christ Savior

Sects: Eastern Orthodox Roman Catholic Protestant

Christianity

Beliefs: Jesus is the Son of

God Jesus died for

humanity’s sins Ten

Commandments

Christianity

Text:Holy Bible

Ultimate Goal:Heaven

Islam

MuhammadThere is but one

God, Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.

Followers of Islam are

called… Muslims

Islam

Beliefs:“Five Pillars of

Islam”FaithPrayerZakat (charity)FastingPilgrimage (hajj)

IslamText:

Qur’an

Ultimate Goal:Heaven

Muslims believe they worship the same god as Christians and Jews

Three Religions – One Place

Jerusalem◦ Believed to be

founded by Abraham◦ Abraham is in all

three religious texts The Old City

◦ Split into four quarters

◦ The Muslim and Jewish quarter surround the Temple Mount

Original site of the Great Temple of Jerusalem, the holiest place in Judaism

In Islam, it is the site of Muhammad’s ascension to heaven

For Christians it is believed to be a place frequented by Jesus and will play a role in the “end times”

With this understanding – think, then write – explain why the control of Jerusalem can be a controversial thing.

Temple Mount

The Muslim World 600-1250

Why are we studying this world religion?

Roots of Islam

Bedouins in Arabia◦ Desert-dwelling

clans◦ Valued courage,

loyalty to family and warrior skills

Roots of Islam

Crossroads of Trade and Ideas◦ The Arabian

Peninsula was in the center of trade routes between Europe and Asia

◦ Ka’aba became an important worship center for many religions

Muhammad was a trader by occupation Monotheism is not a new thing in Arabia At the age of 40, Muhammad had a vision of

Gabriel From these visions Muhammad develops

Islam and its holy book called the Qur’an

Muhammad

People that practice Islam First followers were close friends of

Muhammad 613 Muhammad was preaching his ideas in

public – Mecca Islam was an extension of Judaism and

Christianity

Muslims

Beliefs of Islam Five Pillars of Islam

◦ Faith Belief in Allah – obedience

to him◦ Prayer

Communion with Allah five times a day

◦ Zakat Alms – Charity – helping

out the poor◦ Fasting

During the month of Ramadan

◦ Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca

Personal, political and religious life is combined in the Muslim life style

Three sources of authority in Islamic thought – the Shariah – body of law that all Muslims obey◦ Allah◦ Qur’an◦ Sunna

Islam as a way of life…

After Muhammad died the leadership was taken over by a caliph (successor)

The succeeding four caliphs, established Muslim dominance over the region and expanded Muslim influence

By 750, the Muslim empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River

Islam Spreads

Spread of Islam

What kind of divisions are there in the Christian church?

Division

Umayyads succeed the fourth caliph ◦ Move the capital to Damascus◦ Surround themselves with riches and power

Sunni◦ Followed the leadership of the Umayyads

Shi’a◦ Believed that the caliph needed to be a relative of the

Prophet Sufi

◦ Were disappointed with the Umayyads pursuit of wealth and prescribed to a life of poverty and spiritual growth

Muslim Empire Splits

Arabic Language – the entire empire operated in one language – the language of the Qur’an

Four Social Classes: all based on Islam◦ Upper: Muslims at birth◦ Middle: converts to Islam (paid higher taxes)◦ Lower: non-Muslims (paid even higher taxes)

Protected people (Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians)

◦ Slaves: non-Muslim, usually prisoners of war Role of Women

◦ Must be obedient to men◦ Had specific legal rights◦ Main responsibility was to raise the children

Muslim Society

Middle East ConflictIsrael and Palestine

Hebrews in Judea Roman Empire

invades Jesus ministers Hebrews split into

Christians and Jews Circa 135 A.D. the

Romans require Jews to leave Judea in the Diaspora

Rome renames Judea - Palestine

Brief History of the Region

Palestine

After the Diaspora, Jews settle throughout the world

By 600 A.D. Arabs settle in Palestine By World War I Britain occupied Palestine By the end of the war Britain had promised

the land to the Jews through the Balfour Declaration, but were telling the Arabs that they supported an Arab state there.

