MIDDLE EAST

 Middle refers to its location only in relation to Europe  Middle East stands at the crossroads of three continents – Africa, Asia, Europe  Strategic location  Vital trade routes and vast reserves of oil  Oil is the Middle East’s most valuable resource

 Arc-shaped  Stretches from eastern Mediterranean along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to the Persian Gulf  Rich soil and abundant water made it a center of early civilization  Few natural barriers – multiple conquerors

 Climate dictates where people live  Nearly all of the region is desert  Scarcity of water  Settlements were scattered  Most people live around oases  Fertile desert area tat has enough water to support plant and animal life

 Judaism, Christianity, Islam  Sacred or Holy books  Judaism – Torah  Christianity – Bible  Islam – Koran (Quran)  Unlike other early religions, Judaism was monotheistic  Believe in one God

 Appeal of Christianity  Christianity offered hope of salvation and eternal life  Appeal of Islam  Emphasized the equality of all believers  Birthplace of Judaism and Christianity  Jerusalem – Palestine  Birthplace of Islam  Mecca – Arabian Peninsula

 Muslim duties  Belief in one God  Duty to prayer  Charity to the poor and aged  Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan  Duty of hajj  Pilgrimage to Mecca once during life

 Sunni and Shiites  Dispute was over who should become caliph  Caliph – successor to the prophet  Shiites – smaller of the sects – believed only a descendant could be caliph  Sunni – majority of Muslims – believe that any devout Muslim could be caliph

 Golden Age of Muslim Civilization  Muslim civilization spread  through trade and conquest  Blended Greek, Persian, Indian influences  Adapted the various traditions to its own needs

 1095, Pope Urban II called for a crusade against the Muslims  Crusade – holy war  For almost 100 years, Christians poured into Palestine in a movement that became known as the Crusades  Crusade had limited effect  Civilizations in Western Europe were less advanced than the Islamic world  1187, Saladin, a Muslim general drove the Christians out of Jerusalem

 Kemal Ataturk  Father of modern Turkey  Turkey became a secular state  Separation of religion and government  Encouraged economic development  Modernized using western culture

 Arab countries turned to Socialism to end western control.  The Islamist Movement believed westernization (western values) undermine Islamic society.

 Zionism – movement to reestablish a Jewish homeland  Founded by Theodor Herzl  Jews from Eastern Europe began migrating to Palestine  Belfour Declaration – 1917  Called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine  As migration increased, tensions between

 After WW II  United Nations recommended Palestine be partitioned  Divided into a Jewish state and an Arab state  Rise of the PLO  Palestinian Liberation Organization  Wanted to establish a Palestinian State  Many Arab countries are bonded by their hatred of Israel

 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries  Increased power as world demand for oil rose in the 1970s  Arab-Israeli War – 1973  OPEC stopped shipments to countries who supported Israel  Set off a global oil crisis as prices rose and supplies dwindled

 Push for peace brought Israel and Palestinian leaders together  Issues to the peace process  Conditions in the refugee camps  Jewish settlements in occupied lands  1993 – Oslo Accord  Led to limited Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho

 Reforms led to a growing gap between westernized Iranians from the rest  1979 overthrow of the shah by supports of the Ayatollah Khomeine  Iran became a theocracy – government ruled by religious leaders

 Conflict between modernization (westernization) and values of traditional Muslim culture

 1990 – Iraq invades Kuwait  claimed Kuwait belonged to Iraq  Iraq posed a threat to Saudi Arabia  1991 – UN coalition moved against Saddam Hussein  Defeated Iraq forces within days

 Known as the Six-Day War.  Involved Israel and the Arab countries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria  Results:  Israel claimed control over the West Bank, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip