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Who: Prophet of Islam
Significance: Responsible for converting most of the Arabian peninsula to Islam. While praying on Mount Hira the angel Gabriel appeared to him telling him to recite versus that would eventually be written in the Quran. |
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What: Holy City of Islam
Significance: The prophet Mohammad designated Mecca as the holy city and the direction in which all Muslims should offer their prayers. Muslims pray in the direction of Mecca 5x a day |
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What: “Sacred House” cuboid building in the center of Mecca’s most sacred Mosque making it the most sacred location in Islam
Significance: It is the focal point for Muslims and Jews to pray and pay pilgrimage. Stated in the Quran it was the first house built to worship Allah. |
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What: Five basic acts in Islam considered mandatory by Muslims. Faith, prayer, give to the needy, fasting, and pilgrimage.
Significance: They are the backbone of Islamic religion |
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What: Islamic term meaning religious duty of Muslims.
Significance: Muslims translate it to mean duty to God and many even define it as “sacrificing one’s life for the sake of Islam” |
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What: Islamic law, detailed system of religious law
Significance: All aspects of Muslim life are governed by the law. Some people view the law as archaic and unfair, Muslims view it as something that nurtures humanity |
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What: A branch of Islam defined as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam or an eternal philosophy of existence that pre-dates religion “Divine Law”
Significance: Muslims view Sufism as a way to purify the lower self (ego) of sin by devoting your body 100% to God. |
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Who: An Islamic philosopher
Significance: argues there are two forms of truth, religious and philosophical. Most famous for his commentaries on Aristotle’s works |
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What: military campaigns from the Roman Catholic Church with the goal of restoring Christian access to holy places in Jerusalem
Significance: the crusades could be viewed as only a defensive war against Islamic expansion. The crusades are the marker to the beginning of conflict in the Middle East |
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Who: medieval Muslim author, poet, knight and diplomat
Significance: he is most well-known for his descriptions of life in Syria during the early crusades. Sometimes his anecdotes were obviously exaggerated which leads historians to believe his stories are untrustworthy |
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Who: professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia university
Significance: considered and “intellectual superstar” describes orientalism |
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| Significance: it’s a general patronizing western attitude towards the Middle East, westerners view these societies as underdeveloped and stagnant and themselves as rational and superior |
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What: French campaign in Egypt and Syria that captured Malta after a series of naval engagements
Significance: the French wanted to protect their trade interests, undermine Britain’s access to India and to establish scientific stake in the region. Despite many victories, Napoleon’s armies were forced to withdraw after defeat at the Battle of the Nile and political discourse in France and Europe |
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What: an empire that was once one of the most powerful states in the world, multinational, multilingual
Significance: they controlled most of southeast Europe, western asia, the Caucasus, north Africa and the horn of Africa. Was the center of eastern and western interactions for over six centuries. It collapsed in the aftermath of WWI and the new state of turkey emerged |
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What: “the full comprehension of a situation” a religious term in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and rarely but sometimes Christianity
Significance: Buddhahood is the attainment of full awakening and becoming a Buddha. Enlightenment is the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice, it is achieved only when all limitations have been removed from your mind and your positive potential has been perfectly realized. A state characterized by infinite wisdom, compassion, and skill |
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What: The renaissance, the reformation, enlightenment, the industrial revolution and the development of liberal democracy
Significance: It’s everything that makes what western civilization today what it is. Feudalism developed as the system of government and society emerged. Art and learning blossomed along with cathedrals and universities. The industrial revolution began in Europe than a second wave hit the U.S. Absolute monarchy disappeared from Europe besides episodes of fascism and communism. Along with many other technological, religious, scientific, artistic and political advances |
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What: a key concept in continental philosophy, it can best be described as referring to something other than the initial concept being considered
Significance: it has been used in social science to understand why people exclude others. Can also be used to mean the unconscious. Silence and insanity. Imperialism is an example of how the other can be used to justify the domination of an individual or a group |
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Who: a Jewish journalist and writer, father of modern political Zionism and founder of the state of Israel
Significance: promoted Jewish migration to Palestine in an effort to form a Jewish state |
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What: national movement of Jews supporting the creation of a Jewish homeland in Israel
Significance: Zionism supports the liberation of Jews from discrimination, exclusion and persecution. The main goal of the founders was to create ta state in Palestine. The Catholic Church originally strongly opposed Zionism but Theodor Herzl started campaigning to The Pope for the Zionist state and in 1997 Pope John Paul II rejected the Christian roots of anti-Semitism and expressed his support of equality for the Jews |
