Ethnic & Religious Groups of the Middle East

What are the differences between ethnic groups and religious groups?

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Ethnic groups share –

language physical features customs traditions

Religious groups share common

belief systemsBUT

are not necessarily a single

ethnic group.

For example:

Arabs may be Muslims or Christians.

Which concept relates to religion rather than ethnicity?

A. Kimba is Arab.B. Mustafa follows the Quran.C. Kemal is a nomadic herder.

D.Jambo speaks Kurdish.

Shara is Arab. Why can’t it be assumed that Shara is Muslim?

A. All Arabs are not Muslim B. All Arabs are Christian C. Muslims are not Arab D. Christians are not Arab

The main ethnic groups found in the Middle East

are:

Arabs Persians Kurds

Arabs

• The Arabs of Southwest Asia (Middle East) believe themselves to be descendants of Abraham in the Bible through his son Ishmael.

• Arabs speak the Arabic language

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Arabs

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•Some Arabs are Sunni Muslims while other are Shia Muslims

•Many Arabs are Christians

Persians

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• Persians live in Iran. • They are

descendants of Indo-Europeans from Central Europe and Southern Russia

• Persians speak Farsi• Persians practice

Islam & most belong to the Shia group of Muslims

Kurds

• The Kurds live in several different countries in the Middle East.

• Most Kurds are found in the mountainous areas where Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq come together.

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Kurds

• Kurds see themselves as a distinct ethnic group from others

• They speak their own language, Kurdish

• They have a separate history, literature, music, and set of traditions

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Kurds• Kurds hope to have a

nation of their own some day, a hope which causes conflict with the countries where the Kurds live.

• Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims, though a small minority are Shia Muslims.

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