B+-+The+Modern+Middle+East+-+Oil,+Religion,+Threats+to+Stability

__**The Modern Middle East**__

The middle east is the region from Egypt in the west toIran in the east and from Turkey in the North to the Arabian Peninsuala in the south. Most of the people that inhabit this region are Muslims. There are also some Christians. The state of Israel is predominately Jewish however.
 * Diversity Brings Challenges**

The kurds (a group that lives in the northern middle east) have faced discrimination in Iraq and Turkey. After World War II it became illegal for kurds to speak their language in public. The Kurdish rebels in 1970 began to fight back. The legalization of the Kurdish language in public happened in the 1990's.
 * Kurds Seek Freedom**

After World War II the Jew's sought refuge in Israel and desired a homeland. Because of the tribulations that the Jew's endured in World War II Israel was founded and made a Arab and Jewish state. The Palestinians however did not like the __idea__ and wanted all of Israel to belong to them. There were wars over the Jew's control of Isreal but the Palestinians were defeated.
 * Israel is Founded**

//**__Conflicts Over Resources and Religion__**//

//The Middle East is a very large oil exporting region, with many countries with very large oil reserves a majority of the middle east is in O.P.E.C**.**// //**O.P.E.C:** Organization of the Petroleum Exporting//
 * Supplying the World With Oil**



__Building Nations in the Middle East (pg.674-675)__ //since WWII, Nations in the middle east stived to build strong and succesful nations//.

__Egypt a leader in the arab world__

Egypt has the largest population of all the arab nations and while the majority is desert, most of the population is located in the Nile river Valley. In 1952, Gamal Abdel Nasser took power in Egypt. He was determined to modernize Egypt and stop western domination. He started by nationalizing the suez cannel. He then later led two unsuccessful wars against Isreal. And in 1981 Muslim fundamentalists assassinated Sadat. Now under Sadats appointed successor, Hosni Mubarak extremists turned to terrtorist attacks.

__Iran's Islamic Revolution__

When Mossadeq was elected prime minister, he nationalized the western oil industry in 1951. For the next 25 years the U.S. helped Mossadeq which outraged many Iranians. His foe Rubullah Khomeini accused Mossadeq for violating Islamic law. Massive protests drove Mossadeq into exhile. The new government is now a //theocracy which is a government ruled by a religious leade//r.

__Oil, Religion, and Threats to Stability__

The largest oil reserves are located in Saudi Arabia, a vast desert land. This land is controlled by kings from the Sa'ud family. Saudi Arabia's economic development relies on massive oil exports with the west. To build support within the country, the royal family backed fundamentalists religious leaders. However some leaders and their followers criticized the kingdoms close ties, this led to violent terrorist attacks. Other oil rich monarchies along the Persian gulf face similar threats. since then there has been growing opposition among the majority of the people, who follow Islam.



//Conflicts in the middle east (692-697//

//Arab and Israeli Fighting//

//Modern Israel was established in 1948 with the United Nation////s Partition Plan,// //Arabs didnt see it as a fair treatment and totally rejected that Israel was founded//