Middle East Notes Standard 7-6.3

1. The Middle East The roots of conflict in the Middle East run deep. Middle East were colonies from European nations for many years. People in the Middle East wanted to remove foreign rule. The Suez canal and oil in the Persian Gulf have always made this area powerful.

There is something artificial about a map of a region that was inhabited for centuries by nomads who had no concept of private property or national boundaries. Likewise, the map makers had no concept of racial, ethnic, religious or cultural differences. It was a recipe for disaster.

More things unite the three religions than divide them… All three practice ethical monotheism All three claim the same supreme being God/Yahweh/Allah All three claim Abraham as the founder and also some of the same prophets Jerusalem is sacred to all three All three have common beliefs and customs

2. Creation of Israel In 1948 Israel was created as a Jewish state by the Balfour Declaration. This announcement created conflicts that still remains today. Palestinian’s (Arabs), Jews and Christians all consider this area their homeland. Jerusalem is now in Israel which is a Holy Land for all three religions.

The Dome of the Rock is sacred to all three religions because it houses the rock on which Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac. It is from that rock that Muhammad ascended into heaven for a time before returning to develop the Islamic religion. The building adjoins the Wailing Wall, the last remnant of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.

Faithful Jews pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem in the shadows of the Dome of the Rock. Located on the West Bank, this beautiful building is one of the most hotly disputed religious places in all the world. All three religions claim it and have fought over it through the centuries.

3. Many conflicts Six Day War – 1967, Israel bombed Egypt and took out their air force and captured Palestine land tripling Israel’s land. Yom Kippur War – 1973, Egypt and Syria launched air strikes against Israel on the major Jewish holiday. PLO – 1987, led an intifada, uprising against Israel.

4. Iran In 1979 Ayatollah’s, Muslim clergy, took control of Iran. These leaders upheld laws of the Quran and did not like Western interventions. An angry mob took 52 Americans hostage for almost a year. Today the situation is still tense between the U.S. and Iran.

5. Persian Gulf War In 1990 Saddam Hussein invaded an oil rich country, Kuwait. The U.S. formed a United Nations coalition to help Kuwait and forced Iraq out of Kuwait- Operation Desert Storm. The United States and the U.N. won the war, but President George H. W. Bush allowed Hussein to stay in power. Duh.duh.duuuuuh. 11

6. War on Terror Terrorists have repeatedly tried to upset the peace process in the Middle East. On September 11, 2001, members of al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization led by Osama bin Laden, attacked multiple targets in the United States. 12

7. September 11 2 Planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City 1 Plane hit the Pentagon 1 Plane crash-landed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to take back the plane from the hijackers. All hijackers and passengers aboard the planes were killed.

7. September 11th cont. President George W. Bush declared the area around the Trade Center as “Ground Zero.” President Bush also declared a “War on Terror.” As a result, the United States went to war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, where bin Laden was believed to be hiding.

8. The War in Iraq In 2003 the U.S. formed another coalition to invade Iraq in search of suspected Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs.) Hussein used WMDs against his people in the past. Hussein was captured and executed by the Iraqis. In 2005 Iraqi voters approved a constitution and began re-building their government.