Ethnic and Religious Groups In the Middle East

Ethnic Group Group of people who share cultural ideas that have been part of their community for generations. Characteristics- Language Religion Shared history Food Stories Celebrations

Religious Group Group of people that share a belief system in a god or gods with a specific set of rituals and literature. A person can share the same religion but be a part of different ethnic groups.

3 main Ethnic Groups in S.W. Asia

Arabs Arabs comprise most of the population of S.W Asia. Most Arabs practice Islam and speak Arabic. Small numbers of Arabs practice other religions. Islam consists mostly of 2 different groups. The majority of Muslims practice Sunni Islam. Most others practice Shia Islam. Sunnis and Shia disagree about who is in charge of the Muslim world

Arabs Arabs are the most populous ethnic group in the Middle East. Arabs believe themselves to be descendants of Abraham through his son Ishmael and originally from the Arabian Peninsula. They speak Arabic. Most Arabs are Muslims, with the majority being Sunni Muslim. However, there are many Christian Arabs as well, especially in the countries of Lebanon and Egypt. Arabs escape the Gaza strip into Egypt for much needed supplies.

Kurdish The Kurds live in several countries throughout S.W. Asia including Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran, united by the Kurdish language. Almost 1/5 of the population of Turkey is Kurdish. Most Kurds today are Sunni Muslims. Kurdish Muslims are usually less strict about certain Islamic practices.

Kurds Most Kurds are found in the mountainous areas where Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq come together. They speak their own language called Kurdish, and have a separate history, literature, music, and set of traditions. Many Kurds hope to have a nation of their own some day, a hope that has caused conflict with the countries in which Kurdish people live. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslim with small minorities of Shia Muslims and Yazidis. Women, in traditional Kurdish dress, dance during a wedding party in what they hope to one day be called Kurdistan.

Persian The Persians are an ethnic group that lived in Iran before the 7th century. They make up about ½ of Iran’s current population and have their own language called Persian or Farsi. Most practice Shia Islam. Persian women have faced many challenges as a result of strict cultural and religious practices.

Persians Most Persians live in the modern country of Iran where they are the most populous ethnic group. They are different from Arabs and Jews in that their ancestors came from Central Europe and Southern Russia The country of Persia became known as Iran after WWI. Persians speak Farsi, a language that uses the Arabic alphabet but is actually spoken differently. Most Persians are Shia Muslims even though Shia Muslims only make up about 15% of the world’s Muslim population. Persian family from northern Iran

Review Which ethnic group is the largest? What religion do they share? What country has the largest group of Kurds? What are the 2 main branches of Islam?