Arab-Israeli Conflict

Britain remained in Palestine after WWI Between WWI and WWII Jews began to

move back to Palestine As the population of Jews grew the Zionist

Movement gained strength By the 1930s, one-third of Palestine’s

population were Jews

Arab-Israeli Conflict

Israel is born…

1947 - Partition of Palestine by the United Nations -splits Palestine into two nations

1948 - Britain withdraws from Palestine and Jews set up Israel

The Palestinians refuse to recognize the power of Israel and call for an election for all Palestine

After World War II…

Read and annotate the article. Answer the following questions…

◦ What events or decisions led to the conflict between the Arab people of the ME and the Jews of Israel?

◦ Why are Israel and Palestine still enemies?

1948: The Birth of Israel

Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan (Jordan), and Iraq invade Israel

After small advances by the Arabs, Israel pushed back Egypt and gained an armistice

400,000 Palestinian Arabs fled Israel

1948-49 War

Oct. 29 to Nov. 6, 1956 Convinced that Egypt was going to invade,

Israel launched an assault on the Sinai Peninsula

Israel captured the Gaza Strip and entrance into the Gulf of Aqaba before a cease fire was reached

By 1957, Israel gave these positions up to the UN

The 1956 War

Palestinian guerillas, supported by Syria, raided Israel throughout the sixties

In May of 1967, Egypt mobilized troops in the Sinai and closed the Gulf of Aqaba to Israel

On June 5th Israel crippled Arab air assault capabilities and took the Sinai Peninsula in two days

Israel then took the Old City, lost in 1956, and the Golan Heights by June 10th

The Six-Day War

October 6, 1973 Egypt led the Arabs to war against Israel

Egyptian forces struck eastward across the Suez Canal and pushed the Israelis back, while the Syrians advanced from the north

But the Israelis pushed both the Syrians and the Egyptians back

The Yom Kippur War

From the old…

Israel occupies new territories…◦ West Bank◦ Gaza Strip◦ Golan Heights◦ Sinai Peninsula

Results…

To the new…

Israel and Egypt find peace…

Peace?

Camp David Accords

Signed by…◦ Anwar Sadat - Egypt◦ Jimmy Carter - US◦ Menachem Begin - Israel

Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula over three years

Egypt and Israel open full diplomatic relations

The West Bank and Gaza Strip to have local elections

Camp David Accords

Israel and Egypt find peace… What about the other Arabic countries?

Peace?

Israel and Egypt find peace… What about the other Arabic countries?

◦ Especially, Palestine?

Peace?

Who is this?

Palestinian Liberation Organization◦ Dedicated to the establishment of an independent

Palestinian state Umbrella organization over various

fedayeen (terrorist) militia groups Leader: Yassir Arafat Began systematic terrorist attacks on Israel

and Israel’s supporting nations in 1969

PLO

Terrorist Attacks

The PLO attacks the civilians of Israel

Groups within the PLO hijack airplanes, including planes with Americans on them.

Groups include: Al-Fatah, Force 17, Hawari Group, PLF, and PFLP

Arafat renounces terrorism on behalf of the PLO in December 1988

Yassir Arafat and Yitzak Rabin begin to talk and agree…

But extremists on both sides… Jews PLO Groups

Right Wing Hamasand Settlers and Hezbollah

PLO and Israel

Revolts in the Gaza Strip and West Bank Suicide bombings were the most common

attacks against Israel.

First Intifada

September 1993 – Israel recognizes the Palestinian National Authority (PA)

May 1994 – Gaza-Jericho agreement September 1995 – Interim Agreement Israel transferred most responsibilities for

civil government in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank to the PA

Peace Agreements

Yitzak Rabin

Sept. 28, 1995 - Rabin, Peres and Arafat sign agreements expanding Palestinian autonomy.

On Nov. 4, Rabin is assassinated after a peace rally in Tel Aviv, at the age of 73.

A right- wing Israeli is held and convicted.

January 1996: Popularly elected government in democratic elections

An 88 Member Council (Senate) was elected along with the Chairman of the Executive Authority (was Arafat, is now Abbas)

PA has a cabinet of 20 appointed ministers all under the Chairman

Elections in PA

Palestinians wanted the right for their refugees (from the wars) to return to Israel. This would create a Arab majority in Israel.

Israel insisted on annexing key portions of the Palestinian areas and on leaving most settlements intact, and offered only a limited form of Palestinian statehood.

Palestinian violence erupted on September 28, 2000, triggered by a visit of Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which is also the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, holy to Muslims.

Second Intifada

Suicide attacks continue as relations between PA and Israel deteriorate.

Security barrier being built between Palestinian territories and Israel

Pointed assassinations of Hamas leadership by Israel

PA leader, Abbas, begins to deal with terrorists among the PA

Settlers being forcibly removed from Palestinian areas

2000-Present

The rest of the Middle East and North Africa

Eighty years in 8 slides…

Britain leaves… everywhere.◦ India and Pakistan◦ Iraq◦ Israel/Palestine◦ North Africa – specifically, Egypt◦ Sub-Saharan Africa

Democracy or Dictatorship?

Europeans leave ME/NA

Saudi Arabia◦ Consolidates through war creating a kingdom

Syria◦ Throws out the French

Iran◦ Consolidates into the modern Iran we know of…

Iraq◦ Britain leaves

Lebanon◦ Fights a civil war with Syria on the doorstep

Consolidation, Civil War and Kingdom building…

1948-1980 Fighting with themselves

◦ Sunni v. Shia◦ Conservative v. Secular

Fighting outside influences◦ Cold War

Establishing nations…

Iranian Revolution (1979)◦ Shia majority creates a conservative government

Iraq attacks (1980)◦ Fear their long-suppressed Shia majority might

get some ideas◦ Wanted to become the dominant Persian Gulf

state 1980-1988

◦ Back to pre-war boundaries◦ U.S. supported the Iraqis◦ U.S.S.R. supported the Iranians

Iran-Iraq War

Tell me what you know about the relationship between Iraq and Iran.

What makes North Africa part of the Middle East?

Entry Task

Iraq invades Kuwait Saudi Arabia and U.S. push Iraq out of

Kuwait

Gulf War (1990-91)

U.S. invades Iraq◦ Fear of WMDs◦ Removing Sadam Hussein from power◦ Fighting extremists in urban warfare

Leaves in 2011◦ Hoping that the Sunni/Shia divide will not be an

issue

Iraqi War (2003-2011)

Dictatorships start to crumble◦ Tunisia

Begins with a street vendor setting himself on fire…◦ Libya

Long-time U.S. enemy Muammar Ghadafi dethroned◦ Egypt

Long-time U.S. supported dictator Hosni Mubarak forced from power

Some dictatorships wouldn’t give in…◦ Bahrain

Too strong◦ Yemen

compromise◦ Syria

CIVIL WAR

Arab Spring (2011)

Secular government of Bashar al-Assad violently responded to nationwide protests connected to the Arab Spring

From popular protests to armed rebellion◦ Mixture of various opposition groups◦ Secular v. Conservative v. Extremist

Free Syrian Army ◦ Western countries trying to decide who/how to

support ISIS

◦ Took advantage of the chaos◦ Took over areas of Syria and Iraq

Syrian Civil War (2011 – Present)

religion Judaism Christianity Islam Monotheism Polytheism Abraham Jesus Muhammad Torah Qur’an theocracy doctrine Shariah Caliph Sunni

Shi’a Diaspora Balfour Declaration Zionist Movement Camp David

Accords Sinai Peninsula West Bank Gaza Israel Palestine PLO Yassir Arafat Hamas Palestian Authority intifada

militants refugees Two-State Solution Arab Spring Bashar al-Assad Saddam Hussein Free Syrian Army ISIS Haider al-Abadi sectarian secular vs. Islamist

Theocracy proxy war brain drain

Terms to Know…