CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 23THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTHWEST ASIA

CREATING THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST

1. Due to its location, The Middle East has long been a “hot-spot”

a. Crossroads of Europe, Africa & Asia

b. After being repeatedly conquered, a tangle of diverse ethnic/religious groups live here

UNITING PEOPLES1. After Islam conquered the region:

a. Most of the conquered people adopted Islam.

b. Exceptions were Christians and Jews

2. During the 8th century, the Ottoman Turks (Turkey) conquered the region

3. The Turks also adopted Islam.

4. However, during the 1800s, the many different ethnic groups began to resist Turkish rule.

WORLD WAR IGreat Britain, France & Russia (Allies)

VersesGermany, Austria-Hungary & Ottoman

Turks (Central Powers)

1. Sure of a victory, the Allies began secret meeting on how to divide the Middle East.

a. The Arabs were given most all of the desert areas of the Arabian Peninsula

b. France & Great Britain took the rest as a mandate

c. Mandate: Land ruled by another country until that land is ready for independence

ARABS AND JEWS1. By the 1940s, Jordan, Syria,

Lebanon and Iraq became independent

2. Palestine was a big problema. Palestine (now Israel) was claimed

by both Jews and Arabs

THE JEWISH STORY1. For centuries, Jews were treated badly

and even killed simply for being Jews2. During the early 1900s, Jews began to

immigrate to Palestine (Israel)3. Zionists: Jews who believed that the

only way to stop this persecution was to create their own country in Palestine

4. They did…almost ½ million Jews came to Palestine by 1939

5. However, this made the Arabs nervous

THE ARAB STORY1. Great Britain had promised the Arabs

Self-Determinationa. Self-Determination: One’s right to decide

one’s own political future

2. All these Jews were taking land that the Arabs claimed

3. Arabs boycotted anything Jewish and destroying Jewish property

4. The Jews retaliated, and people died.

CREATION OF ISRAEL1. After WW-II and the

Holocaust, the world supported a Jewish homeland in Palestine

2. Arabs were bitterly opposed3. Great Britain decided to split

Palestine into two sections:a. One Jewishb. One Arab

CREATION OF ISRAEL4. The Jews accepted the British

proposal

5. The Arabs were very angry, and refused to accept the proposal

6. In May of 1948, Israel announced their independence

CREATION OF ISRAEL7. Within hours, neighboring Arab

countries attacked vowing to drive all Jews out of Palestine and into the sea.

8. By the end of the 1948 war, however, Israel controlled ¾ of Palestine.

9. Jordan and Egypt annexed the rest.

10. Palestinian Arabs were left with nothing.

ISRAEL: A DETERMINED COUNTRY

1. Since independence, Israel has rapidly modernized.

2. Israel is now one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world

CHANGING THE LAND1. Technology transforms the desert:

a. Negev Desert is one of the driest places in Israel.

b. Israel set up a 100 mile pipeline to bring irrigation water into this area (called the National Water Carrier)

c. This region is now fertile green landd. Drip Irrigation: water drips onto roots

of plants saving precious watere. Israel produces almost all of its own

food

CHANGING THE LAND2. Mining the Dead Sea

a. Due to the high levels of salt and minerals, fish cannot live here

b. Israel built processing-plants and is extracting:

Salt Potash Bromine

c. These are exported worldwide

CHANGING THE LAND3. Settlements in the desert:

a. Few people actually wanted to move into desert areas

b. Workers were offered high wages and extra time off of work

4. High in human resourcesa. Highly trained and educated

populationb. ¾ of the population work in service

jobs…education, tourism & housing

DIVERSE CITIZENS1. Israel continually encourages Jews

to immigrate from around the world

2. Two groups of Jews:

a. European Jews: More educated Higher income

b. Sephardic Jews: From S. W. Asia Poorer Less educated

ISRAEL'S ARABS1. 20 % OF THE POPULATION

a. Some are Christiansb. Some are Muslimsc. Some are Druzes (broke-away from

Islam)

2. Full citizens of Israel3. Have full political rights4. Complain that they are

discriminated against in society

STRUGGLE FOR PEACE1. Palestinian Refugees:

a. After Israel declared their independence in 1948, all of the Arab countries surrounding Israel attacked.

b. By the end of the war, Israel had won most of the land and ½ million Palestinian Arabs had left for other Arab countries.

c. Most Arab countries expelled any Jewish people and these Jews were settled in Israel

d. Egypt took the Gaza stripe. Jordan took the West Bankf. Many Arabs moved into these regions

STRUGGLE FOR PEACEg. In 1967, the Arab

countries attacked again…and again they lost.

h. During the fighting, the Israelis took control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

STRUGGLE FOR PEACEi. The Palestinian Arabs who left during

the fighting, were not allowed back into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

j. By this time, there were more than 1 million refugees living in other Arab countries

k. Some of these Arabs organized the P.L.O.

Palestinian Liberation Organization

STRUGGLE FOR PEACEl. Out of these refugee camps

came P.L.O. terrorists who, in the name of Allah,:

Hijacked commercial jetliners Kidnapped and killed Israeli

people Raided Israeli communities Committed suicide bombings

STRUGGLE FOR PEACEm. Israel, in turn, began to conduct

military raids on P.L.O. terrorist-bases, mostly in Lebanon.

n. In 1982, Israel attacked Lebanon in a final attempt to crush these terrorists.

o. Meanwhile, many Israelis were starting settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

p. This created more pressure and violence

STRUGGLE FOR PEACE2. STRUGGLE FOR A SOLUTION

a. From this time through today, many people have died.

b. In 1978, Egypt made peace and “recognized” Israel.

c. In 1994, Jordan also “recognized” Israel.

Political Recognition: When one country officially acknowledges that another country (and its government) exists.

4. With these two major “neighbors” at peace, Israel agrees to give back some land and give some freedoms to the Palestinian Arabs

MORE CONFLICT1. 1987, Palestinian youth in the Gaza Strip

began throwing rocks at Israelis

2. Arabs called this uprising the “Intifada” (in-tee-FAH-dah)

3. 1993, Both sides recognized each other’s right to exist

4. Israel gave the Palestinians the Gaza Strip

5. Palestinian terrorists began suicide bombings in Israel

6. Israel stalled the peace talks

THE CONFLICT TODAY1. Over the past year, many

Israelis have lost their lives due to P.L.O. terrorist bombings;

a. First, car-bombs

b. Now suicide-bombers

2. Israel is building a wall around the Gaza Strip to keep the terrorists out.

JORDAN

Jordan: A Fragile Kingdom1. Part of “Fertile Crescent”

a. First civilizations developedb. Fertile farmland

2. Most of Jordan is dry, rocky desert3. However, after the 1948 war with

Israel, Jordan annexed the West Bank…WHY?

4. Simple, this gave Jordan fertile land for growing crops

So much for Arab brotherhood

5. Problems came for Jordan during the Six-Day-war (1967) when the Arabs once again attacked Israel and lost.

6. Israel gained control of the West Bank, Jordan’s main source of agriculture and income

Jordan: A Fragile Kingdom

7. Palestinian Movement to Jordan:a. After every war, many Palestinians

moved to Jordan

b. Today, ½ of Jordan’s population

8. A Modern Country:a. King Hussein combined Islam with

modern political reforms to bring Jordan into the 20th century

Jordan: A Fragile Kingdom

LEBANON

1. Mild, Mediterranean climate

2. Beautiful Beaches

3. Positive political atmosphere

4. Once had a thriving economy

5. Called “The Paris of the Middle East”

6. This all ended with a civil-war

LEBANON: A Nervous Peace

7. Beginning of the War:a. Power sharing was agreed to by the

% of peoplesb. Most power went to the Christians

who had the largest populationc. Second largest group were the

Muslimsd. Third were the Greek Orthodox

Christianse. This system worked well for years


8. Growing Muslim population:a. Demanded more power

b. In 1975, civil-war broke out between the Christians and the Muslims

c. This war was “fueled” by the immigration of thousands of Palestinians from Israel

d. P.L.O. set up terrorist camps and raided across the Israeli border


e. In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon and defeated the P.L.O. and drove them out of Lebanon

f. Many countries, including the U. S. tried to intervene.

g. In October, 1983, a truck-bomb blew up outside a U. S. Marine barracks killing 241 Americans

h. The U. S. left and the country fell apart.i. Both sides agreed to stop fighting in the

1990’s…and so they did???


SYRIA

SYRIA: A Troubled Land1. Fertile farmlands, but outdated farming

methods2. Recently, the Syrian government began

building dams for irrigation and hydroelectricity

3. Unfortunately, Turkey (Syria's northern neighbor) has also built dams bringing less water to Syria

4. Syria’s ruler, General Assad allows little political or personal freedoms

5. His son took power in 2000, but there is little change

IRAQ

IRAQ: The Spoils of War1. Most of Iraq lies on a plain

between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

2. Iraq has large oil reserves

3. During the 1980s, Iraq went to war with Iran over a disputed border.

4. After thousands were killed, both sides gave up with no gain to either

5. The Persian Gulf War:a. In 1990, Iraq attacked its neighbor Kuwait

seeking to control world oil production

b. Within a year, the U. S. and other countries freed Kuwait

c. Iraq agreed to cease-fire, but soon refused to follow the terms of the agreement

d. The U. N. placed an embargo on Iraq Embargo: severe restrictions on trade

e. Iraqi people have suffered from these wars

IRAQ: The Spoils of War

IRAQ ATTACK II1. During the 1990’s Iraq refused abide with

the agreements that ended the 1st Gulf war.2. Presidents Clinton and Bush (W)

repeatedly warned Saddam Hussein 3. The world knew that Saddam had Weapons

of Mass Destruction…since he repeatedly used them over the years

4. The U. S. went with a collation force (many countries) and took Saddam out of power.

5. The Collation forces are helping to set up a democratic government in Iraq

ARABIAN PENINSULA

OIL CHANGES A REGION

1. On the western side of the region lies the Rub’ al-Khali (Empty Quarter)

a. Largest sand desert in the world

2. NO fresh water supply (lake or river)

3. Largest known oil reserve in the world

4. Modernization:a. Oil brought enormous wealth

b. Built hospitals, schools, airports & housing

c. To meet the need for more water, desalinization plants were built

d. Desalination: removal of salt from sea water

OIL CHANGES A REGION

OPEC1. Organization of Petroleum Exporting

Countries

2. Goals:a. Decrease the influence of Western oil-

companies on their countries

b. Set limits as to how much oil is pumped

c. In effect, control prices to maximize profit

3. As demand for oil has increased, so had OPEC’s power

SAUDI

ARABIA

SAUDI ARABIA1. Used oil money to build its

infrastructurea. Infrastructure: Roads, airports,

schools, hospitals & communication systems

2. Free university education in engineering, science, and medicine

3. Islam & Modernization:a. The Saudi government has been careful

not to let modernization upset Islamic traditions

b. Women are limited members of society in that they cannot associate outside their immediate family

4. Osama bin Laden (head of al-Qaida) is from Saudi Arabia

5. His reason for the 9/11 attacks was that too many infidels are on sacred Muslim lands

SAUDI ARABIA

6. Islam’s most sacred cities:a. Mecca: Birthplace of their

Prophet Mohammad

b. Medina: City where Mohammad went after fleeing from Mecca

7. Each year, 2 million Muslims go to Mecca for a Hajj

a. One of the requirements of Islam

SAUDI ARABIA

YEMEN & OMAN

YEMEN & OMAN1. Countries of very little change over

the past centuries

2. Though Yemen does have some oil deposits, it is the poorest country in the region

3. Most people live by farming/herding

4. Falaj System: System of above and below ground irrigation canals

TURKEY

TURKEY (NOT ARABS)

1. “Father of the Turks”:a. After WW-I, the victorious Allies

broke up the Ottoman Empire

b. What was left, became modern-day Turkey

c. In 1923, Mustafa Kemal took power, and declared Turkey a republic

d. Immediately, Kemal began changing Turkish society:

Removed Islamic, religious leaders from government

Replaced Islamic law with a European legal-system

e. Outlawed the fez (men’s hat) and ended Islam’s requirement for women to be second-class citizens

TURKEY

TURKEY2. Turkey Today:

a. During the 1960s and 1970s two groups fought for political control:

Islamic, religious groups Secular groups: People who believe

that the government should be run without religious influences

b. Turkey is the most industrialized

c. One of few democracies in the region

IRAN1. Though most Iranians are

Muslims, they are not Arabs

2. Iranians are Persians and speak Farsi (ancient Persian language)

3. During the 1920’s, The Shaw (ruler) came to power and began to change Iran

4. Changes came rapidly using profits from oil sales:

a. Gave women more rights Vote Hold jobs Wear modern clothes

b. Opened schools to everyonec. Built roads & railroads

IRAN

5. However, not everyone benefited from modernization

a. Many people lived in great poverty

b. Others, ayatollahs (religious-leaders who follow Islam) felt that Iran should be governed only by strict Islamic law

IRAN

1. In 1979, the ayatollahs revolted against the Shaw

2. The Ayatollah Khomeini set up an Islamic Republic

3. Women could not wear modern clothing

a. Nearby countries were encouraged by Iran to over-throw their governments and form Islamic republics.

ISLAMIC REVOLUTION

1. The Ayatollah Khomeini died in 19892. Since then, many of his strict Islamic

laws have been removed3. Iran is more concerned with exporting

more oil to gain more income4. Also, Iran is developing their industry5. Power struggle continues between the

Ayatollahs and the reformers6. Last election…the Ayatollahs declared

hundreds of the reform candidates to congress to be ineligible for office

IRAN TODAY

CYPRUS

CYPRUS1. Island in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea2. 4/5 of the island are of Greek ancestry

and Orthodox Christians3. 1/5 are of Turkish ancestry and follow

Islam4. In the 1970’s, the Greeks wanted to unite

with Greece5. Turkey sent troops to the northeast

corner (Turkish) and declared this region independent

6. This disagreement has yet to be settled

Reach For A Star ProductionReach For A Star ProductionJohn P. LukeJohn P. Lukewww.mrluke.netwww.mrluke.net

Documents

CHAPTER 23