Cultural Characteristics of the Middle East

1
Cultural Characteristics of the Middle East
2
Background

• Arab peoples make up almost the entire
  populations of Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and
  other states of Southwest Asia.
• Arab culture has a long history and rich
  traditions.
• Many other cultures also live in the region.

3
Background

• Christianity and Judaism are major religions
  practiced in Southwest Asia.
• Most people there are Muslims.
• This means that they practice the religion of
  Islam.
• Ninety percent of people in the region are
  Muslims.

4
Arab

• Arabs comprise most of the population of
  Southwest Asia.
• However, many Arabs also live in Northern Africa,
  Canada, Europe, and the United States.
• Most Arabs practice Islam and speak Arabic.
• Small numbers of Arabs practice other religions.

5
Arab

• Islam consists mostly of two 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.

6
Jewish

• Israel is home for much of the Jewish population
  in the Southwest Asia.
• Many of the people who live in Israel today were
  born there.
• However, the ancestors of these people moved to
  Israel from many other countries, often from
  other Southwest Asian countries.
• Much of this migration happened during the 20th
  century, after the formation of Israel in the
  late 1940s.

7
Jewish

• Jewish people differ in their religious beliefs,
  though most practice some form of Judaism.
• For example, some Jews believe that Jewish people
  who convert to another religion should not be
  considered Jewish any more.
• The Law of Return in Israel says that a Jew from
  any other country can automatically have
  citizenship in Israel.
• Sometimes Jews who no longer practice Judaism
  have been denied the Law of Return.

8
Berber

• Another minority group in the region are the
  Berbers.
• Most Berbers live in North Africa and were the
  first group to settle that region.
• They still live a traditional way of life today.
• Berbers have their own languages.

9
Berber

• Many Berber tribes live in the mountains and
  deserts.
• Most Berbers living in mountainous areas are
  farmers.
• Berbers who live in the desert tend to live near
  an oasis.
• Berbers that do not farm are nomadic.

10
Berber

• The majority of Berber tribes are Muslim.
• Some Berbers practice other religions, too.
• Traditional Berber cuisine has stayed the same
  for hundreds of years.

11
Bedouin

• The Bedouin are another ethnic group.
• They speak Arabic.
• Many Bedouin used to be nomadic.
• Their most important animal is the camel.
• Now, the Bedouin live mostly in Saudi Arabia,
  Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.

12
Bedouin

• Most Bedouin now live in cities and are not
  nomadic.
• Bedouin tribes are ruled by tribal leaders called
  sheikhs. Most Bedouins practice Islam.
• The Bedouin are well known for their dress and
  music, which is mostly sung.
• Music is used to perform traditional Bedouin
  ceremonies.

13
Kurdish

• Southwest Asia is also home to the Kurdish
  people.
• The Kurds live in several countries throughout
  the region.
• These include Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
  Almost one-fifth of the population of Turkey is
  Kurdish.
• Kurdish religion used to be made up of a mixture
  of several different religions.

14
Kurdish

• Most Kurds today are Muslims.
• Kurdish Muslims are usually less strict about
  certain Islamic practices.
• There are fewer laws for how Kurdish women should
  dress than there are for Iranian and Arab women.
• Kurds share many aspects of their culture with
  Iranians.

15
Turkish

• The Turks are an ethnic group based on
  languageTurkish.
• They live mostly in Turkey and Iran.
• Most of the people who live in Turkey are of
  Turkish descent.
• Most Turks practice some form of Islam.
• Like Kurds, Turkish people are rarely strict
  about some Islamic practices.

16
Turkish

• However, Kurds and Turks in Turkey often fight
  over issues not related to religion.
• For example, education is a controversial issue
  between these two groups.
• The Turkish people are well known for their
  architecture.
• Mosques in Turkey are a good example of Turkish
  architecture.

17
Persian

• The Persians are an ethnic group that lived in
  Iran before the arrival of Islam in the 7th
  century.
• Persians make up about half of Irans current
  population.
• They have their own language called Persian or
  Farsi.
• Most Persians in Iran today practice Shia Islam,
  but some are Sunni and other religions.

18
Persian

• Persian women have faced many challenges as a
  result of strict cultural and religious
  practices.
• Through struggle, Persian women have increased
  their personal freedoms over the past forty
  years.
• Persian art and architecture is also well known.
• Many people consider Persian rugs to be among the
  finest in the world.

19
Literacy and Development

• Education is free in many countries in the
  Southwest Asia.
• Many students are required to attend school
  through high school.
• Fighting often keeps students from showing up at
  school.
• Many students also live so far from the schools
  that getting to school is difficult.
• The literacy rates for people over fifteen years
  of age are 77 in Syria 79 in Iran 95 in
  Israel and 79 in Saudi Arabia.

20
Literacy and Development

• The literacy rates in Israel are higher than in
  other Southwest Asian countries.
• In all of these countries, more men tend to be
  able to read and write than women.
• This is especially true in Syria, Iran, and Saudi
  Arabia.
• Overall in some countries womens education is
  not valued as much as mens education.

21
Literacy and Development

• Women receive a different education than men in
  some areas.
• Literacy has a large impact on a countrys
  development.
• For example, an increase in the literacy rate
  often leads to an increase in individual rights.
• Literacy rates also have an impact on a countrys
  economy.

22
Summary

• Describe the different ethnic groups that make up
  the Middle East.
• How does literacy and education affect the Middle
  East?