Arabian Peninsula

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Arabian Peninsula Bedouins, nomadic desert dwellers, moved throughout the desert They adapted to the harsh conditions and built a culture based on strong family ties most important relationships are based on tribal affiliation Frequent fighting with other families and clans for pastureland

Arabian Peninsula Their fighting skills helped spread Islam Islam helped unite the people of the Arabian Peninsula Bedouin fighters moved across the desert, conquered lands, and put Muslims leaders in control The Muslim Empire dominated the region and were at their peak in 750 CE

Colonialism in the Arabian Peninsula By the end of the 1600’s the leaders of Muslim nations were weak The Ottoman Empire was in decline Ottoman Empire: Muslim empire that dominated parts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East abolished in 1922

Colonialism in the Arabian Peninsula Britain and France were gaining power After WW1, much of the Middle East was under the control of Britain and France they wanted control of the Suez Canal and oil Only part of the Arabian Peninsula was colonized

Creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia In 1932, Abdul Al-Aziz Ibn Saud established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and made himself monarch Ibn Saud was the only Arab leader who was independent of western powers between WW1 and WW2 Today, only his descendents are considered part of the royal family and are eligible to take the throne

Creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia According to the Quran, a Muslim is permitted up to four wives at one time and is allowed to divorce and remarry numerous times. King Abd al-Aziz cemented alliances by marrying a daughter of every tribal chief in his realm, producing 45 legitimate sons and having at least 22 wives.

Every Saudi king since has been a son of Abd al- Aziz Every Saudi king since has been a son of Abd al- Aziz. The number of his daughters is not known - they were not counted - but are estimated to be more than 50. Though many of his contemporaries regarded his practice of polygamy as excessive, it was continued and surpassed by his son, King Saud, who had 53 sons and at least 54 daughters. The descendents of King Abd al- Aziz now number in the thousands, many of whom hold important government positions.

Saudi Arabia Today Ethnic Groups: 90% Arab, 10% Afro-Asian Arab = a person who speaks Arabic as their first language not a race most are Muslims but there are Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs Arabs are united by culture and history Afro-Asian = a person of mixed African and Asian ancestry Pakistan, Bangladesh, India Language: Arabic

Religion: Islam is the official religion 85-90% Sunni Wahhabi and 10-15% Shia Wahhabi: a strict form of Islam that insists on a literal interpretation of the Qur’an under Wahhabism women can’t travel outside of the country without a husband or male relative, or drive a car in public women are registering to vote for the first time in 2015 http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/nation/2015/10/10/wife-posts-video-husband-maid-could-face-jail/73724362/

most non-Muslim forms of religious expression are restricted people who practice other religions are imprisoned, beaten or expelled non-Muslims cannot have Saudi citizenship and non- Muslim places of worship are not permitted* Mutaween: Islamic religious police http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/nation/2015/10/10/wife-posts-video-husband-maid-could-face-jail/73724362/

Two brothers, Saud and Nasser al-Qaws, aged 22 and 24, died last fall after their car was forced off a Riyadh bridge by members of Saudi Arabia’s religious police. The officers, members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, allegedly objected to the patriotic songs the brothers were playing on the car stereo. They pursued the men at high speed, ramming their car three times before finally pushing it off the bridge. One of the young men was killed immediately; his brother died shortly thereafter.

In 2002 in Mecca, 15 girls died in a school fire, prevented from fleeing by mutaween who claimed the students were inappropriately covered. In 2007, a dozen mutaween entered a Riyadh family’s home and fatally beat a 28-year-old man whom they suspected of illegally possessing alcohol. In 2008, Saudi Arabia ranked 161 out of 167 countries on the Democracy ranking

Population: 27, 752, 000 immigrants make up 30% of the population Government: monarchy Constitution based on the Qur’an Legal system is based on Sharia Law with some Western elements

Economy oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities the Saudi government is encouraging the growth of the private sector to diversify the government and employ more Saudi citizens private vs. public sector Oil based; 16% of the world’s known oil reserves World’s largest exporter of oil plays a leading role in OPEC OPEC: an organization of oil producing nations whose purpose is to control oil prices and production

Over 6 million foreign workers, 80% of the workforce, play a large role in the Saudi economy, especially in the oil and service sectors The government is trying to reduce unemployment among Saudi citizens, especially among the youth who don’t have the skills or education the private sector needs private vs public sector

Budget deficits are expected because oil prices of $100/barrel are required to balance its budget current price: $45.55

Saudi Arabia and 9/11 al-Qaeda is a Salifist, militant Islamist organization founded by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980’s salifist: wants Islam to go back to how it was in the beginning; very strict, radical, and extreme bin Ladin was a Saudi 1991: bin Ladin is kicked out of Saudi Arabia; he and his followers move to Sudan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqQwnqjA-6w, 1997

Saudi Arabia and 9/11 1996: he’s kicked out of Sudan and moves to Afghanistan; he is taken in by the Taliban bin Laden issued a fatwa in 1996 in which he declares jihad against the US in 1996 because of US support for Saudi Arabia and Israel jihad: “It's a range of activities all based on the Arabic meaning of the word 'exerted effort.' In the Koran it's projected as exerting effort to change oneself, and also in certain situations physically standing against oppressors if that's the only way." Maher Hathout, author of Jihad vs. Terrorism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqQwnqjA-6w, 1997

In a 1998 fatwa, bin Laden argued that Muslims had a duty to wage a holy war against US citizens because the US was responsible for helping the Saud family stay in power in Saudi Arabia and for keeping Israel dominated by Jews “The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it.... [E]very Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it.”

Saudi Arabia and 9/11 al Qaeda attacks on Americans prior to September 11, 2001 1993 Bombing of the World Trade Center, New York 6 killed, 1000 injured 1998 Bombings of US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania 200+ killed, 5000 injured 1999 Attempted bombing of LA airport Bombing of USS Cole in Yemen 17 killed, 39 injured

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/06/world/africa/africa-embassy-bombings-fast-facts/

Ahmed Ressam, convicted in 2001 of a plot to blow up LA International Airport http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/06/world/africa/africa-embassy-bombings-fast-facts/

On September 11, 2001 19 terrorists, 15 from Saudi Arabia, flew planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in western Pennsylvania Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led international effort to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network based there, began on October 7, 2001. Bin Laden was killed during a raid of his compound in Pakistan by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011.