Ethnic Groups of Southwest Asia

1. Ethnic Groups of Southwest Asia

2. Religious Group Ethnic Group **Both ethnic groups AND religious groups are not defined by political borders • Share common characteristics: • Language • Physical appearance • Customs • Traditions Share common belief system, but not necessarily composed of a single ethnic group

3. Kurds • Example of an ethnic group • Live in a mountain region that spans Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. • Do not have their own homeland or government – but want their own country one day • Minority group ruled by government of country in which they live • They speak Kurdish and most are Sunni Muslim

4. KURDS: Southwest Asia is also home to the Kurdish people. The Kurds live in several countries throughout the region. These include the mountainous regions of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Almost 1/5 of the population of Turkey is Kurdish. The Kurds see themselves as a distinct ethnic group from others in the area. They speak their own language, Kurdish, and have a separate history, literature, music, and set of traditions. Many Kurds hope to have a nation of their own one day, a hope that has caused them to come into conflict with countries in which Kurdish people live. The Kurdish religion used to be made up of a mixture of several different religions. Most Kurds today are Sunni Muslim, though a small minority are Shia Muslims. Kurdish Muslims are usually 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. Kurds share many aspects of their culture with Iranians.

7. Explain the differences between an ethnic group and a religious group. • Which do Kurds share as a part of their ethnic group? • The Kurdish language • They live in the same country. • Self-rule in the land of Kurdistan • The ability to move freely to other countries

8. Arabs • Believe themselves to be descendants of Abraham in the Bible • Make up a majority of those who live in SWA • Most Arabs practice Islam and call themselves Muslims • Some Arabs are also Christians • They all speak Arabic

9. ARABS: (AIR-ubs) Arabs comprise most of the population of SWA. However, many Arabs also live in North Africa, Canada, Europe, and the United States. Most Arabs practice Islam and speak Arabic. Small numbers of Arabs practice other religions. Islam consists mostly of two different groups. The majority of Muslims practice Sunni Islam. Other practice Shia Islam. Sunnis and Shi’as disagree about who is in charge of the Muslim world. Sunnis believe that new leaders should be chosen but not have to come from Muhammad’s family. The Shi’s believe that new leaders need to be descendants of Muhammad.

12. Persians • They live in the modern country in Iran • Ancestors are Indo-European from central Europe and Southern Russia. • The speak Farsi – similar to Arabic • Practice Islam, most belong to the Shia group of Muslims

13. PERSIANS: The Persians are an ethnic group that lived in Iran before the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. Persians make up about half of Iran’s current population. They have their own language called Persian, or Farsi. Most Persians in Iran today practice Shi’a Islam, but some are Sunni or other religions. Persian women have faced many challenges as a result of strict cultural and religious practices. Through struggle, Persian women have increased their personal freedoms over the past 40 years. Persian art and architecture is also well known. Many people consider Persian rugs to be the finest in the world.