Middleeastpowerpoint Compressed

The Middle East and
The Arab World

Global Studies
Cultural Characteristics
Religious Groups
a group of people who share a

belief system. They believe in the
same god (or gods) and have
common sacred text and set of
morals
Judaism, Christianity, Islam
REMEMBER:
JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, & ISLAM ALL ORIGINATED IN SOUTHWEST ASIA.
JERUSALEM IS THE HOLIEST CITY IN THE WORLD FOR JEWS AND

CHRISTIANS, AND THE THIRD HOLIEST CITY FOR MUSLIMS.
EACH CAN TRACE THEIR ROOTS TO ABRAHAM AS THE FATHER OF THEIR FAITH.
Islam
Islam is a monotheistic religion that developed in Saudi Arabia and Islam

is directly related to Judaism and Christianity.
Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammed
A hijab is a veil that covers the head and chest, which is particularly
worn by some Muslim woman beyond the age of puberty in the
presence of adult males outside of their immediate family.
Jihad is an Islamic term referring to the religious duty of Muslims to

maintain the religion.
Dome of the Rock
Sunni vs Shia
The Sunni-Shia split occurred after the death

of Mohammed in the 7th Century.
The question became: who will take over for

Mohammad as the leader of Islam?
Two groups emerged:
Some felt that there should be an election/

selection of the most qualified candidate.
Those people came to be known as SUNNIS.
Some felt the next leader should be related

to Mohammad. Those people were
eventually known as SHIA.
Judaism
Historically, Jewish people lived in the area of modern day Israel. They had
a kingdom called Judea and built a temple on the temple mount in
Jerusalem.
The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians and later rebuilt. It was
destroyed again by the Romans and the only remaining section is called
the Western Wall or Wailing Wall. This is a sacred place in Judaism.
Zionism is Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the
creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient
homeland of the Jews
Western Wall
Christianity
Jesus Christ was Jewish. He preached that he was the son

of God.
He taught that anyone can reach salvation through faith.
His teachings were collected in the first four books of the

New Testament.
He was crucified, but according to his followers he rose

from the dead.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Name__________________
Global Studies
Directions: Use these percentages to help you color your map. Color each country to show what the major religion is there. For
example, Egypt is 93% Islamic and only 7% Christian, so you should color Egypt entirely yellow and draw the Crescent Moon
symbol there. When you are finished coloring, you will be able to easily see what religion most of the Middle East follows. (Some
countries are left out on the chart; color all remaining countries yellow on your map because the majority of people in those
countries are Muslim.)
Country Name
Islam
Judaism
Christianity
Egypt
93
Israel
17
Syria
90
Iran
99
Jordan
96
Kuwait
100
Saudi Arabia
100
Turkey
99
Iraq
98
Lebanon
55
45
Yemen
100
7
80
3
10
Make sure to create a key with the

following:
Z Islam
YJudaism
UChristianity
Color countries:
Yellow=Islam
Blue=Judaism
Red=Christianity
1. Use your completed map to draw conclusions about religion in the Middle East. Which religion has the most
followers?
2. Which country seems surrounded by Islamic nations?
What problems might this cause for that country?

i.
ii.
Religion
Map
Worksheet
Ethnic Groups
a group of people who share a common

culture.
Ethnic groups can have many things in

common:
Shared history, common ancestry,

language, religion, traditions, beliefs,
holidays, food, etc.
Ethnic Groups of Middle East & North Africa
Kurds, Arabs, Persians
Arabs
comprise most of the population of Southwest Asia.
believe themselves to be descendants of Abraham through his son

Ishmael.
Arabs make up the majority of the people who live throughout the
Middle East.
Most Arabs practice Islam. (Small numbers of Arabs practice other

religions.)
Sunni Islam dominates in most Arab areas, especially in North Africa.
Most Arabs, whether they are Muslim or Christian, speak Arabic.
Kurds
are an ethnic group that live in Turkey,

Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
form almost 20% of the population of

Turkey and Iraq.
Many live in an area of northern Iraq

called Kurdistan (not a separate
country).
They are the largest ethnic group in

the world without a country of their
own.
Kurds
believe themselves to be descendants of the

