1. Chapter 22 Religion, Politics and Oil of Southwest Asia

2. Mecca The holiest city of Islam. Muslims travel here to fulfill a duty known as haji, a pilgrimage to the holy city.

3. Islam Monotheistic religion based on the teaching of Muhammad. Governments controlled by Islam were theocratic. Iran still has a form of theocratic government.

4. Modern Arabic life Western technology is becoming more and more visible in Southwest Asia. Pick-up trucks, automobiles and motorcycles have replaced camels. More and more cities are being built/constructed. Cell phones, computers, and Internet access are increasingly common.

5. Jerusalem Capital of Israel Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim Jerusalem as a holy city. Jews- Centered as modern and ancient homeland. Christians- Place of Jesus’ crucifixion. Muslims- Dome of the Rock, believed to be where Muhammad ascended into heaven.

10. Variety in religion, and even denominations of a certain religion, make it difficult to unify the area. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims divided into two main branches- the Sunni and the Shi’ite. About 83% of all Muslims are Sunni.