1. WORLD HISTORY READERS
Level 2-⑤
Wars in the Middle East

2. Do all Muslims believe the same things?
Two Groups
Do all Muslims believe the same things?
No, they don’t. After the founder of Islam, Muhammad, died in 632 AD, two groups of Muslims who follow Islam had different ideas about who should lead the religion—the Shia and the Sunni Muslims.
Iraqi women voting
Both Shias and Sunnis share many of the same religious practices and many basic beliefs..
Muslims praying in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

3. Same and Different Beliefs
How are Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims different?
They differ in their system of laws and some of their religious belief systems.
The Sunni people are concerned with power of Allah in the physical world.
The Sunni Muslims make up about 85% of the total Muslim population.
Sunnis are in the majority in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Allah – God, written in Arabic
The burial place of Abu Bakr
Sunni regions in the Middle East
The Shias think more about the rewards in the afterlife and believe more in sacrifice—even to the point of death.
The Shia Muslims make up about 10-15% of the world’s Muslims.
The Shias are in the majority in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine.
Shrine of Ali ibn Abi Talib
Life in Palestine

4. Foreigners in the Middle East
In the past 50 years, tensions have grown between the Sunni and Shia populations. Tensions have also grown because foreigners are now on ancient Middle Eastern land.
Why are many people in the Middle East angry with the West?
A child playing in a destroyed city
US airplanes bombing a city in Syria
Many people in the Middle East do not like the support that Israel gets from the West, especially from the USA.
So when the USA and other nations entered Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s, many were angry because they said the foreigners did not belong there.
Americans and Afghans
visiting a village

5. The Rise of Violent Groups
Violent groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIL (or ISIS) have grown in popularity because they offer the chance to free the Middle East of foreigners, or to create a new Islamic state.
Why are violent groups in the Middle East popular there?
A soldier firing a gun
Checking for bombs
These violent methods are disliked by most people in the Middle East.
The result of violence

6. Wanted Land Why is there a lot of fighting in Palestine?
In the early 20th century, the British controlled an area called Palestine. This land was wanted by both the Arab and Jewish peoples.
How were both Arab people and Jewish people offered the same land?
The Arabs were offered an independent Arab state in Palestine for helping to fight the Ottomans in Turkey. But in 1917, Lord Balfour also offered support for a Jewish homeland in the same area.
To make matters even more difficult, the British and French had their own plans to divide up parts of the Middle East as well.

7. Who was given land in Palestine? When did Israel become a state?
A Jewish Homeland
Who was given land in Palestine?
In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly decided to divide Palestine into Arab and Jewish areas. The Arabs got about 43% of the area and the Jews 57% with both sharing parts of the city of Jerusalem.
When did Israel become a state?
Israel became a state on May 14, 1948.
A protest image
in Palestine

8. How did the Six Day War change things?
After the Six Day War in 1967, Israel more than doubled in size.
Was there peace after that?
No, there were other wars and conflicts in the 1970s, but by 1994, people in Palestine had their own areas.
Graffiti asking for freedom

9. A City and People Divided
How do you resolve religious and political conflicts?
By talking to each other and by learning to accept others in your community.
Why is this so difficult?
Many of these people will die for their beliefs.
How will all the fighting in the Middle East end?
No one knows. But we can all agree that living in peace is far better than living in fear, distrust, and hate. The world hopes we do not have to wait too long for peace.

10. Vocabulary afterlife n.
the life some people believe begins after death
bomb n.
a weapon that explodes and causes damage

11. Vocabulary fighting or disagreement
conflict n.
fighting or disagreement
majority n.
the biggest group of people or things

12. Vocabulary reward n. a time when there is no war, violence, or arguing
peace n.
a time when there is no war, violence, or arguing
reward n.
something good that you get because you have done something good

13. Vocabulary Sunni Muslim n. to find the answer or fix a problem
solve v.
to find the answer or fix a problem
Sunni Muslim n.
a member of the branch of Islam that accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors to Muhammad