middle eastern culture & history

Modern Middle East

20th Century World HistoryB. Bergey

Factors to consider Religion:

Jew? Christian? Muslim? If Muslim? Sunni or Shi’a

Ethnicity Arab? Persian? Turk? Kurd?

Islam Practitioner called Muslim Islamic is adjective (not used with people) Shares roots with Judaism & Christianity 5 Pillars

"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger"

Prayer 5 times a day Charity Fasting (Ramadan) Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca

Sunnis & Shi’a

Some wanted Ali (cousin & brother-in-law) with blood tie to Muhammad

Shi’a means “party of Ali” Minority in Islam (globally) Believe Imams are infallable Reject supplementary

narratives Perceive themselves as

persecuted and martyrs Emphasize

Equity Social justice Dignity of individual Leader selected from

bloodline

After Muhammad’s death, the question of who to lead: Majority wanted Abu Bakr--No

blood tie Sunni means “one who follows

in the tradition of Muhammad Most Muslims world wide are

Sunni Imams are fallible Refer to supplementary

teachings of early leaders Emphasize:

Community decides leader Conformity Social stability

Distribution of Sunni & Shi´a Muslims

Distribution of Religion in the Middle East

Distribution of Religion (detail)

Ethnicity in the Middle East

For

larg

er m

ap

Before the 20th Century

Who’s controlled the Middle East (ME)? Arabs arrived with Islam in 7th century Tribal groups until… Rise of Ottoman Empire 1500s Ottoman Empire declines (18th century) Finally falls apart and is taken apart by

European powers

Decline of the Ottoman Empire

Post WWI: British & French Mandates

Oil

British take Palestine, Transjordan, & Iraq Along with:

Kuwait Coast of Saudi Arabia

France took: Syria Lebanon

Why are the British & French interested in the ME?

Middle East in 1930

Nationalism vs. Regionalism

Will all Arabs unite or will they be divided in to smaller states that their different histories and local cultures?

Pan-Arabism

Pan-Arabism: Movement based in the belief that all Arabs should be free of occupying powers and should move towards a unified and autonomous Middle East.

Rewind to WWI

During WWI British court both Jews

and Palestinian Arabs To Arabs: Britain will

help form a country if you find against the Turks

To Jews: Britain will help form a “national home” for a many possible reasons

T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)

Bal

four

Agr

eem

ent

Zionism International nationalist

movement to establish a state in Palestine

1200 BCE Jews have a kingdom in present-day Israel

Founded in late 19th century by Theodor Hertzl

Largely European/Russian movement of secular Jews

Response to Anti-Semitic actions/sentiment in Europe/Russia

Encouraged immigration to the “Promise Land”

Demographics

1870

1893

1912

1920

1925

1930

1935

1940

1946

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

1,800,000

2,000,000

Source: American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, 2002

Palestinians

Jews

In the 20s & 30s Increasing tension between

Jews Palestinian Arabs British

Arab revolts 1936-1939 Britain quells Arab up-risings by force

Holocaust 1933-1945

Est. 6,000,000 Jews killed

Genocide: Actions to systematically eliminate an ethic group

International support for Zionist mov’t after war

After WWII Britain is bankrupt

Britain turns the question of Palestine over to the United Nations

US seeks to fill the vacuum before the USSR, becomes most important western power

Keeping oil available to the West becomes issue in the emerging Cold War

UN suggests division of Palestine into two independent states (1 Israeli, 1 Arab)

Population Breakdown of UN Partition Plan

“War of Independence”“Nakba” (Catastrophe) Conflict intensifies after Partition is

announced (Nov. 1947) Arab states vow to prohibit the

establishment of Israel Increases as British leave 2 Phases: Civil War & Invasion

Civil WarArabs+ reputation (mighty Arab

warrior)+ initial advantage (i.e. more

troops)

Jews- Reputation of being easily

controlled- Initial disadvantage (i.e.

couldn’t import arms, ppl)+ Israel was better organized

(communication, taxes)+ Benefited from British

evacuation (less taxes)+ “Fighting for their lives”

Palestinians Flee 100,000 Palestinian Arabs (mainly upper-

class) leave early in conflict 150,000 more fled by May 1948, either

because of eviction or voluntarily Believed would return after Arab invasion

State of Israel May 14, 1948 Israel declares itself

independent US & Soviet Union immediately recognize

the new state

Invasion Arab troops from Egypt, TransJordan,

Syria, Lebanon, Iraq invade Arabs are poorly organized, trained, have

weak supply routes. Israel receives much needed arms from

Czechoslovakia (despite a UN embargo)

Transjordan annexs West Bank

Egypt controls Gaza strip

Palestinian Refugee Camps, 1948

Where do Palestinian Refugees Go?

Six Day Waran‑Naksah (The Setback)

•Israel preemptive attack

•Responding to mounting pressure from Egypt

•Suez Canal

•Egyptian troops moved to Israeli southern border

•Israel occupies

•West Bank (from Jordan)

•Gaza and Sinai (from Egypt)

•Golan Heights (from Syria)

Independence