Syria & Islam

Brief History

Syria

Multiple Choice

Where is Syria?

• Bermuda Triangle

• Middle East

• Central America

• Artic Circle

• Middle West

Where is Syria

Syria is located in the Middle East (also known
as South West Asia.)

This means it is at the meeting point of 3
continents: Europe, Asia, & Africa

As a result, for 1000s of years, many different
people have both travelled through and settled in
this region to benefit from trade that always occurs
in important geo-political locations.

The capital city of Syria, Damascus, is believed to be
the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.

Multiple Select

Syria is considered a meeting place between which 3 continents?

• Asia

• Europe

• Africa

• North America

• Australia

Despite the fact that the majority of Syrians are Sunni
Muslims, power in Syria has been held by the Alawite Shia
(Shi’ite) Muslims.

Who are
Syrians?

Multiple Choice

The capital of Syria is...

• Aleppo

• Damascus

• Beirut

• Jerusalem

• Amman

Until the 20th Century (1918), Syria did not exist. The land
that would become Syria was occupied by countless empires
including the Assyrians, Persians, and Romans

History

In 1918, during WWI, Arab nationalist
forces overthrew Ottoman rule with British &
French support. In 1920, breaking their
promise to support a free Syrian state,
French forces occupied Syria & established
it as a French mandate. The French
favored the minority Alawites (shi’ite
minority group) with government jobs &
education while limiting access to the rest.

Multiple Choice

The majority of Syrians are ________ Muslim.

• Shia (Shi'ite)

• Sunni

• Alawite

• Orthodox

In 1944, following WWII, Syria gained independence
from France. Since that time, Syria has been ruled
by a series of military leaders including Hafez

al-Assad, father of the current leader
Baashir al-Assad, who took over in a
military coup d’etat in 1970. Both
men represent the Arab Socialist
Baath Party.

The Assad family has ruled Syria, they are considered
a one-party totalitarian state. They have used limits
on freedom of speech & protest, secret police, torture
and even execution to enforce their secular control
over the country and have targeted religious groups
as their enemies. At the same time, these groups have
become the main opposition to the government.
However, they are not united.

The Regime

قﯾوﺳﺗ

Multiple Choice

The one party that is in power in Syria is the ....

• Baath Party

• Sunni Party

• Republican Party

• Totalitarian Party

In Charge

In 2000, Bashar al-Assad
succeeded his father as
leader of Syria. His take
over sparked hope of
political change for Syria
as he appeared to be
more open to change.

Since 2011, Government repression led the peaceful
protesters in Syria to form their own militias and 2 sides have
emerged in what is now clearly considered a civil war.
However, the rebels are made up of a couple of groups that
don’t necessarily have the same vision for Syria. The new
Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary
Forces is intended to bring together members of various
religious sects opposed to Assad and includes the Free Syrian
Army.

Civil War

قﯾوﺳﺗ

Since 2011, the US has called for Assad to step down and has
not allowed US companies to trade with Syria. President
Obama was reluctant to arm the rebels as long as there may
be Islamic extremists involved.
In June 2013, U.S. officials reported that Syria
had used sarin gas
Shortly after, Obama authorized sending weapons to the Syrian rebels

Civil War

قﯾوﺳﺗ

•
2014 US and five Arab countries launch air strikes against
Islamic State around Aleppo and Raqqa.

•
2015 September - Russia carries out its first air strikes in
Syria, saying they target the Islamic State group, but the
West and Syrian opposition say it overwhelmingly targets
anti-Assad rebels.

•
2016 December - Government troops, backed by Russian
air power and Iranian-sponsored militias, recapture
Aleppo, the country's largest city, depriving the rebels of
their last major urban stronghold.

War

قﯾوﺳﺗ

•
2017 - US President Donald Trump
orders a missile attack on an airbase
from which Syrian government
planes allegedly staged a chemical
weapons attack on the rebel-held
town of Khan Sheikhoun.

