Unit 1: Political & Cultural Systems PDF

IR IN NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST Unit 1 1.2 Political and Cultural Systems Unifying elements. Religions, languages & cultural sub-areas Dr. Julieta Espín 1 Middle Eas...

IR IN NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST Unit 1 1.2 Political and Cultural Systems Unifying elements. Religions, languages & cultural sub-areas Dr. Julieta Espín 1 Middle East and Maghreb: Unifying Elements Arab legacy 300 million people who consider themselves Arabs, with a common language and who share the same heritage. Islam Islam expands beyond the Arab world, to Iran and Turkey, in the Middle East. Ottoman Heritage Ottoman Heritage The Ottomans ruled the region for 400 years, The biggest contribution was its sound legal and administrative systems that left its mark/influence in many current legal codes in the area. 2  Ways of life Prevailing rural population until a few decades ago. There is a tendency to move to urban centers. Grazing in decline, it prevails among the nomads and semi- nomads of the desert and some mountainous regions. Cities have spread, with problems of unemployment, underemployment and marginalization. Extended patriarchal family. However, the nuclear family is spreading. Personal affiliation is defined through males. The Westernization and modernization of the area brought changes in relation to the family and the role of women, albeit unevenly and slowly. The elementary unit of social life are kinship groups, both tribal, clan and family. Business culture in Saudi Arabia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U15SVzzCQDM https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=318704296164109 Beduin hospitality 3 Freeimages.com  ME & Maghreb: Religions The area is the cradle of the three main monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. However, over the past 1200 years Islam has dominated, and today it is the religion of about 93% of the population, the remaining being distributed among Christian and Jewish communities. Monotheistic religions Zoroastrianism Mandaeism Bahaism Islam Judaism Christianity 4  Islam Islam means submission to God's will. It has two meanings: o the religion of all who believe in Muhammad's mission as a prophet of God and in the Quran as the divine word transmitted to mankind through Muhammad o The social, legal, cultural and political system that emerged around this religion. A way of life and a culture that does not distinguish boundaries between religion and politics. Islam rules the individual's relations with God (private acts), but also the spheres of law, politics, family relations, business matters, clothing, food and personal hygiene. All Muslims are part of a universal order, the Dar al Islam or House of Submission, opposite to Dar al-Harb, or House of War. 5  El ISLAM Basic Doctrine of Islam: Few "dogmas" to believe in: Strict monotheism. Muhammad is the seal of the prophets. Recognizes the divine origin of the Old and New Testaments. The Quran is the final revelation given to the last of the great prophets. It means the recitation. 6 Islam The Five Pillars Proclamation of Faith or shahadah. “I attest that there is only one God and Muhammad is his Prophet”. Prayer or salat. Ritual prayer five times daily, preferably in community It is preceded by ablutions. It should preferably be done in the mosque. Alms or zakat. Purification of wealth through charity to the less fortunate. 2.5% of the accumulated wealth must be paid. Fasting or Sawn during the month of Ramadan.. Refrain from eating, drinking and having sex throughout the month, from dawn to dusk. The pilgrimage or hajj to Mecca if one is in condition and do so in the month of Dul Hiyya. Muslims should make tie pilgrimage at least once in their lives. Mecca | National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM81wroj_MQ&t=93s The Islamic Pilgrimage To Mecca Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=29HpUaJpwvI 7 Islam Two main religious holidays: Eid al Fitr (the end of Ramadan) Muslims have an obligation to give away a certain amount of food or its equivalent in money to the poorest in their neighborhood. Eid al Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice a ram is sacrificed during the pilgrimage to Mecca and throughout the world, to share it with the poorest. Prohibits: consumption of alcohol and certain meats such as pork, blood, gambling and usury. Commandments: do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not fornicate, etc. Purification rites: during menstruation, after bedtime, after going to the bathroom, after having sex or being in contact with impure things like corpses or wine. El ISLAM Bismillah should be recited before doing any act. Two controversial issues: o Status of women: polygamy, veil wearing, etc. Is it all the same? o Jihad: it is striving in the path of God. It has 3 applications: a) the fight against evil, b) individual’s inner struggle against sinful inclinations, and c) fights an external enemy, that is, holy war, as an exceptional effort for the good of the Islamic community. Religion that expands in the Western world. It's not a monolithic world. 