The Middle East

What is the Middle East?• The Middle East is actually South West

Asia and parts of North West Africa • The term “Middle East” is a sign of

Western bias ( it is east of Western Europe & North America)

• Historically its oil & central location near trade routes (Euro, Asia, & Africa) made it a source of power

ArabiaWhat who are Arabs?-live in Arabia-speak Arabic

Ethnicity V. Religion

-mostly all Arabs are Muslim but… Not all Muslims are Arab

Arabia Economics • Oil discovered in Persia (Iran) in 1908.• More oil discovered on the Arabian

Peninsula in 1932.• About 64% of world’s known oil reserves

are in this region• Oil makes up 25-50% of revenue in all Arabian countries (over 50% of Kuwait’s revenue)

• Oil has urbanized the region.• Foreign companies (Brit. & US) originally

developed the oil industry here • 25% urbanized in 1960... 60% urbanized today• Jobs changed –shifted to workers who could

read, write, and had technical skills• Foreign workers were brought in to fill jobs

natives could not (Qatar – only 1/5 workers are natives)

Saudi Arabia • People- Arabian riches stereotype, most of

the people in Saudi Arabia are not wealthy • Have a lot of resentment towards their own

government and the U.S. • (15 of 19 Sept. 11 hijackers from Saudi Arabia)

• Government- Al Saud dynasty createdSaudi Arabia in 1928• Osama Bin Laden and others have

accused the monarchy of betraying Islam and serving as an agent of American imperialism in the Middle East

Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia

• Saudization: laws passed to give jobs to Saudi people that were previously held by foreign workers

• Population growth and depleting oil reserves could bring problems to the area

• segregation of women• Attacks from Al-Qa’ida for rid the area of its

secular and ‘imperialist’ influences and replace monarchy with Islamic government – Allowing tourists and encouraging foreign

investment

Why is the U.S. involved again?

• 1990 Iraq forces invaded Kuwait claiming it was theirs *Gulf War

• Kuwait is a tiny country with with the worlds 4th largest reserve of oil – Also a great dependency on foreign workers and

risk of depletion of oil reserves

• The U.S. was part of the world wide opposition to the Iraqi aggression and placed armed forces in the region

• Saudi monarchy is wary of internal and external threats

In your notes…

• Explain the relationship between the Saudi Arabian people, their government, and the United States

• Name at least 2 factors that have

put a strain on these relationships

Iran

Iran• First middle eastern country to produce large

quantities of oil• Arid desert, rugged mountains, and very little

rainfall makes it difficult the cultivate the land and make a living

• Influenced by modernizing efforts in Turkey,the new king (or Shah) set to modernize and westernize Iran during the 1940’s-70’s

• Agricultural reforms generally failed and poor people from the countryside came to the cities

So what’s the problem?

• Oil money funneled for development was mostly spent on military and arms (yes, from the United States)

• 1978-79 revolution overthrew the shah, mainly sparked Iran’s Shi’itte population– Religious sentiments, resentment of modernization, western

imperialism, and exploitation of the underprivileged

• Authority is based on Shi’ite interpretation of Islamic Law

• Present day tug of war between moderate and extreme religious leadership who control the military and judicial branch of government

So why Iran considered so ‘evil’…?

• The young population of Iran is increasingly accepting of western culture and entertainment

• Iranian leaders have been accused of spreading extremist revolutionary Islam ideas and weapons across the Middle East(State-sponsored terrorism)

- Hezbollah (Lebanon)-Hamas (Palestine)

In your notes…

•Explain the relationship between the Iranian people, their government, And other countries around the world •Name at least 2 factors that have put a strain on these relationships