Medes, an ancient Iranian people.
Like the Arabs, they are overwhelmingly

Muslim, and the great majority are Sunni
Kurdish Muslims tend to be less strict

about certain Islamic practices.
For example, there are fewer laws for

how Kurdish women should dress than
there are for Iranian and Arab women.
Kurdish is a language related to Farsi (Persian).
Persians
are those who live in the modern country of Iran.
The country of Persia became known as Iran in 1935.
Today, Persians can be found living in throughout Middle East & in China.
Most Persians in Iran practice Shia Islam.
Women have faced challenges as a result of strict cultural and religious

practices.
Persians speak a language called Farsi (or Persian).
It is one of the oldest languages that is still spoken today!
Where Farsi is Spoken Today
Comparing Ethnic
Groups in the Middle
East Graphic Organizer
Economic Characteristics
Countries with oil
Oil is the major resource in this

region.
Many countries in this region are

members of OPEC (Organization
of Petroleum Exporting
Countries).
OPEC sets the price and

production of oil and has
members all over the world.
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Iran
UAE
Kuwait
Qatar
Libya
Countries that have

very little oil
Israel
Turkey
Jordan
Lebanon
Syria
Morocco
Afghanistan
Positive/Oil
Negative/Oil
1. Oil is valuable
2. Oil money is used to
build infrastructure
3. People have a high
GDP per capita
1. Oil fluctuates on the

world market
2. Oil will run out
eventually
This region is highly dependent on primary economic

activity.
Oil drilling
Agriculture - People grow foods in irrigated areas along

rivers and on the Mediterranean Coast)
Pastoralism (Nomadic Herding) - People raise herds of

goats, sheep, and cattle)
High GDP Per Capita
Israel - 26,600
Saudi Arabia - 19,800
UAE - 37,000
Qatar - 87,000
Kuwait - 55,900
Low GDP Per Capita
Iraq - 3,700
Iran - 11,700
Lebanon - 10,300
Syria - 4,700
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _____ Period: ____
Oil and the Middle East: Read and Respond

SS7G7 The student will explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural resources, and
population distribution in Southwest Asia (Middle East).
a. Explain how the distribution of oil has affected the development of Southwest Asia (Middle East).
Two of the most important natural resources found in Southwest Asia are natural gas and
oil. These two resources bring wealth into the region because they are needed for
much of the worlds economy. Deposits of underground oil and natural gas were
discovered in Southwest Asia at the beginning of the 1900s. At first, companies
from the United States and Europe controlled the drilling and refining of most of
this oil, but now most of the oil operations are controlled by the countries
themselves. Over half of the worlds known oil reserves are found in this part of the
This has made some of these countries extremely rich and has led them to have a lot of
global economy.
world.
control over the
In the 1960s, several of these Southwest Asian countries joined with other oil-rich countries around the world to create
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in order to have more control over the price of oil on the world
market. OPEC has called for an embargo, or a slow-down or temporary halt, to oil supplies at different times in the past to get
political and economic agreements from the other countries in the world. While some countries in Southwest Asia have grown
very rich due to their oil production, others have struggled to help their populations make a decent living.
The Southwestern Asian countries with the greatest reserves of natural gas and oil are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and
Kuwait. Some other countries have smaller reserves, especially those found around the Arabian Gulf. These countries have
enjoyed tremendous growth in national wealth and an improved standard of living in the past fifty years. Those countries
without oil reserves have had a much harder time improving living conditions for their populations. This difference in wealth in
some of the Southwest Asian countries has led to conflicts among the nations.
1. What are the two most important natural resources found in Southwest Asia?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How much of the world's known oil reserves are found in this location?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What happened in the 1960s?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What does OPEC stand for?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What Southwestern Asian countries have the greatest oil reserves?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Factors that Influence the Middle East
SS7G7 The student will explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural
resources, and population distribution in Southwest Asia (Middle East).
b. Describe how deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) have affected the population in
terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.
Three major river systems are located in Southwest Asia: the Euphrates River that runs through
Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Kuwait; the Tigris River, which runs through Turkey, Iraq, and Kuwait; and the
Jordan River, which forms part of the border for Syria, Jordan, the West Bank and Israel. In addition to
being important sources of water, these rivers also provide boundaries between nations. These three rivers
are important because they furnish water for drinking and irrigation, as well as routes for transportation
and trade for those who live along their routes. Many of the major cities in Southwest Asia are located on
or near these rivers. These cities and towns are also centers of industry, as that is where workers can most
easily be found.
Oil And
The Middle
East
Warm Up Worksheet
Situation: Mark is 18 years old. Growing up, Mark was the oldest child so he had his
own bedroom. Marks two younger sisters, Sarah (age 15) and Chloe (age 13), had to
share a bedroom. As soon as Mark graduated high school, he left for college; Sarah then
moved into Marks room. After his first semester in college, a fire destroyed the student
dorms where he lived and Mark had to move back home. When he got back home, he
realized Sarah had moved into his room. He demanded she leave because it was his
room first, and had been for 18 years; Sarah demanded she stay in the room because she
had been there the last 6 months and it was hers last. Who gets the room?
Questions to answer as you decide:
Who rightfully owns something? Who had it first? Longest? Or last? Explain.
Can Mark and Sarah just share a bedroom? Why or why not?
Should anyone step in and help resolve the conflict (like parents)? Why or why not?
After considering all of the above, who gets the room and why?
Historical Characteristics
Britain and France carved

