Key Terms Flashcards
Al-Qaeda
From the Arabic word meaning a base (for example, for training recruits in Afghanistan), it came to refer to an organisation, or network of Islamists of whom Osama bin Laden was the leader
Alawites
Members of a Shiite Muslim group living mainly in Syria
Arab League.
Established in 1945 to represent the Arab states. It originally had six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria
Arab nationalism/Pan-Arabism.
These terms are used interchangeably to mean a movement striving for Arab political unity.
Arab Spring’.
A term used to describe a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests, which broke out in 2011 in many parts of the Arab world
Ayatollah.
Among Shia Muslims, the ayatollahs are the most senior scholars, experts in interpreting the Koran
Baath.
Renaissance’ or rebirth of Arab power. Founded in Syria in the 1940s, the influence of the Baathists later extended to several Arab countries.
Black September’.
A Palestinian group which killed eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics
Brinkmanship.
Pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety, in this case to the brink of war
C.I.A.
The US Central Intelligence Agency, responsible for gathering information about foreign governments for the US government
Cold War.
A state of tension that existed between the capitalist USA (and its allies) and the Communist Soviet Union between the late 1940s and late 1980s
Coptic Christians.
Most of Egypt’s Christian minority belong to the ancient Coptic Church
Coup.
Sudden or violent change of government
Diaspora
The dispersal of a people, in this case Jews, to many different parts of the world
Eisenhower Doctrine.
The policy, announced by US President Eisenhower, of opposing the spread of Communist (in this case Soviet) influence in the Middle East
Ethnic.
An ethnic group is one with a common national or cultural tradition, often based on a language or religion. Both the Jews and the Arabs have their own language (Hebrew, in the case of the Jews) and long-standing cultural traditions
Fatah
A Palestinian guerrilla group founded by Yasser Arafat in 1959. Its name is derived from reversing the initials of its Arabic name which, in translation, is ‘The Movement for the Liberation of Palestine’
Fedayeen.
Men trained to carry out raids (literally, ‘those who sacrifice themselves’)
Green line’.
The border between Israel and the West Bank before the Six-day War of 1967
Haganah.
The Jewish Defence Force, which was set up in the 1920s and was later to form the basis of the Israeli army
HAMAS.
Founded in Gaza in 1988, the movement opposed the Oslo Accords and refused to recognise the state of Israel
Hezbollah.
A radical Islamic group based in South Lebanon
Imperialism.
The practice of extending a country’s power and influence over other territories
Infidel
What Muslims call a person who does not believe in Islam
Insurgency.
An uprising to try and overthrow a government
Intifada.
The Palestinian uprising that erupted in Gaza and the West Bank in 1987
Intifah.
Literally ‘opening the door’, in this case to private investment
Irgun.
A small secret Zionist organisation which had been formed in 1937 to protect Jewish settlements from attack during the Arab Rebellion of 1936-9 and, from 1945, fought for a Jewish state in all of Palestine
Islamic fundamentalism.
The belief that the state should be based wholly on a particular version of Islamic law, as in Muhammad’s time
Islamists.
Those who believe that the state should be based on Islamic law
I.D.F. (Israeli Defence Force)
The Israeli armed forces, most of whose members had been in the Haganah
Jewish Agency.
The governing body of the Zionist movement in Palestine during the British mandate
Jihad.
An Arabic word meaning ‘struggle’, both internal and personal (against sin) and external; (against threats to Muslim lands). Also used to mean ‘holy war’
Kurds.
An ethnic group that is Muslim but not Arab and speaks a different language. Forms about twenty percent of the Iraqi population
Land-for-Peace’.
The formula by which Israel would give up Arab land it had conquered in return for Arab recognition of Israel’s right to exist and live in peace
Mandate.
An order or command, in this case from the League of Nations, giving Britain and France control of Arab lands lands previously ruled by Turkey. Britain and France were to prepare the Arab lands for eventual self-government
Muslim Brotherhood.
Its full name is the Society of Muslim Brothers and its appealed to Muslims across the Arab world
Nakba.
An Arabic word for ‘catastrophe’ or ‘disaster’, used to refer to the 1948-9 war and the creation of the Palestinian refugee problem
Nationalise.
To transfer from private to public (government) ownership
Non-aligned.
Nations that did not wish to step into line with either the West (USA and its allies) or the Soviet Union and its allies
Occupied territories.
Lands controlled by the troops of a foreign power (in this case, the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai and Golan Heights, all occupied by Israeli troops
Ottoman.
The name of the Turkish dynasty, named after its founder, Osman. In the sixteenth century, the Turkish Empire conquered much of south-east Europe and the Middle East
P.L.O. (Palestine Liberation Organistion)
An organisation set up in 1964 to lead the struggle to regain Palestine, it also provided many health and welfare services in the Palestinian refugee camps
Political Islam.
A political movement which asserts that Islam is the solution to the problems of the modern world. Its followers advocate Islamic states where the Koran is the basis of government and society
Palestinian Authority.
A Palestinian ‘government’ with limited authority, in the West Bank and Gaza
P.F.L.P. (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine)
An organisation set up by Dr George Habash, a Palestinian Christian. It carried out many terrorist acts
Regime change’.
A term used to describe the replacement of one government by another, often by military force
Republic.
A country whose head of state is not a monarch
Revisionist.
A revised interpretation is one based on a critical re-examination of historical evidence
Rhetoric.
The art of using words to impress, sometimes in exaggerated fashion
Sectarian.
According to their religious affiliation, in this case Shiite or Sunni
Secular.
Not religious or spiritual: a secular state is one not based on a religion
Self-determination.
The right of nations to rule themselves rather than be part of larger empires
The ‘Seven Sisters’.
A term coined to describe the seven oil companies (one British, one Anglo-Dutch and five American) which dominated the industry. Until 1973, they controlled 85 per cent of the worlds oil reserves
Shah.
The title of the king or emperor of Iran.
Stern Gang.
A Zionist terrorist group founded in 1939
Sultan.
The title of the Ottoman ruler of Turkey
Taliban.
An Islamic movement, whose leaders were drawn from the former mujahideen, which took control of the Afghan government in 1996
U.A.R. (United Arab Republic)
The union of Egypt and Syria, formed in 1958
U.N.E.F. (United Nations Emergency Force)
A force made of soldiers from different countries. The troops wore distinctive blue helmets
U.N. General Assembly.
The main body of the UN in which every state is represented
U.N. Security Council.
The most important body in the UN, it can take action against a country either by imposing sanctions or by using UN troops
U.N.S.C.O.M. (United Nations Special Committee)
The UN body set up to search for Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction
Wafd.
Arabic for ‘delegation’, suggesting the party’s claim to represent the people
Wahhabism.
A religious, Sunni Muslim movement that originated in eighteenth-century Arabia
W.M.D.s. (Weapons of Mass Destruction)
Biological, chemical or nuclear weapons, used to kill as many people as possible
White Paper.
A government document making recommendations for discussion
White Revolution.
A series of reforms launched by the shah in 1963
Yom Kippur.
The Day of Atonement, an important Jewish religious day of fasting and an annual Jewish holiday
Zionists.
Those who advocated the creation of a Jewish homeland and, later, an independent state, in Palestine