8 Denominations in Islam 9 The unity of the Muslim community or ummah, was broken since Muhammad's death. Two main currents emerged from the first division or fitnah, Sunni and Shi’a. Islam: Sunni Sunnis or followers of Sunnah, Muhammad's tradition or custom, could be considered "orthodoxy." Sunni Muslims about 90% in almost all countries except Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and some Gulf States. Islam They are subdivided into 4 rites, according to 4 legal schools recognized by Sunnism. The differences relay in the sources of Islamic Law they mainly use: the Quran, the sunnah (Sunnah / Hadith (sayings of Sunni Shi’a Ibadism (4 law schools) the Prophet); Ijma (consensus of opinion of experts) and Qiyas (analogy). Hanafi. It appeals to reason and personal judgment. Evolutionary standards. Pretty open. Turkey, Hanafi Twelvers India, Afghanistan and China. It accepts analogy as a source and also jurisprudence. Shafi’i. It combines the tradition and consensus of the community, beyond the consensus of the jurists. It predominates in Lower Egypt, Syria, South Arabia, Malaysia and Indonesia. It accepts Shafi’i Ismailis similar reasoning. Hambali. The Quran and Sunna are practically the only doctrinal sources. It is the most El ISLAM conservative. Saudi Arabia Hanbali Zaidis (fivers) Maliki. It more rigorous than Hanafi. Sunnah and public interest (traditions can be changed because of public interest) It predominates in North Africa, Sudan and Upper Egypt. The four schools, while agreeing on key points, have a wide variety of detail issues. Maiki Druzes VIDEO ¿Qué Escuela Sunita (madhab) Deberíamos Seguir?-Mufti Menk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbwrMtP-uIc Alawites Several theological trends such as mutazilism, asharism and maturidism also developed. They do not have centralized authority. But there is a religious elite known as ulama (Islamic scholar, body of experts in law and religious affairs). 10 More than 1.5 billion Muslims are Sunnis - estimates suggest the figure is somewhere between 85% and 90%. In the Middle East, Sunnis make up 90% or more of the populations of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Sunnis regard themselves as the orthodox branch of Islam. Shiites or supporters of Ali (Chiat Ali) believed that community leadership was reserved for the prophet Muhammad's family through his daughter Fatima, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and all his offspring. Shi’a shares with Sunnism its respect for the Quran and most of Islamic law. its doctrine accepts the eschatological Islam: belief of the return of a hidden Imam who will return at the end of time as Mahdi (messiah or savior) to restore the kingdom of God on earth. Because of his experience as a heterodox minority and sometimes persecuted, Shiites attach peculiar value to suffering and martyrdom, giving it an almost redeeming character. Shi’a Main divisions or branches: Twelvers, known also as asharis. It is the largest and most important group. They believe in the existence of 12 Islam imams: Ali, Hassan, Hussaynn, and nine more imams in direct line from Hussayn (Ali’s son). It is the official religion of Iran and has a large number of followers in Iraq (60% of the population), Lebanon (30%), Bahrain, the Saudi oil province of Hasa, the Emirates, and to a lesser extent, Syria. 150 to 200 million Twelvers. Sunni (4 law schools) Shi’a Ibadism Ismailis take their name from Ishmael, son of the sixth Imam. They are subdivided into several groups and are Hanafi Twelvers mainly located in India, but have followers of Yemen, Syria and Iran. El ISLAM Zaidis admit the election of imams. Its doctrine differs very little from that of the Sunnis. It is the official Shafi’i Ismailis religion of Yemen (14 million, 73% of the population). Hanbali Zaidis (fivers) Druze are a division of Isma'ili Shi’a. kind of esoteric ethnoreligious group (Secret scriptures). They emerged in the eleventh century. The Quran is not taken very into account. Druzes are currently found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel (between 350 and 900 thousand Druzes) LEARN MORE Who are the Druze? Maiki Druzes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmD1G9BnhkA Alawites. Literally, Ali's followers. Its origins date back to the ninth century. They believe that Ali is the Alawites manifestation of God Himself. They are located in Syria and parts of Turkey. The rituals incorporate both pre- Christian elements and Christians, as well as Shia and Sunni Islamic practices. There are an estimated 1.5 to 2.5 million. In Syria, the Alawi minority (12%) has ruled the country since 1970. 