much of the Middle East into
mandates after World War I.
believed in the notion that

the people of the region
would be better off under
the European empires.
Palestine
After WWI, Great Britain officially took control of Palestine as a

colony.
Arabs felt betrayed that they were not given the area, especially
since they made up the largest part of the population.
During the Holocaust more than six million Jews were killed as a
result of Anti-Semitism (discrimination against Jews)
The Zionist movement gained more support from others around

the world to create a Jewish homeland.
The Partition
In 1947, Great Britain asks the U.N. for help in dividing up the
land that was promised to both the Jews and the Arabs..
Jews agreed, but Arabs vowed to do anything needed to

prevent the U.N. plan from being carried out.
The Jews were outnumbered in Palestine, but their

armies were much more advanced because of
involvement in World War II.
Despite the bloodshed, the State of Israel was created on

May 14, 1948.
That night, a combined Arab force of Egyptians, Iraqis,

Jordanians, Syrians, Lebanese, Saudi, and Yemeni troops
attacked
Arab-Israeli War
lasted for 8 months, during which time

the Jews not only defended their land,
but expanded the territory to include
most of the lands the Palestinians had
been offered and rejected.
This created over 780,000 refugees

who were displaced.
Many of them left Israel, but some

had nowhere to go and ended up in
refugee camps along Arab borders.
The Six Day War
Israel preemptively attacked Egypt after

Egypt mobilized troops.
War ended with decisive victory for

Israel & Israel tripled amount of
territory controlled.
Golan Heights - from Syria
West Bank & East Jerusalem Jordan
Sinai Peninsula & Gaza Strip - Egypt
Palestinian Liberation Organization
Arabs suffered humiliating defeat, however Arab leaders remained

committed to Israels destruction.
Many Palestinians became radicalized and turned into guerrilla groups

such as the PLO.
established by Yasser Arafat
The PLO used Lebanon as a base after 1970
In 1988, the PLO declared the independence of Palestine (the West

Bank and Gaza)
Conflict still continues
Yom Kippur War (1973)
Syria and Egypt launched a surprise attack against Israel
Soviet Union supplied the Arabs and the U.S. supplied the Israeli allies
The seven Arab members of the OPEC imposed a boycott of oil

sales to countries seen as friendly to Israel.
Camp David Accords: Israel and Egypt would sign a peace treaty in 1979
with U.S. Pres. Jimmy Carter mediating the Camp David Accords
Israel would return the Sinai to Egypt in exchange for recognition.
Made an all-out war between Israel and the Arab world less likely.
Hezbollah and Hamas are two important Arab

groups that were founded in the mid-1980s.
Hezbollah is from Lebanon.
Hamas is based in the West Bank and the

Gaza Strip.
Both groups are supported by Syria and

Iran and are made up of Muslims.
Over the last 25 years, both groups have

each led attacks on Israel.
Car & Suicide bombings, Rocket fire,

Attack Jews
The Intifada
Palestinian uprising against Israeli

occupation, living conditions, and to
demand independence that begins in 1987.
Includes Palestinian demonstrations,

strikes, boycotts, rock throwing and
gasoline bombs.
Israeli military response
Over approx. 400 Israelis Killed
Over approx. 1500 Palestinians Killed
The Second Intifada
By 2000, peace process has faded.
Palestinian violence erupts beginning the Second Intifada
Buses, discos, hotels, fast food restaurants, etc in Israel

blown up by Palestinian suicide bombers
Israel responds militarily (2000-2008)
Over 4500 Palestinians killed
Over 1000 Israelis killed
Israel: Perspectives in
Conflict Worksheet
Peace Treaty Assignment
Peace Treaty Agreement

Name_____________________________

Israel-Palestine Conflict Map
On your Israel-Palestine Map

Separate the nation into how YOU think
it should be divided.
Make a key; Israel and Palestinian land
different colors

Separate the nation into how YOU think it
should be divided.
Make a key; Israel and Palestinian (Muslim)
land must be different colors
Answer the following questions:
1. Who has what lands?

Answer the following questions on the

back:
1. Create Peace Terms - Who has what
lands? Tell how you came to those
terms. (Take into consideration
religious barriers, natural resources,
etc.) Has the ownership/rights to
land changed? If so, where?

1b. Tell how you decided on those
terms ** Consider religious sites and natural
resources, etc.**

2. List the sacrifices that each side has to
make to ensure peace

Key
Israel
Palestine
2. List the sacrifices that each side has to

make to ensure peace.
Shared land
(optional)
% of the population
which is Shia; most of the
remainder of the
population is Sunni
Iran (90-95%)
Iraq (65-70%)
Syria (13%)
Bahrain (66-70%)
Yemen (35-40%)
Lebanon (30-35%)
Kuwait (30-40%)
S. Arabia (15-22%)
Turkey (10-15%)
UAE (10%)
Jordan (2%)
Oman (5-10%)
Qatar (10%)
Egypt (1-2%)
3 Governments dominated/ruled by Shia

all the rest are Sunni dominated/ruled
IRAN
IRAQ
SYRIA
1) List the 3 Middle East countries which have

majority Shia population:
____________________
2) Most of the Middle East countries have Shia
majority populations: (True or False)
3) Which one of the countries with a Sunni

majority population is dominated by a Shia
minority sect? ___________
4) Why might Syria and Iran be
allied?___________
Saddam Hussein (1979 - 2003)
socialist & pan-Arabist
admired Stahlin (Russia)
Iraq under Saddam Hussein was known

for its severe violations of human rights.
Secret police, torture, mass murder,

rape, deportations, forced
disappearances, assassinations,
chemical warfare.
The secret police of Saddams Iraq

was organized with the help of the
Soviet KGB.
Reasons why many opposed Saddam Husseins rule
human rights abuse, hatred for Jews and Persians, his minority
rule
pan-Arabism
uniting all the Arabic countries, and then spreading out the
wealth to a certain degree
Socialism, NOT Communism
his invasions of Iran and Kuwait
his use of chemical weapons
Iran - Iraq War (1980 - 1988)
Iraq
Over 80% Arabs

Led By Sunni, Saddam
Hussein
Iran
Over 80% Persians

Led by Shia Ayatollah
Khomeini
Secular government
Theocratic government
Border disputes
Border disputes
(Shatt al-Arab)
Other issues
(Shatt al-Arab)
Iran - Iraq War (1980 - 1988)
1980, Iraq attacked Iran because of

border disputes
During the Iran Iraq War, Iraq

used chemical weapons against
Iranian troops & Kurds in Iraq
which were pushing for
independence
War long, costly; as many as 500,000

dead on both sides
1988, both sides agreed to ceasefire
Iraq invades Kuwait
After cease-fire, Saddam Hussein continued to build up

Iraqs military; already had largest army in Arab world
1990, Iraq accused neighboring Kuwait of drilling into

Iraqi oil field, stealing oil
Hussein used this as excuse to invade Kuwait
Osama offers to protect Saudi Arabia
King of S.A. instead opts for American troops
US protection of Saudi Arabia was called Desert

Shield
Significance: Osama was ready to fight

Saddam
1/16/91: Desert Storm begins (Persian

Gulf War)
146 Americans killed; 100,000 Iraqis killed
Iraq was forced to agree to the

following:
Kuwait was not part of Iraq
inspections for WMD weapons
Bush believed a weakened and

contained Saddam was better than an
Islamic government in Iraq like the
one in Iran.
Shifting Sands:
The Persian Gulf War Reading
Afghanistan
Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and made the

country Communist.
10 years later, a force called the Mujahideen (a

group of men calling themselves Jihadists)
drove out the Soviets and decided to create a
government.
Soon, arguments among the Mujahideen

began to grow.
The group separated into single warlords

who would start to fight for control of the
country.
Afghanistan
The warlords rained down their rockets on

Afghanistan, killing thousands and forcing
millions of Afghans to flee their country into
neighboring Pakistan and Iran.
While in refugee camps, the Taliban set up

schools, training men for their mission.
Once they had enough money, they

returned to Afghanistan, killing any
Mujahideen who opposed them.
They imposed a religious set of laws

known as Sharia; the strictest
interpretation ever seen.
Afghanistan
The Taliban forbid:
Singing, Dancing, & Flying Kites
Women leaving their homes without a male escort and covering the burqa.
The Taliban allowed terrorist organizations to run training camps in their

territory and from 1994-2001 provided refuge for Osama Bin Laden and AlQaeda.
In 2001 the US placed pressure on the Taliban to turn over Osama Bin Laden
and Al-Qaeda, but the Taliban refused.
The US began bombing Taliban military sites.
Women in Afghanistan
Worksheet
Al Qaeda
means the Base. It is a stateless (meaning

without a country) terrorist organization.
It was led and financed by Osama bin

Laden, a radical Sunni Muslim.
When King of S.A. instead opts for

American troops, bin Laden isnt pleased.
believes that foreigners do not belong in

Islamic countries.
especially upset over U.S. troops in Saudi

Arabia, the country where the prophet
Muhammad was born
Al Qaeda
In August of 1998, Al Qaeda, led by bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri declare
war on American.
Two American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed

simultaneously. 220 people were killed.
US sends missiles against Qaeda training camps in Sudan and

Afghanistan----to little effect.
9/11/2001
2819 people were killed
343 firefighters and paramedics were killed
Al Qaeda claims responsibility for attack on USA
USA immediately started bomb attacks

against the terrorists in Afghanistan and
against the Taliban government.
In October 2001, U.S., British, & Canadian

forces invaded Afghanistan in search of bin
Laden and to destroy al-Qaeda.
Although bin Laden was never found, the

grip of the Taliban and al-Qaeda on
Afghanistan was broken.
Saddam Hussein was still president of Iraq at the time of the Afghanistan
invasion.
U.S government feared connections between Hussein and al-Qaeda and the
allegations that Iraq was building Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs)
2003: A US led coalition of nations attacks Iraq.
What were the purposes of the mission?
remove Saddam from power because of human rights violations
search for Weapons of Mass Destruction
because Iraq used chemical weapons
to bring democracy to Iraq, in hopes it spreads to the rest of the M East
Iraqi Democracy
June 2004: The US hands over governance to a

caretaker government.
Dec 2005: Elections to determine legislature and,

including Prime Minister
2005 - 2014: Prime Minister has been Nouri

al-Maliki
Al-Maliki was a Shiite Muslim who had a

long record of resistance towards Saddam,
and was involved in post 2003 anti-Sunni
militias which killed Sunni opponents
The Surge (2006) - Pres. Bush commits

another 20,000 troops to attack
al- Qaeda positions in Western Iraq. The US

rewards Sunnis who side with US.
Senator Obama opposes the Surge.
2007: The Bush administration and the Iraqi

government agreed to a Status of Forces
Agreement whereby the US agreed to pull
troops out of the cities starting in 2009.
The Obama administration followed that

agreement, in the midst of great
controversy.
Name____________________
Global Studies
Iraq Blogging
Directions: Below are excerpts from blogs by Iraqis. Read the blogs carefully and complete the worksheet
that follows. Be prepared to report back to the class.
January 31, 2008, Last of the Iraqis

The blog Last of the Iraqis is written by Mohammed, a twenty-five-year-old dentist who lives in Baghdad.
Nothing is like it used to be in my country...or what used to be my country...poor Iraq, everything
beautiful in it was destroyed, everything was stolen, they even messed with the most important thing that
identifies it, they even messed with the great and beautiful Iraqi flag, I wonder when will they change its
name claiming that its a Bathists name or Saddamists name!!!!
Iraqi
blogging
Worksheet
I wonder when will they have enough of messing around and destroying our country, I wonder when will
those idiots who call themselves politicians working for a new Iraq stop messing up Iraq!
They changed the flag, the great Iraqi flag the rolled the dead bodies of the brave soldier whether Shiite,
Sunni or Kurds.... Its the flag that covered the coffins of millions of Iraqis its the flag that flut- tered for
many years in the Iraqi sky.
Its the last thing remaining for us as an independent nation, its the thing that reminds us of how we used
to live in peace, its the thing that reminds us of how all Iraqis used to be united, and most important of all
its one of the few things that represents the union of the Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq and this shouldnt be, as
I believe they think....
Day after day I became more convinced that Iraq is not for real Iraqis anymore, day after day I feel that Iraq
rejects the innocents and the men who dont believe in violence. Iraq is not for us anymore. Im so tired of
the daily struggle. I have had enough of having to deal with every day struggles. I have had enough of fear,
enough of anger and sorrow for my lovely country. Im tired of having no hope for future, tired of feeling
insecure, tired of not knowing when will I be threatened or maybe killed, Im so tired of not being able to
plan my future. Im tired of living in this killing social isolation with very few friends and fewer relatives.
Im tired of having to live in the middle of this hatred between Iraqis. Im sick of the militias, the idiot
politicians, the sectarian government, the explosions, the assassinations and the sectarian killing.
For that I decided to leave Iraq and head to Jordan very soon. Ill go there and try to find a job, or try to find
anything or anyway that will secure my future, and live as humans ought to live. I want to have children
because as I have said many times, I promised my self I will never repeat the mistake of my parents and
give birth to an innocent child in this country which rejects anything innocent.
Ill go to Jordan and try my luck. I have collected all the documents that I can get to ensure that they will let
me in, to ensure that Ill not go through what I have gone through the last time I went there. I hope they will
let me in and my dreams wont be destroyed.
January 11, 2008, Days of My Life

The blog Days of My Life is written by a sixteen-year-old Iraqi girl.
Arab Spring
Began in Tunisia when a 26 year old street vendor, Mohamed

Bouazizi, set himself on fire after a policewoman
confiscated his unlicensed vegetable cart and its goods on
Dec. 17, 2010.
Pro-democracy protesters across North Africa and the

Middle East rose up against the dictatorial regimes that had
ruled their home countries for years.
BBC Video
Arab Spring
Causes For There Protests:

Government Corruption, Human rights
violations, extreme poverty.
Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, & Yemen.
the use of the social media helped aid

in the spread of the news of the
protests as well as ways to inspire
others from all over the world to join.
Arab Spring in Tunisia
President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali

resigned after weeks of protests against
corruption.
sentenced in absentia to 35 years in

jail by a court in Tunis.
the moderate Islamist Ennahda party

won the country's first democratic
elections.
One key reform enacted prior to the

election was the dissolution of the
political police.
Arab Spring in Egypt
The military had been running the country since President

Hosni Mubarak
dissatisfaction grew with the pace of change and the refusal

of the military to give a firm date for presidential elections.
Violence prompted a statement from Egypt's military leader,

