| From: | GKoth2258@***.COM |
|---|---|
| Subject: | NERPS-NAGTTW: Middle East |
| Date: | Thu, 9 Oct 1997 16:06:40 -0400 |
There are five main powers in the Middle East in 2057; the Saud Caliphate,
Israel, Egypt, Syria and Iran (also known in some circles as the Persian
Empire). There is also the small nation of Palestine but they are a small,
minor power. The most prominent of these powers is Syria and the Saud
Caliphate.
Syria
During the 1990s, it appeared that Syria was becoming a more mature, mellow
nation, slowing backing down from its' rabidly anti-Israeli stance. Then, in
2010, President Baybar took power, and imposed his extreme militant Islamic
beliefs upon his nation, forging it into the outlaw nation it is today.
Syria consists of the nations of Syria, Turkey, and bits and pieces of other
neighboring nations, territory gained in conquest from 2012 to 2018. Their
avowed policy of Jihad (loosely meaning "religious war") and relentless
support of terrorist groups worldwide makes Syria extremely unpopular. They
have many internal problems, like Kurdish and Turkish Separatists (both
supported by the Caliphate and Israel). There is a very strong social
dynamism here and contrary to popular Western belief, the average citizen
isn't a fanatic. But the fanatics have been in control since 2010, with an
elderly and infirm President Baybar still in control. Perhaps most
disturbing to leaders of foreign powers, Syria is the home of the revived
Hashishin, the Assassins League. Between terror for hire and the rental
fees for Desert Wars, Syria has plenty of financing for the Jihad, much to
the consternation of most of the rest of the world.
(>) Stay tuned for intel on the Hashishin. I'm in the middle of digging up
what I can on them. If I can stay alive long enough, I'll be posting it here
hopefully in the near future.
(>) Premiere@***.cocoa.net
(>) I seem to remember my Grandpa (may he rest in peace) telling me "All
those damn towel heads are fanatics ready to die for their Allah! F**kin'
infidels!" or something like that. I guess it's true, eh?
(>) Space Cadet
(>) Time for a brief lesson in religion. First of all, Allah is only the
Arabic word for god. The Muslims worships the same god as the Jews and the
Christians. Just a different name. Because of this, many religious teachers
for many years have been teaching that the Jews and Christians are "people of
the Book," because they are. There is nothing in any of the teachings of
Muhammed, including the Quran, that says there should be some kind of Jihad.
Islam is actually a very peaceful religion. It's just there are fanatical
humans with strange ideas involved...and most people think it's the Shi'as
(or as they are commonly called in the West, Shi'ites) because of what Iran
did back in the 1980's. But the fact is that the majority of radicals
historically have been Sunni, with the Shi'as being normally very laid back
and open to progress. Part of that is philosophy, part of that is that the
Shi'as have never been more than about 8 or 9% of the Muslim population,
despite the fact they control Syria.
Did you know that the whole Palestinian/Israeli conflict had almost nothing
to do with religion? Did you know that the large majority of Palestinians
were at least originally Christians? And that much of their support came
from various Christian factions, even today? That some of the most feared
terrorist groups, even back in the 20th Century, were run by either
Christians or Atheists? Even today, you'll get a bigger reaction out of
Middle Eastern governments if you mention water rights than if you run off at
the mouth about religion. Frag, the Israelis and the Palestinians still
fight about water; it's still their major stumbling block, 70 plus years
later. In other words, don't assume anything about the Middle East. It's
very confusing, even to experts (and I sure can't claim that title).
(>) St. Stan
Egypt
Egypt is one of the most ancient nations in the world and has an ancient
magic tradition. Rumors abound on the streets of UCAS about what has been
going on here since the Awakening, even to the point it has been claimed that
Ramses II has returned, or that Cleopatra is in power. But the fact is that
the pharaohs have not returned, despite the actions of a small group
dedicated to that cause.
Egypt is in fact very similar to the nation it was before the Awakening, with
an elected (at least that is what is claimed) president and legislature. The
power of Islamic fundamentalists, on the rise before the Awakening, has seen
a drastic drop. So much so that not a single person in the elected
legislature describes themselves as proponents of an Islamic state.