12 Shia constitute about 10% of all Muslims, and globally their population is estimated at between 154 and 200 million. Shia Muslims are in the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Yemen. Thre are also large Shia communities in Afghanistan, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. SUNNIS AND SHIAS What role has sectarianism played in recent crises? In countries which have been governed by Sunnis, Shia tend to make up the poorest sections of society. They often see themselves as victims of discrimination and oppression. Sunni extremists frequently denounce Shia as heretics who should be killed. SUNNIES AND SHIAS The Iranian revolution of 1979 launched a radical Shia Islamist agenda that was perceived as a challenge to conservative Sunni regimes, particularly in the Gulf. Tehran's policy of supporting Shia militias and parties beyond its borders was matched by Sunni-ruled Gulf states, which strengthened their links to Sunni governments and movements elsewhere. Today, many conflicts in the region have strong sectarian overtones. Read and answer Saudi Arabia – Iran dispute about cleric execution 16  Islam: Ibadism Islam The branch of Ibadism or Ibadi. It is very important in the early days of Islam, which survives in some communities in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Zanzibar and Oman (3/4 of the population), where Sunni Ibadism or khariyites Shi’a Ibadism is the state religion. (4 law schools) They are all those who initially supported Ali in his struggle for leadership of the Muslim community, but who withdrew his support when he agreed to put his case on trial. Hanafi Twelvers There are approximately 2,7 million worldwide, the vast majority in Oman. Ibadism demands strict adherence to Sharia. Singing and dancing is poorly seen and discouraged, mosques are simpler. Shafi’i El ISLAM Ismailis Ibadis also have several doctrinal differences with orthodox Sunni and Shia Islam: 1. Muslims will not see God on the Day of Judgement. 2. Whosoever enters the Hellfire, will live therein forever. Hanbali Zaidis (fivers) 3. The Qur'an was created by God at a certain point in time. Maiki Druzes Alawites 17  Islam: Yazidism? Islam Sunni Shi’a Ibadism Yazidis, a sect mistakenly described as worshippers of the devil (they consider devil as a repentant angel (4 law schools) who helps God rule the world), who has nothing to do with Islam. They are found in Kurdistan, upper Mesopotamia, northern and eastern Syria, and the Caucasus region. Hanafi Twelvers Their reputation as worshippers of the Devil is because another name of Melek Taus, Shaitan, is the same name that gives the Quran to Satan. Yazidis firmly believe in the existence of deities. According to the Yazidi religion, God is so busy in his own affairs that He has appointed several spiritual entities - Meleks - El ISLAM Shafi’i Ismailis to rule the Earth. The leader of this angels is known as Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. Reincarnation until the definitive purification of souls. They say all Kurdish were Yazidis before Islam Hanbali Zaidis (fivers) arrived. Learn more: Who are the Yazidis? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF7X_N_r1Fo Maiki Druzes Alawites yazidis 18 The main doctrinal differences had to do with the nature of Christ. In 451, the Council of Chalcedon had established that the second person of the Trinity possessed two natures, one divine and one human. This was accepted by the main body of the Church, both in the East and the West, and supported by the Imperial government. Later a schism came between the Church of the Byzantine territories – the Eastern Orthodox church – with its patriarchs as heads of the clergy, and that of Western Europe, which abided by the authority of the Pope of Rome. Main communities: Christianity Greek-Orthodox Oriental Churches. They are in turn Anglican and Church. Group of self- divided into Monophysites and Greek-Orthodox Oriental Roman Catholic Protestant Churches cephalic churches that Nestorians: Church Churches Church use the Byzantine rite. Monophysites: They emphasize a Unioninst It comprises 4 single nature of Christ and reject the Monophytes Nestorians Roman Catholic Churches of of Latin rite Eastern rite patriarchs who Council of Chalcedon, which separated from Rome underscored the dual nature of Christ, Coptic Church of Syrian-Catholic in 1054: divine and human. Egypt church Constantinople, The Monophysite Churches are: Coptic Alexandria, Antioquia church of Egypt liturgy in Coptic and Orthodox Syrian Melkite or Church Greek-Catholic and Jerusalem. Arabic. 