Origins Articles:
1. “Tradition vs. Charisma: The Sunni-Shi’I Divide in the Muslim World” By Stephen Dale
2. “From Gaza to Jerusalem: Is the Two State Solution under Siege?” By M. M. Silver
3. “Clampdown and Blowback: How State Repression Has Radicalized Islamist Groups in Egypt” By Elizabeth Perego
4. “Syria’s Islamic Movement and the 2011-2012 Uprising” By Fred Lawson
In this lesson, student will analyze differences and similarities between the major religions and the countries they exist in to determine whether current conflicts in the Middle East are more a result of religion or nationalism. Conflicts in the Middle East dominate current events and much speculation surrounds the core cause behind these conflicts. The main goal of this lesson is to critically examine what that core cause is behind these conflicts through secondary source text analysis. Using Origins articles provides the distinct advantage of having students read materials of historical discourse to teach them about current events and show the impact that the past has on the present.