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What: First Zionist Congress
Significance: The Basel Declaration stated that they seek to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine and a compromise proposal was adopted. The compromise says that Jews could now be federated, the Jewish feeling and consciousness will be strengthened and steps will be taken for Zionists to obtain government grants |
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| Significance: at the beginning of WWI Zionist constituted 12% of Palestine population. Herbert Asquith saw Jewish people in Palestine as detrimental to British aims in the Middle East. But Loyld Georgle wanted Palestine under British control because of its proximity to the Suez Canal. After the Balfour Declaration British seized Jerusalem from the Turks along with all of Palestine now under British rule which (along with the US) endorsed the concept of a national home. In spring of 1920 Palestine Arabs began to riot and attacked the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem. The British fought for peaceful accommodation between Jews and Arabs and since most authority now belonged to the British, Arab Elites hostility towards Jews and Zionists ebbed. By the end of the war Jews contributed to 11% of Palestinian population |
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What: calling of a member of a Jewish congregation to the Bimah for a reading from the torah
Significance: the person who is called on for Aliyot recites a blessing thanking God for giving the torah to the Jewish nation before the reading. After the reading the reader recites another concluding blessing |
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What: an exchange of letters during WWI between the sharif of Mecca and the British high commissioner in Egypt
Significance: the letters declared that the Arabs would revolt with the UK and in return the UK would recognize Arab Independence |
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What: a secret agreement between the governments of the UK and France defining their control in the Middle East if the triple entente succeeded in defeating the ottoman empire in WWI
Significance: the agreement effectively divided the Arab states of the Ottoman Empire outside the Arabian peninsula into areas of future British and French control |
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What: a letter from the UK’s foreign secretary to a leader of the British Jewish community
Significance: the letter is in favor of the Palestine as a national home for the Jewish people and states the UK will do their best to see it through. The text was later incorporated into the Sevres Peace treaty. Britain wanted to support Zionist aspirations because they would be able to use propaganda in Russia and the US, it would help them eventually control Palestine, and because of the large supply of oil in the Middle East |
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What: a legal status for certain territories transferring from the control of one country to another following WWI
Significance: the mandatory took control over the former territories of imperial Germany and the Ottoman Empire. Establishing mandates had 2 phases, removal of sovereignty of previously controlled states and transfer of powers to states in Allied Powers |
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What: a wall located in old Jerusalem
Significance: It’s a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temples courtyard and is considered the most sacred site recognized by the Jewish faith second only to the Temple Mount. It’s a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage centuries old. After the rise in the Zionist movement the wall became a source of friction between the Jewish and Muslims and eventually lead to outbreaks of violence at the foot of the wall and Jews were banned from the wall for 19 years |
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What: a policy paper issued by the UK where several key provisions are forgotten
Significance: the paper abandoned the idea of partitioning Palestine, and letting Palestine be independently governed by Palestinian Arabs and Jews in ratio with their population. Immigration of the Jews to Palestine depended on permission from the Arab majority and restrictions were placed on the rights of Jews to buy land from the Arabs |
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What: a revolt initiated by Hussein bin Alin in 1916 to secure independence from the Ottoman Turks and form a single Arab state
Significance: Sherif accused young Turks of violating sacred tenets of Islam and called Arab Muslims to rebel against the Ottomans. The UK agreed they would support Arab independence if they revolted the Ottomans. The UK and France went back on the organized deal and divided up the area in a way the Arabs didn’t agree with. Western Arabia gained independence under Hussein rule until 1925 when it was conquered by Saudi Arabia |
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What: the mass genocide of ~6million Jews during WWII
Significance: 40% of the 400,000 holocaust survivors live below the poverty line in Israel. Many refugees with little to no family or belongings became the primary refuge for Jewish refugees but local Arabs opposed it and the UK refused refugees. Mass smugglings were organized which transported 250,000 Jews into Palestine |
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What: United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, set u to investigate the cause of conflict in Palestine and devise a solution
Significance: a report from UNSCOP supported the end of British mandate in Palestine and contained a proposal for a plan of partition into two economically independent states and a minority proposal form a plan for one federal union with Jerusalem as its capital. Zionists favored the partition plan but Arabs opposed it |
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What: war fought between Israel and Palestinian Arabs. A combined invasion by Egypt, Jordan and Syria into Palestine and took control of Arab areas and attacked Israeli forces