5 - 10% of the Egyptians. church Each group is and independent and has the Orthodox Syrian Church Liturgy is Armenian- Catholic its own patriarch. Its in Syriac. Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and adherents are mainly Syria (10% of the population). Chaldano- Arabic and Greek. Nestorian or Assyrian Churches. They catholic There are about 820,000 across the take their name from Nestorio, patriarch of Constantinople, who Christianity Coptic-Catholic Middle East. supported the existence of two beings in Christ. Maronite 19 Roman Catholic of Latin rite. Unionist Churches of Eastern Rite. They joined Rome (Vatican later and could maintain their own rites and forms of worship. They enjoy autonomy under their own patriarchs. The main ones are: Melkite or Greek-Catholic church. Their rites are in Arabic and their clergy can marry. There are about 800,000. Their Patriarch is in Damascus. Syrian-Catholic church Its rite is in Syriac or Arabic, their patriarch established in Lebanon, its priests can marry. About 200,000. Armenian-Catholic church with 70.000 - 90,000 adherents, its rite is in Armenian and his patriarch lives in Beirut. There are in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Chaldean-Catholic church. Its patriarch is in Baghdad, its liturgy is in Syriac. More than 400,000. Coptic-Catholic. About 200,000 in Egypt its head is the patriarch of Alexandria. Maronite Church. Lebanon, EEUU Canada, Australia, etc. Its rite in Aramaic, Arab and other languages. Christianity Anglican and Protestant churches. The first was introduced by the British and has few followers. The latter were introduced by the English, Scottish and American Protestant missions during the 19th and 20th centuries. 20  Judaism The main figure is Patriarch Abraham. According to the Bible, the original group emigrated from southern Mesopotamia (Ur of Chaldea), to the land of Canaan (Palestine). It had been promised by God to the children of Jacob or Israel. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70, Jews scattered throughout the known world, but maintained a powerful bond of spiritual union based on their rabbinical scriptures and traditions. However, there will be different interpretations of the Torah (Written Law of Moses, 5 books the Christian Pentateuch) and the Mishnah (meaning to do again or repeat) or Jewish oral traditions. The Mishnah deals in 6 orders with all aspects of life: blessing and prayers, Sabbath and feasts, women, civil and criminal laws, sacred things or purity. Talmud is a review of the Torah, an essential complement to the written Torah. The Jewish Bible (Tanakh) has 39 books organized into three parts; the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings (including poetry, psalms, books of Wisdom and historical accounts. Among its religious obligations is daily prayer, blessings, temple attendance on Sabbath. Its main festivities on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement and the Rosh Hashanah or New Year. 21  Judaism Main ethnic-cultural branches: in Europe: Sephardic or Sephardic in Spain. Askenazi Jews, established in Central and Eastern Europe. Arab Jews, called Orientals. Currently, only 1.5% of Jews in the Middle East and North Africa live outside Israel and Palestine, spread over small communities in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria and Egypt. 22 Judaism comprises a range of groups: Judaism Ultra-orthodox and Orthodox (with a fundamentalist and rigid interpretation of their religion). Both consider the Written Law or Torah and the Oral Law to be eternal and cannot be omitted or reinterpreted. Reformers (who seek to free Judaism from orthodoxy to adapt it to the conditions of the modern world). It is allowed to work in the Shabbat, it breaks with the rigidity of the Jewish diet, the issues of personal status must be handled by the civil authorities, and religious ceremonies are less elaborate and in the vernacular languages. Conservatives (closer to Orthodox, but their attitudes towards modern society are less negative). They accept some adaptations of Judaism to modern life, but without giving up its values. Shabbat is sacred but allows for some adaptations in the Jewish food regime. Divisions are smaller than in Christianity and Islam. It should be clear: - Only a minority of Jews in the State of Israel practice Judaism. - Practitioners of Judaism are not the same as citizens of