•
2020 - Turkey sends thousands of
troops across the border to stop a
Syrian offensive to retake Idlib, the
last province still in opposition
hands.

War

قﯾوﺳﺗ

• 100,000+ have been killed (UN estimate)

• 2 million have fled Syria (These who have

registered)

• 3/4 of refugees are women and children

Almost half of the refugees are girls and
women, while another quarter are boys
under 18.

• Another 5 million are displaced inside Syria

• Aid agencies continue to increase their

estimates of internally displaced people as
the fighting rages through the country.

Costs?

Match

Match the following

• Assad Side

• Rebel Side

• Turkey

• Kurds

Russia

America

Assad Side

Rebel Sid

• Russia

• America

• Assad Side

• Rebel Sid

Abrahamic Religions

Judaism, Christianity, & Islam

Brief History

� Judaism- The Hebrew leader Abraham founded

Judaism in Mesopotamia around 1300 B.C. Judaism is
the oldest of the monotheistic faiths (religions with
one God).

� Christianity - Founded by Jesus Christ, who was

crucified around A.C.E. 33 in Palestine in the city of
Jerusalem. It was after his death when his followers
came to believe in him as the Christ, the Messiah.

� Islam - Founded in Arabia by Muhammad in A.C.E

622.

Islam Briefly

☪ Islam is the second most popular religion in the world

with 1.3 billion followers. Islam began in Arabia and was
revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him). Those who follow Islam are called
Muslims. Muslims believe that there is only one God,
called Allah

Multiple Select

Which religion(s) is monotheistic (one god)?

• Islam

• Christianity

• Judaism

Islam Holy Book

☪ The Muslim scripture is the Holy Qur'an (Koran). It

is 'the word of God'. Muslim beliefs and practices
are rooted in the Qur'an.

☪ Muslims treat the Qur'an with great respect

because they believe that the Qur'an is from Allah
(God), and every word and every letter is sacred.

☪ Muslims regard the Qur'an as the unaltered word

of Allah.

Islam Place of Worship

☪ The Muslim building for

communal worship is called a
Mosque. The word comes from
the Arabic for "place of
prostration".

☪ Worshippers are called to prayer

5 times a day from minarets –
towers on the mosque corners.

☪ They contain only designs, no

people or animals or furniture.

☪ Normal day of worship is Friday.
☪ Religious leaders are called

imams.

Five Pillars Belief system/law code

� Shahadah: declaration of faith

"I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah; I bear witness that
Muhammad is the prophet of Allah." By reciting this, one enters
Islamic faith.

� Salah: Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca

Muslims are required to pray five times a day, washing themselves
before prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying.

� Zakat: Give a fixed proportion to charity

Muslims are required to give away a percentage of their earnings to
those less fortunate, regardless of their religion.

� Saum: Fast during the month of Ramadan

Muslims fast for one lunar month each year, a period called Ramadan.
During this time, Muslims reflect on their behavior and strive to purify
their thoughts.

� Hajj: Make a pilgrimage to Mecca

If it is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca
once in their lifetime.

Multiple Choice

Christians and Jews have the 10 Commandments for their rule set. Muslims have the ____ Pillars for their rules set.

• 5

• 10

• 8

• 20

• 55

The Hajj

☪ Hijja:

The month of
pilgrimage during
which all Muslims,
at least once in
their life, should
try to make the
pilgrimage to
Mecca and
worship at the
Kaaba

Muslim Sects

☪ Sunni-the majority – Shia (Shi’ite)-the minority
☪ The split rose from an early dispute over who should be the

leader of Islam after the death of Muhammad. The Sunnis
argued that the successor should be appointed by election
and consensus, as tradition dictated. (Sunni comes from
the Arabic word Sunna, meaning “tradition.”) The Shia
believed that Muhammad's successors should come from
his family, starting with Ali, his son-in-law. These, the
partisans of Ali, were named from the word Shia , meaning
“partisan” in Arabic.

☪ Sunni is all about the community and the group as a whole

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