Geog. 120 Notes 3 - • Semites and Berbers • Arabic and...

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Iran is an Islamic Theocracy
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Theocratic state – state where religious leaders (ayatollahs) guide policy
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The Emergence of Islam
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Five pillars
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Repeat the basic creed to accept Islam (“There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his
prophet”)
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Pray five times daily facing Makkah (Mecca)
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Give charitable contributions
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Fast during month of Ramadan
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Make religious pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah (see image)
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Modern Religious Diversity
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Muslims majority in region, except for in Israel and Cyprus
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Sunni (73%); Shiites (23%) dominant in Iran, southern Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, and
Bahrain
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Sufism (mystic form of Islam) in region’s margins, and Druze (spin-off of Shi’a
Islam) of Lebanon and Syria
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The expansion of the Ottoman Empire helped to spread Islam
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Ottoman Empire – vast empire of Turks; it included most of Southwest Asia and North
Africa, as well as Southeastern Europe (circa 1453)
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Jerusalem’s “Old City” includes sacred sites for Jews, Christians, and Muslims