the State of Israel, i.e. Israelis, Jews, Arab-Israelis, - Judaism is not the same as Zionism. Judaism Ultra-orthodoxs Ortodhoxs Reformers Conservatives 23  Zoroastrianism Other religions Mandaeism Baha’ism 1)Zoroastrianism. Zoroaster or Zaratustra lived in the 6th century BC. It spread throughout Iran and Mesopotamia and was the main religion of the Sassanid Empire. Monotheistic religion that exerted great influence on Judaism and Christianity. Emphasizes the struggle of good and evil, light and darkness, angels and devils. Immortality of the soul. It survives in the regions of central Iran and India (from 125.000 to 300.000 in the whole world). Oldest monotheistic religion, Tree commandments: Good thoughs, good words, and good deeds. LEARN MORE What is Zoroastrianism? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30Z5cOR5BA 2)Mandaeism. From Aramaic “manda” that means (mystical) "knowledge". Mandaeist community concentrated in Iraq before the war (from 50,000-70,000 to barely 5,000-7,000 nowadays). Extremely syncretic, it incorporates Jewish, Iranian, Babylonian, Gnostic and Christian elements. Writing and liturgy in Syriac. It emerged in Jordan during the 1st and 2nd centuries. They were based on ancient scriptures, particularly from the book The Treasure or Ginza. LEARN MORE What is Mandaeism? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDepdSWM_58 3) Baha'ism. It emerged in Iran in 1840 when its leader declared himself a bab (door) between the material and spiritual world. It advocates the establishment of a universal faith, synthesis between Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Its world center is in Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel, and has tens of thousands of followers in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, mainly Iran, where it has been persecuted since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. With its more than five million followers spread across the world. 3 main principles: the oneness of God, the oneness of human kind and the oneness of religion. LEARN MORE A Brief Introduction to the Baha'i Faith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHpOy7vgqtI 24  Languages There are three main language groups: Semitic languages and dialects. Arabic, Hebrew, and other Canaanite, Aramaic; Sudarabical dialects and Semitic languages of Ethiopia. They dominate the region from Iraq to the Atlantic. Other Semitic languages are Coptic spoken by Christians in Egypt. It is related to Late Arabic, Hebrew, and other Egyptian; and Berber or Tamazigh language. They are spread from southern Egypt Semitic Canaanite, Aramaic; and almost all of North Africa. Tifinagh (ⵜⵉⴼⵉⵏⴰⵖ) languages and Sudarabic dialects and Indo-European or Aryan languages. Farsi, Kurdish, Baluchi (in Balochistan, in dialects Semitic languages of southwestern and sweaty Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan), Luri (spoken by the Nomads Ethiopia. of the Zagros), as well as Greek (a few thousand in Istanbul and coastal cities of the Mediterranean and Aegean) and Armenian (Turkey, Iran and Armenia), the latter, widespread in the region in the past. Ural-Ultaic languages. They include Turkish and other Turkmen dialects in Iraq, Syria Farsi, Kurdish, and Iran, such as Azerbaijani, which is spoken in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Indo-European or Baluchi, Luri, Azerbaijan. Aryan languages Greek and Armenian The culture of the region is deeply penetrated by the Arabic language. It is the language of God's revelation and the language of the Quran. Arabic characters were taken by Farsi and Turkish until Kemal Ataturk latinized it. Just like Spanish! Ural-Altaic Turkish, Turkmen dialects languages and Azerbaijani. 25  2. Persian/ Iranian area 3. Arab world, divided into 4 sub-areas: 1) Nile Valley countries (Egypt and Sudan); 2) the Fertile Crescent (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Palestine); (3 the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen) and (4 the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, [Western Sahara] and Mauritania) 26 Hatay Kurdisdistan 27  Azerbaijan Baluchistan Khurezan Extremely diverse world in languages and ethnicities. Azeris (from Azerbaijan) form a group of at least 18 million people of Turkmen origin. The Azeris are predominantly Shi’a, their language is related to Turkish and reside mostly in the north of the country, near the border with Azerbaijan. Kurds on the border with Turkey and Iraq (Iranian Kurdistan), Predominantly Sunnis are about 4 million, compared to 12 million Turkey and 6 million Iran, 7% of the Iranian population. In the south of the country in Khuzestan is a significant Arab population, mostly