Part of this can be attributed to the dramatic rise in magic. As a result,
the Nile has become vastly more bountiful and strange paranimals, not yet
seen anywhere else, roam the shifting deserts. In addition, the Great
Pyramids, the Sphinx and many other ancient Egyptian monuments have slowly,
inexplicably, been restored by some unknown magical process.
Geographically, Egypt includes much of what was Sudan, extending along the
Nile all the way to the Sabat River. Borders in the desert aren't very
fixed, but the Algerian Theocracy and the African Alliance of Independent
Nations aren't trying to expand at the Egyptian's expense anymore. In fact,
no one is, a fact that can be attributed to the highly trained and well
equipped Egyptian military. And perhaps the strange paranimals that roam the
deserts.
(>) The rise of magic and all the weird occurences has generated an interest
in "Egyptian" religion, meaning the worship of Bast and Thoth Amon and Ra and
so on. Mummification, among other things, is extremely popular among the
wealthy adherents. They are still a small segment of the population, but as
things get weirder and more people get used to magic, the more people join
the "cult."
(>) Orange Cat
Israel
(>) Here is some detailed info on Israel written by a couple of locals. We
had our usual summary in here previously, as some of you recall, but it's
Shadowland policy to let the locals talk about their own backyards when
possible. So take a look.
(>) St. Stan
(insert Tommer Brisker's (sp?) article here)
Palestine
The nation of Palestine is truly the odd man out in the Middle East. During
the late Twentieth Century, the fight for a Palestinian homeland had a fair
amount of global support, which eventually culminated in the Oslo Accords,
with Israel bowing to pressure and granting the Palestinian Liberation
Organization (PLO), then headed by Yassir Arafat, much of the West Bank.
This should have been the end of the conflict. But several factors still
remained. First, Israel didn't give the PLO very good land at all. Almost
no water and the land itself was largely barren. Second, the funds needed to
start up a government nearly from scratch were simply not forthcoming from
anyone. Third, very little of the land was contiguous; scattered enclaves
all over the area make it difficult to form a strong government. And fourth,
many Palestinians simply wanted more. The Intifada (Arabic for "getting rid
of," as in Israel) slowly began to escalate it's activities, from simple rock
throwing to genuine terrorist actions and in fact became by the turn of the
century the primary terrorist organization in the Middle East. The Intifada
didn't learn from it's more reasonable forefathers however. Some of their
actions seemed simply to be cold-blooded terror, with little reason, even to
other Palestinians. By the time of the Awakening, the Intifada had lost
almost all popular support, and in doing so, Palestine did also. VITAS,
Goblinization, and the Awakening hit Palestine hard, so much so that it
almost ceased to exist in the late 2030's. Palestine has been making a
comeback, but it is painfully slow, especially since it receives almost no
foreign aid. And so, Palestine views itself (perhaps correctly) as an island
in an ocean of enemies..
It should be added that Palestine now occupies what was once Northern Lebanon
as part of the Oslo 4 accords, where it has been for 10 years. Given the
superior resources of the region (adequate water and fertile soil), one would
expect a comeback of Palestine, but all economic growth has been painfully
slow.
(>) Wait a minute. Why doesn't Syria, or maybe the Saud Caliphate help them
out? They all hate Israel don't they?
(>) Coldcut
(>) Geez, maybe I should have written this whole section...it's actually
pretty simple. The Saud Caliphate doesn't really hate Israel that much
anymore. They actually get along pretty well, political posturing aside.
Syria thinks that Palestine gave up (which is probably true) and just isn't
fanatical enough (but then again, it never really was about religion for the
Palenstinians, many of whom were actually Christian). They do give Palestine
a small amount of aid, but it's nowhere near what Palestine needs to become a
viable nation. And on top of it all is good-old fashioned tribalism, a
factor in Middle Eastern politics from day one.
