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MIDDLE EAST POLITICAL MOVEMENTS. 1920s. ARAB WORLD IS UNDER CONTROL OF EUROPEAN POWERS REGARDED AS BETRAYAL OF PROMISES WESTERN CULTURAL INFLUENCES: SOME ARABS ADOPT THEM, OTHERS ARE REPELLED. BA’ATH MOVEMENT. Started by three Syrian intellectuals in early 1940s
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1920s • ARAB WORLD IS UNDER CONTROL OF EUROPEAN POWERS • REGARDED AS BETRAYAL OF PROMISES • WESTERN CULTURAL INFLUENCES: SOME ARABS ADOPT THEM, OTHERS ARE REPELLED
BA’ATH MOVEMENT • Started by three Syrian intellectuals in early 1940s • Michel Aflaq, right, an Orthodox Christian • Believe in nonviolently opposing both colonialists and native aristocrats • Advocates pan-Arab nationalism, socialism, is strictly secular
BA’ATH continued • Name means “Arab Renaissance” or “Rebirth” • Hope is to unite all Arab states as one Arab nation.
ATTEMPTS AT UNITY • Ba’athists support union of Syria and Egypt in 1958
1963 BA’ATHISTS TAKE OVERIN SYRIA AND IRAQ • Iraqi President Kassem assasinated • Military coup in Syria
ASSAD • Hafez Assad, a military officer, eventually comes to power in Syria. • Today, his son Bashar is President. • Ruthlessly destroys any attempt at rebellion – Hama, 1982 – 10-20,000 fundamentalists and civilians killed • Is an Alawite Shi’ite in a Sunni country • State-sponsored terrorism
SADDAM HUSSEIN Member of Iraq’s ruling council from 1968 on. • Comes to full power in 1978. • Ruthlessly suppresses any signs of rebellion, esp. Kurds and Shi’ites • Is a Sunni Muslim in a Shi’ite majority country
WHAT HAPPENED TO BA’ATH MOVEMENT’S PROMISE? • IT PRODUCED DICTATORS • BA’ATH PARTIES IN IRAQ AND SYRIA SPLIT
ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM • ISLAM IS A POLITICAL RELIGION • ISLAM SHOULD BE GUIDE OF STATE • SHARIA or ISLAMIC LAW SHOULD BE THE SOURCE OF LAWS
MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD • Founded in Egypt in 1928. • Opposed to Western influences • Stress brotherhood of Muslims • Has spawned most Islamic terrorist organizations. • Today, is a political party in Egypt.
SAYYID QUTB • Leading theorist of Islamic fundamentalism • Born in Egypt • Member of Muslim Brotherhood • Earned doctorate in US • Totally repulsed by American lifestyles • Arrested by Egyptian authorities • His published works are still popular
ASSASSINATION OF SADAT • 1982 • Muslim Brotherhood gunmen kill President Sadat of Egypt – Why?
AMONG THOSE ARRESTED: • Ayman al-Zawahiri, Egyptian doctor, student of Qutb, member of Islamic Jihad offshoot of Muslim Brothers • Now second-in-command of al-Qaeda
AL QAEDA – “THE NETWORK” • LOOSELY KNIT GROUP FUNDED BY BIN LADEN AND ZAWAHIRI • WANTS TO RESTORE CALIPHATE • UNITE ALL MUSLIMS – PAN-ISLAMIC • MAIN GOAL IS TO OVERTHROW ARAB GOVTS IT REGARDS AS CORRUPT AND AS SPONSORS OF WESTERNIZATION • USE OF TERROR – AMERICAN TROOP PRESENCE IN SAUDI ARABIA DEFILES HOLY GROUND • USE WESTERN WEAPONS AGAINST WEST • EXPLOIT VULNERABILITIES OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES
HAMAS • Palestinian group – doesn’t believe Israel has a right to exist • Main group carrying out suicide bombings • Won elections last year to take over Palestinian Authority • Presently in conflict with PLO
WOULD BA’ATHISTS AND FUNDAMENTALISTS BE LIKELY TO GET ALONG?