Shia, about 3 million. To the east are the Baluchis, from Baluchistan, some 1.4 million, or 2% of the population. Predominantly Sunni. There are also important Turkmen tribes, as well as a minority of Armenians and Assyrians. Religion: Twelver Shi’a the predominant religion, the Kurds are Sunni. There are Assyrian Christians, Baha'is and some followers of Zoroaster. - Language, in addition to Persian (Farsi) as the dominant language, Turkish and numerous dialects are spoken: Kurdish, Baluchi, Arabic, Azerbaijani, etc. 28 The Arab world is divided into four regions: 1) Nile Valley countries: Sudan and Egypt. Common dependence of the Nile River has united them for long periods in history. Egyptian dominance for its ancient state tradition, agricultural character and leadership in the Arab (Nasserism) and Islamic world (Al-Azhar University). It also has a culturally very homogeneous Arab-speaking population. Population mostly Sunni but with a Coptic minority reaching 5-10%. -Sudan is divided into 2 very differentiated areas 2) The Fertile Crescent: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Palestine. Arch of circumference to the Syrian-Mesopotamian desert, of agricultural character. Inhabited since the third millennium BC, in constant interrelationship with other peoples (Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Arab, Crusader, Turkish and Circassian. There is also a Kurdish minority that is divided between Iraq and Syria. Armenians in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, and even scattered Arabized Gypsies. - Sunni Islam predominates, but there are 12 Christian communities, as well as Protestant churches and Sh’ia sects spread across Iraq (50%) Lebanon (30%), Druze in Lebanon (8%) Syria (3%); and alawites (11%) in Syria. 29 3) Arabian Peninsula: Desert of 3 million km2. Cradle of Arabs and Islam. It has a population of about 90 million. Saudi Arabia (34.2 million inhabitants), The five small States barely add up to about 24 million inhabitants: Kuwait 4.2 million, Bahrain 1.6, Qatar 2.7, UAE 9.6, Oman 4.9. Yemen alone, divided until 1990, has 29,1 million inhabitants. - Yemen’s GDP per capita is just $944 a year (and going down the war), while in Saudi Arabia it is 23,000 or Qatar 69,000 (data 2018). - Recruitment of foreign labour, especially from Asia. SEE https://www.populationpyramid.net/ -All are Arab-speaking and Muslim, but there are many Shiite sects off the coast of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, Yemen and Oman. - Desert nomads, merchants, fishermen and farmers in the mountains of Yemen or Oman. - The region produces 26% of the world's oil and holds 46% of the proven reserves. 4) Maghreb or Arab West. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Western Sahara* and Mauritania. Historical, geographical and cultural unity different from the rest. - Confessional uniformity, 99% of the population in Sunni. Very small non-Muslim minorities. - - Presence of a Berber/Amazigh population, native to North Africa, largely Arabized, but retaining its own language. In Morocco it is 40% of the population, in Algeria 25% and Tunisia (island of Yerba) and Libya 5%. - Presence of the French language except in Libya. - There are some differences among countries in the : If the country has oil/gas or not A weak agricultural sector, although Morocco has grown in production (thanks to irrigation), Tunisia has stabilized its production while Algeria has lagged behind. Food importers. They compete with European agricultural producers by international markets. The state continues to intervene heavily in the productive system, especially in the industry. There has been progress in sectors requiring extensive manpower(textiles, manufacturing, electronics). 30 The Middle East and North Africa Today While peoples share the same history that begins with the Arab conquests of the 7th century and the Islamization of most conquered peoples, their political unification lasted only a century. Only since the 16th century when the region was reunified thanks to Ottoman conquests, but still, countries like Iran or Morocco were left out. The incorporation into the global capitalist system brought with it new divisions. The demarcation of borders during the colonial period created new institutions and political particularisms, especially in relation to the influence of the respective metropolises. The interference of the great powers in the Middle East and North Africa has been greater than in other areas, both because it is the crossroads of three continents and because the region has the main global oil reserves. 31 IR IN NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST End of presentation PhD Julieta Espín 32