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, in which he
promised presidential elections
Much of the unrest in Egypt was driven by poverty, and

anger at corruption and young people unable to find work.
Arab Spring in Libya
inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, hundreds came out onto the
streets of several towns and cities demanding the end of Col Gaddafi's rule.
The authorities responded with violence, opening fire on protesters, as the

rallies grew and spread across the country.
The revolt soon evolved into an armed conflict pitting forces loyal to Col
Gaddafi.
After four decades in power, Col Gaddafi and his family went on the run. On
31 October the former leader was captured and killed on the outskirts of Sirte.
Several thousand people have been killed and many more have been injured
in the conflict.
Arab Spring in Syria

President: Bashar al-Assad: (2000 - Present)
determined to cling to power, has promised
reform since 2000, when he inherited power
from his father Hafez, but little has
changed.
Reasons Syrians oppose President al-Assad:
a Shiite leader, when approximately of

the population are Sunnis.
history of oppression under the al-Assad
family dating back to 1971.
dominance of the economy by the Shia and
the Christians.
Protests in Damascus demand the release of political prisoners.
2011 - Security forces shoot a number of people dead, triggering days

of violent unrest.
Assad releases dozens of political prisoners and dismisses the

government.
2013 - Rebels and Western governments accuse pro-Assad forces of

using chemical weapons in an attack that killed more than 300 people
near Damascus.
The Syrian government blamed the rebels.
US President Barack Obama says a "limited" strike is needed. Russia and

China warn against any attack on Syria
Syrian Refugee
Worksheet
ISIL (Islamic State of the Levant)
includes: Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza Strip, the West
Bank, & parts of Turkey.
100% Sunni
ISIS more often refers to themselves as IS, which = Islamic State.
DAESH is the Arabic term for Islamic State.
Increasingly, youre seeing the use of the term Daesh because

calling it a state implies that it should be admitted into the UN,
just like any other state. To call it a state legitimizes them to
some degree.
Although ISIL wants

to control Iraq and
all of the Levant, by
Dec 2015 they only
control parts of Iraq
and Syria.
Caliph: a person
considered a political
and religious
successor to the
Islamic prophet,
Muhammad, and a
leader of the entire
Muslim community.
ISIL was officially founded in April of 2013 combining:
Al Qaeda of Iraq, led by Al-Baghdadi
Elements of Al Qaeda-backed militant group in Syria,

known as the al-Nursa Front
who are currently fighting against the government of

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria
As of Feb 2015, the U.S. mounted 946 strikes in Syria, while

Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE completed 79 total. (NPR)
Coalition air strikes in Iraq: Canada, Australia, France, UK,
Netherlands and the USA.
Iran is not part of the coalition
So far, the U.S. had conducted 5,314 strikes against ISIS targets in
Iraq and Syria through March 15, according to Pentagon statistics;
Daily Beast
According to MSNBC May 13, 2015:

80% of the air strikes have been by the USA
Nov 2015: Russia begins bombing of ISIL targets after ISIL claimed responsibility of
downing a Russian passenger plane heading from Sinai, Egypt to St Petersburg
Russia
GALLUP POLL: NOVEMBER 12, 2015 on the eve of the Paris attack
In U.S., 53% Oppose Sending Ground Troops to Fight Militants in Iraq and Syria
43% support ground troops to fight militants
Nov 19, 2015: The French President announces that France is,
indeed, at war with ISIL
Nov 27 Dec 1 NBC poll (after the Paris attacks)
According to the Guardian; Sept 2, 2015

More than 4 million refugees have fled Syria since the war
there began in 2011. According to the UNs refugee agency,
almost 1.8 million have gone to Turkey, more than 600,000 to
Jordan and 1 million to Lebanon a country whose population
is just 4 million.
According to the Guardian; Sept 2, 2015:

