Standard SS7G8 Presentation

Southwest Asia’s

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Arabs, Persians, & Kurds

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This is a group of people who share a
common culture.

•

They are identified on the basis of
religion, race, or national origin.

•

Ethnic groups can have many things in
common:
•

Shared history, common ancestry,
language, religion, traditions, beliefs,
holidays, food, etc.

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These characteristics have been part of
their community for generations.

•

All of these things make up a common
culture that is shared by the members
of the ethnic group.

•

Three major ethnic groups in the Middle
East are the Arabs, Persians, and Kurds.

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•

This is a group of people who share a
belief system.

•

A religious group is identified based on
common religious beliefs and practices.

•

They believe in the same god (or gods) and
have a common sacred text with a
specific set of rules about how to live.

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Religious groups have many things in common:
•

God(s), prophets, prayers, history, sacred
text, religious laws, holy days, etc.

•

People from different ethnic groups may
share the same religion; however, they may
be from different cultures.

•

Three major religious groups in the Middle
East are Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

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• The majority of people in the Middle East

are Arabs.

• Arabs also live in the United States,

Canada, parts of northern Africa, and
Europe.

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• Arabs of Southwest Asia believe

themselves to be descendants of
Abraham through his son Ishmael.

• Arabs make up the majority of the

people who live throughout the Middle
East.

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•

Most Arabs practice Islam, while small
numbers of Arabs practice other religions.
•

Not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all
Muslims are Arabs.

•

Islam consists mostly of two different
groups.

•

The majority of Muslims practice Sunni Islam,
and most others practice Shi’a Islam.
•

Sunnis and Shi’a disagree about who is in
charge of the Muslim world.

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• Sunni Islam dominates in most Arab

areas, especially in North Africa.

• Shi’a Islam is dominant among the Arab

population in southern Iraq, Lebanon,
Kuwait, Bahrain, northern Syria, &
northern Yemen.

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The Kaaba, located in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia

is the center of

Islam.

• Most Arabs, whether they are

Muslim or Christian, speak Arabic.

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• Most Persians live in Iran and make up

about half of Iran’s current population.
• The country of Persia became known

as Iran in 1935.

• Some Persians can also be found living in

Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of
China.

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Iran’s

Demographics

• The Persians lived in Iran before the

arrival of Islam in the 7thcentury.

• The Persians’ ancestors were Indo-

Europeans who migrated from central
Europe and Southern Russia and formed
a great empire.

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Persian Empire

• Most Persians in Iran practice Shi’a

Islam, but some are Sunni and other
religions.

• Persian women have faced many

challenges as a result of strict cultural
and religious practices.

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• Persians speak a language called Farsi (or

Persian).

• It is one of the oldest languages that is

still spoken today!

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Farsi

Translations

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The Kurds are an ethnic group that
originated as a semi-nomadic, tribal people.

•

Kurds now live in the mountains of Turkey,
Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
•

Kurds form almost 20% of the
population of Turkey and Iraq.

•

Many Kurds live in an area of northern Iraq
called Kurdistan (not a separate country).

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The Kurds are the largest ethnic group in
the world without a country of their own.

•

There is a strong nationalist movement
among the Kurds for their own nation.

•

This has caused conflict with the countries
in which Kurdish people live, and Iraq and
Turkey have both suppressed the Kurds
and their traditions.

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The Kurds have been an important force behind the fight

against the ISIS terrorist group. They have been

relentlessly fighting ISIS in hopes of securing land to call

home (Kurdistan).

• Kurds of Southwest Asia believe

themselves to be descendants of the
Medes, an ancient Iranian people.

• In fact, Kurds share many aspects of

their culture with Iranians.

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• Like the Arabs, the Kurds are

overwhelmingly Muslim, and the great
majority are Sunni; only 5% are Shi’a.

• Kurdish Muslims tend to be less strict

about certain Islamic practices.

• For example, there are fewer laws for

how Kurdish women should dress than
there are for Iranian and Arab women.

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• Kurdish is an Indo-European language

related to Farsi (Persian) and other
Iranian languages.

• There are many different dialects of

Kurdish spoken throughout Southwest
Asia.

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Multiple Choice

True or False: An ethnic group is identified based on
common religious beliefs and practices.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

How do Arabs believe they are the decedents of Abram?

• through his son Isaac

• through his son Ishmael

• through his wife Sarah

• through Muhammad

Multiple Choice

Where do most of the world's Persians live?

• Iraq

• Tajikistan

• China

• Iran

Multiple Choice

Kurds form almost 20% of the
population of which two countries?

• Iraq and Iran

• Iraq and Turkey

• Afghanistan and Turkey

• Iraq and Kuwait

Multiple Choice

Why is there is a strong nationalist movement
among the Kurds for their own nation?

• they lost their land after WWI

• They are the largest religious group without their own country

• They are the largest ethnic group without their own country