“Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday appointed Dennis Ross a seasoned Middle East negotiator under Republican and Democratic presidents, as her special adviser for the gulf and Southwest Asia, a portfolio that will include Iran.”http://www2.onu.edu/~dsmith3/westasia.pdf

Conflicts1. Arab-Israeli conflict2. 1948 Arab-Israeli War3. 1956 Suez War4. 1967 Six Day War5. 1970 War of Attrition6. 1973 Yom Kippur War 7. 1982 Lebanon War8. 1987-1993 First Intifada9. 1982-2000 South Lebanon

conflict10. 2000-2007 al-Aqsa Intifada11. 2006 Lebanon War12. 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict

Contemporary SW Asia/N Africa1. The Middle East is a region that spans southwestern

Asia and northeastern Africa. • It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near

East, in opposition to Far East. The term "Middle East" was popularized around 1900 in the United Kingdom.

2. The Middle East is also the historical origin of three of the world’s major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

3. The Middle East generally has an arid and hot climate, with several major rivers providing for irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas.

4. Many countries located around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil.

5. In modern times the Middle East remains a strategically, economically, politically, culturally and religiously sensitive region.

Unifying Factors1. GEOGRAPHY

Oasis-village type of organizationBeyond the oases – NomadismPlateau & mountain regions (Egypt & Tigris/Euphrates region: Villages – dependable water supply for irrigation

2. CULTUREIslam – official religion or leading religion of all but IsraelArabic language a bond despite their linguistic differencesSocial order of IslamRegion central to other monotheistic in faiths

Unifying Factors3. COMMON HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE

Product of 20th century conflicts/interests of outside powers

Boundaries of Ottoman Empire

Islam

• Other “indigenous” religious traditions:

· Zoroastriansim (confined to Persia)· Judaism (Babylonians Romans)· Christianity (shifted to Rome)

• Muhammad the Prophet (AD 571-632)

· Mecca: 45 mi. from Red Sea· receive revelations from Allah (God) AD

613· “recitation” = Qur’an (Koran)· Muhammad Arab society gained

enemies· fled Mecca Medina (Hejira: AD 623)

Islamic precepts

• New faith and new set of values Arabs

· Five Pillars of Islam: repeat basic creed daily prayer fasting observe month of Ramadan giving alms to the poor pilgrimage to Mecca

The Spread of Islam

• By AD 1000: large empire· spread by Arab armies· Islam not an “Arab” religion· Arab capitals: Medina, Damascus,

Baghdad

• Spatial Diffusion process: expansion diffusion relocation diffusion

Islam: leadership crisis

• Muhammad dies AD 632· blood relative? (Arab culture)· any devout Muslim?• Muhammad’s successor (Caliph)· Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s wife’s father)

d.634· Umar (d.644), Uthman (d.656)· Ali, a cousin of Muhammad (d.661)· Husayn ibn Ali & Karbala (AD 680) Sunni & Shiites (Shia: “follower”)

Islam

• Secularism vs. fundamentalism?· Ayatollah (leader under Allah) vs. Shah

(King)· Islamic Republics & Sharia criminal code

• Ottoman Empire -- 1453-1918· Ottoman provinces colonies:

boundaries?· Fragmented pop. borders drawn before

oil

Gross National Product per capita