ISIS and the Syrian Civil War
Vocab / Book Definition / Student friendly definition / Context: How is it related to the EQ / Forms of this word you’ll encounter
Sunnis and
Shia / The division dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Sunni Muslims (85%) believe the new leader should be elected as a Caliph. Shia Muslims (13%) believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by God Himself. / In Iraq the civil war was between these two groups.
Sunni –20%
Shia – 63% / Shia is also written as Shiites sometimes.
Roots:
The word "Sunni" in Arabic comes from a word meaning "one who follows the traditions of the Prophet."
Weapons of Mass Destruction / A weapon of mass destruction (WMD or WoMD) is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to human-made structures (e.g. buildings), natural structures (e.g. mountains), or the biosphere. / WMDs
Arab Spring / a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests (both non-violent and violent), riots, and civil wars in the Arab world that began on 17 December 2010 in Tunisia with the Tunisian Revolution, and spread throughout the countries of the Arab League and its surroundings. Major insurgencies in Syria, Libya, and Yemen resulted along with civil uprisings in Egypt and Bahrain, large street demonstrations in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Oman, and minor protests even in Saudi Arabia
Al Qaeda / a radical Sunni Muslim organization dedicated to the elimination of a Western presence in Arab countries and militantly opposed to Western foreign policy: founded by Osama bin Laden in 1988 and responsible for 9/11 / It means the base in Arabic
Caliphate / a form of Islamic government led by a caliph —a person considered a political and religious successor to the prophet Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim community. The Rashidun caliphs, who directly succeeded Muhammad as leaders of the Muslim community, were chosen through shura, a process of community consultation that some consider an early form of Islamic democracy.
“When Bush left office, he left behind an Iraqi state that was functioning and stable, thanks largely to the president’s 2007 “surge” of troops that ended a Sunni insurgency threatening to tear the country apart. All that was needed was for Obama to leave a U.S. military force in the country to maintain order and fight against any threat that might arise from Islamist radicals.” David Foster, Republican Spokesperson, from a Fox News interview 2016
“Bush invaded Iraq using WMDs and 9/11 as an excuse even though WMDs were never found and Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. The invasion unleashed a civil war when minority Sunnis, who had dominated the region for centuries, suddenly found themselves vulnerable to revenge from the Shia leaders installed by America. Many Sunnis allied themselves with Al Qaeda elements that flooded the country. Their goal was to use this chaos to establish a safe haven for themselves. Bush’s 2007 “surge,” far from any kind of successful military action, actually was a kind of cover for diplomatic efforts to get traditional Sunni leaders to turn on their Al Qaeda collaborators. They did so under assurances that the new government under Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia, would protect Sunni interests and safety. It didn’t and al-Maliki went after the Sunnis. This pushed the Sunnis even more radical resulting in the rise of ISIS.” Jane Finch, Democratic Spokesperson, from an MSNBC interview 2016
What are the origins of ISIS?