On Monday, Angela Merkel said Germany expected to take at least
800,000 asylum seekers this year. The figure is likely to go up, and
could hit 1 million.
Name_____________________
Global Studies
ISIS Briefing
Text of the National Security Video that you will soon be watching:
Mr. President, As your National Security advisors, it is our responsibility to provide you with up-to-date
information about situations in the world that may present a risk to the safety of the United States, or, to the
well-being of human rights everywhere. With that in mind, over the past few months, a group called ISIS- or
the Islamic State in Iraq and Syriahas grown to become the largest terrorist network in the Middle East.
Starting as a splinter group of Al Qaeda during the Iraq War, ISIS is now a well-armed, violent, extremist
organization whose goal is to establish a global Islamic state based upon strict religious law. This belief system
includes a hatred of democracy, individual liberty, and respect and tolerance of different faiths.
In fact, ISIS is known for terrorizing religious minorities throughout the region, including Christians, Yazidis,
Kurds, and Shiite Muslims. Other mass killings of innocent civilians have been widespread, with over a
thousand murderedwith many more forced to flee for their lives. What is equally disturbing is ISISs
treatment of women, with hundreds of young girls forced into marriage or face death. Recently, the world
was also shocked to see the murder of American journalist James Foley.
During the past year, ISIS has spread rapidly throughout eastern Syria and Iraq, controlling an area of close
to 13,000 square miles. It has conquered Mosul and other significant Iraqi cities, grabbing two billion dollars
in cash from looted bank accounts, as well as income from oil and gas fields. According to the Huffington
Post, It has formed a terrorist army with an estimated 30,000 - 50,000 fighters and is now armed with tanks
and weapons stolen from the Iraqi army.
Likewise, because of its sophisticated use of social media and propaganda, ISIS has had over 2,000 Westerners
join their cause, including over 200 Americans with passports. It is a group that not only poses a significant
threat to human rights around the world, but to the security of our nation here at home.
Mr. President, at this point, we kindly ask that you and the other members of the security team answer the
questions on the worksheet that follows. Once everyone is finished, you can open up the floor for discussion
and debate.
Mr. Conrad will pick a student to be the President, and will then serve as their Chief of Staff, facilitating the
discussion and making sure everyone is involved. After listening to the group, the President will then be
asked to choose two courses of action that he or she feels are best. Good luck.
ISIS Briefing
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The Middle East and

The Arab World

a group of people who share a

Judaism, Christianity, Islam

JERUSALEM IS THE HOLIEST CITY IN THE WORLD FOR JEWS AND

Islam is a monotheistic religion that developed in Saudi Arabia and Islam

Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammed

Jihad is an Islamic term referring to the religious duty of Muslims to

Dome of the Rock

The Sunni-Shia split occurred after the death

The question became: who will take over for

Two groups emerged:

Some felt that there should be an election/

Some felt the next leader should be related

Jesus Christ was Jewish. He preached that he was the son

He taught that anyone can reach salvation through faith.

His teachings were collected in the first four books of the

He was crucified, but according to his followers he rose

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Make sure to create a key with the

2. Which country seems surrounded by Islamic nations?

What problems might this cause for that country?

a group of people who share a common

Ethnic groups can have many things in

Shared history, common ancestry,

Ethnic Groups of Middle East & North Africa

Kurds, Arabs, Persians

comprise most of the population of Southwest Asia.

believe themselves to be descendants of Abraham through his son

Most Arabs practice Islam. (Small numbers of Arabs practice other

Sunni Islam dominates in most Arab areas, especially in North Africa.

Most Arabs, whether they are Muslim or Christian, speak Arabic.

are an ethnic group that live in Turkey,

form almost 20% of the population of

Many live in an area of northern Iraq

They are the largest ethnic group in

believe themselves to be descendants of the

Like the Arabs, they are overwhelmingly

Kurdish Muslims tend to be less strict

For example, there are fewer laws for

Kurdish is a language related to Farsi (Persian).

are those who live in the modern country of Iran.

The country of Persia became known as Iran in 1935.

Most Persians in Iran practice Shia Islam.

Women have faced challenges as a result of strict cultural and religious

Persians speak a language called Farsi (or Persian).

It is one of the oldest languages that is still spoken today!

Where Farsi is Spoken Today

Oil is the major resource in this

Many countries in this region are

OPEC sets the price and

Countries that have

1. Oil fluctuates on the

This region is highly dependent on primary economic

Agriculture - People grow foods in irrigated areas along

Pastoralism (Nomadic Herding) - People raise herds of

Low GDP Per Capita

Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _____ Period: ____

Oil and the Middle East: Read and Respond

Britain and France carved

believed in the notion that

After WWI, Great Britain officially took control of Palestine as a

Name: ______________________________________________ Date: _ Period: __