Significance: as a result Israel retained the area recommended by the UN and 60% of the area reserved for the proposed Arab state. Transjordan took control of the Gaza Strip and no Arab Palestinian state was made. Arabs fled or were expelled from the area that became Israel and the Jewish exodus from Arab land made Jews flee or expelled from their home countries to Israel |
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What: Israeli law that gives Jews right of return to Israel and gain citizenship
Significance: 2 million Jews have since migrated to Israel and 100s and 1000s have received citizenship. Some argue the law permits the entry of too many non-jews or that it grants jews rights that other governed by Israel don’t have |
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Who: jews descended from local Jewish communities of the Middle East
Significance: before the establishment of the state of Israel, Mizrahi Jews didn’t identify as an ethnic subgroup |
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Who: Arabs who used to live in Israel and Jews who lived in mandatory Palestine
Significance: During the 1948 Palestine war 85% of Palestinian Arab population was driven from their homes to the west bank. Refugees also include people driben out their homes during the six-day war and the Gulf War |
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What: Military forces of Israel, ground forces, air force and navy
Significance: the IDF is different than most armed forces in the world because women are required to serve and it’s structure. It’s specifically designed to match Israel’s unique security stitch |
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What: land locked territory near the Mediterranean coast forming the bulk of Palestinian land
Significance: West Bank has been the subject of negotiation between Palestinians and Israelis. Palestinians believe West Bank is a part of their nation and presence of Israeli military is in violation of their right to rule. |
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What: a self-governed entity on the east coast of the Mediterranean, It’s recognized as part of the Palestinian state
Significance: In 1948 the all-Palestine government was announced in the Egyptian occupied Gaza City and established a boundary between the Gaza strip and Israel. Egypt didn’t offer Palestinians citizenship. In 1967 Israel occupied the strip |
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What: a resolution to the aftermath of the six day war which implemented the withdrawal of Israel forces from occupied territories and acknowledgement of territorial integrity and independence of every state in the area
Significance: Egypt, Jordan and Israel and Lebanon agreed and Syria “conditionally” accepted. The PLO rejected Resolution 242 but later agreed in 1993. Resolution 242 formed the basis for later negotiations between parties and lead to peace treaties between Egypt, Israel and Jordan |
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What: a war fought by the Arab states against Israel. The war began when the Arabs launched a surprise attack on Israel positions
Significance: the war made the Arab world feel psychologically justified by early successes. The Camp David accords that followed the war led to the return of the Sinai to Egypt and normalized relations, the first peaceful recognition of Israel by an Arab country. Egypt eventually left the soviet sphere of influence entirely |
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What: the frameworks for peace in the Middle East and peace between Israel
Significance: because Islamic extremists in Egypt didn’t agree with the peace treaty the Israeli prime minister was assassinated, along with President Anwar Sadut. But most importantly the Camp David accords demonstrate that negotiations with Israel were possible |
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What: Palestine Liberation Organization, recognized as the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”. Originally a terrorist organization
Significance: the PLO is responsible for many notable terrorists’ attacks that kill and injure many civilians |
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Who: chairman of the PLO, spent the majority of his life fighting Israel
Significance: he engaged in a series of negotiations to end the conflict between the PLO and the Israeli. Palestinians describe him as a “heroic freedom fighter” while Israelis view him as an unrepentant terrorist |
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What: a multi-faced civil war in Lebanon between sunnis and shias when 100,000 refugees fled to Lebanon after the establishment of Israel
Significance: the war caused 900,000 people to be displaced from their homes. Thousands of landmines are still buried in previously contested areas and car bombs became a favorite weapon. But since the end of the war, Lebanese have conducted many elections and most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded |
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What: Arabic word that translates to “shaking off” but is translated into English as “uprising” or “rebellion”
Significance: Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. It caused Jordan to Sever financial and administrative ties with the west bank |
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What: Islamist organization located in Palestinian territories that “strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine”
Significance: Hamas has governed the Gaza strip since 2007. Their military branch has conducted many attacks on Israel and launched the second intifada |
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What: an attempt to set up a framework that would resolve the Palestinian/Israeli conflict
Significance: because of the Olso Accords, the PLO acknowledged the state of Israel and vowed to reject violence and Israel recognized the PLO as the representative of Palestinian people and as partner in negotiations |
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What: Palestinian political party involved with revolutionary struggle in the past
Significance: The party lost its majority in the Palestinian parliament to Hamas, which lead to a split between the two main Palestinian political parties with Fatah keeping control of the Palestinian national Authority in the west bank. Eventually Hamas and Fatah announced an agreement to unify into one government |
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