Minorities in the Middle East: A History of Struggle and Self-expression

Over time an indelible stereotype has emerged that the Middle East is a monocultural terrain stretching from the Sahara and Morocco in the west to southern Asia and the Indus Valley in the east, inhabited by Muslims alone. It has become customary as well to see the area from North Africa to the Persian Gulf as inhabited by Arabs speaking the Arabic tongue.
The reality, which this work focuses on, is that across the broad expanse of the Middle East various minorities have long persevered with their unique character and way of life. Pressed to persist in a threatening environment, these minorities (Kurds, Berbers, Baluchi, Druzes, 'Alawites, Armenians, Assyrians, Maronites, Sudanese Christians, Jews, and others) share similar experiences and have been known to cooperate for shared goals.