Standard SS7G8 Presentation

Southwest Asia’s

© Brain Wrinkles

Arabs, Persians, & Kurds

•

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

•

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

•

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

•

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

• The majority of people in the Middle East

are Arabs.

• Arabs also live in the United States,

Canada, parts of northern Africa, and
Europe.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

• 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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

•

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

• 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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

The Kaaba, located in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia

is the center of

Islam.

• Most Arabs, whether they are

Muslim or Christian, speak Arabic.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

• 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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

• Persians speak a language called Farsi (or

Persian).

• It is one of the oldest languages that is

still spoken today!

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

Farsi

Translations

© Brain Wrinkles

•

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).

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

•

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

• 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.

© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

• 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.

© Brain Wrinkles

Multiple Choice

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

• True

• False

Fill in the Blank

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

Fill in the Blank

Who make up the majority of the people living in the Middle East?

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

Fill in the Blank

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

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