(>) St. Stan
Iran (The Persian Empire)
The Persian Empire (still officially named Iran) consists of 20th century
Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
Balichistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzistan. Their primary external foe is
Kazakhstan, a nation that loves to antagonize the "far-too stuffy" Iran. The
one major sore point is Afghanistan, whose rebels refuse to acknowledge the
Persian Empire as their ruler. This wasn't a major problem until 2054, when
the unrest began to spread outward from Afghanistan, infecting other areas of
Persia with it's revolutionary demands and hardcore Sunni Muslim fervor.
What was once a low-level, tribal conflict has exploded, sometimes
literally, into a civil war that threatens to shred the entire empire from
within.
Part of the problem, at least from the rebels point of view, is that the Shah
of Iran is widely believed to be a Sirrush, or dragon. This has never been
confirmed, but neither has is been strongly denied by the Shah. If true, it
is thought that Aden is that dragon. Aden is the same dragon that destroyed
Teheran in 2020, when the then Ayatollah of Iran declared a jihad against the
Awakened. That action led to the destruction of old Iran and was the
effective birth of what is increasingly called the Persian Empire. Most of
the officers (the Persian military is generally considered to be excellent,
although recent actions with the Afghan rebels have badly tarnished their
reputation.) are humans or orks. Persian magic is quite effective but their
tech is sub-standard. Iran is quite well administrated, corruption is
manageable, the standard of living, while not up to the standards of Europe
or North America, is better than most places in the region and there are no
major external enemies that are considered a major threat. Which if it
weren't for the civil war/jihad, might make the Persian Empire the major
power of the region.
(>) Okay, is it Iran or the Persian Empire? Lay it out straight.
(>) Two-Minute Man
(>) Officially is it still Iran. That is how they are referred to in the
United Nations and what appears on their official external documents.
However, the Shah (Whatever he is. Everything indicates he is human, but
the rumors refuse to die.) has not said "Iran" since 2049. It has always
been "the Persian Empire." Slowly but surely the average citizen has stopped
thinking of themselves as Iranian (or whatever else), but as Persian. Given
the fact that they annexed numerous territories that never were a part of
Iran, it gives a certain amount of unity of thought in the nation. Unless
you are Afghani that is.
(>) St. Stan
The Saud Caliphate
The Saud Caliphate is led by the scion of the House of S'aud, King Jamal
al-Fakhir Muhammed. The royal house of Jordan still exists, as a sort of
cadet branch which, while royalty, is not in line for the throne. The Saud
Caliphate consists of the 20th century nations of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. All these
nations were absorbed by what was once called Saudi Arabia. During the chaos
of the teens and twenties, most of those small nations looked to Saudi Arabia
for help, for protection from the chaos and from the desires of Syria and
Iran. What started out as protection treaties in the teens became treaties
for annexation by the 30s.
The Caliphate holds enormous power in the Muslim world because it possesses
both Mecca and Medina, the two most holy places to their faith. Mecca, now
encompassing the port of Jiddah as well, is the capitol of the Caliphate.
The tremendous amounts of money made off of the Arabian and Gulf oil
reserves from the last century to the present have translated well into power
as have the occult researches of Islamic scholars. Caliphate spellcasters
are almost all hermetic, Islam forbidding totemic magic as idolatry.
Subtlety is a byword for the Caliphate, from their diplomacy to their armed
forces. The Caliphate inherited the nucleus of a fine army from the former
kingdom of Jordan and from Saudi Arabia and have a competent military, with
specialist "advisors" from Israel and the UCAS. Their tech is the best that
money can buy, from Japan, UCAS and Europe. While Islam does not approve of
cyberware, it is still deemed necessary in the military of the Caliphate. In
a concession to their faith, virtually all cyber found in the Caliphate is
extremely subtle, with a premium being placed on realistic skin coverings.
(>) A lot of alpha and beta grade 'ware is used. Even some delta ware for
those few members of the royal family that feel the need to cyber up. Frag,
they're about the only non-corp people that could afford it.
(>) WildKatt
The legal system is surprisingly modern, a curious blend of Western
jurisprudence, "temporal" laws handed down by Muhammed and the teachings of
the Quran (Koran). Most judges are either Sheiks (a title of minor
"nobility") or holy men, educated in the Quran and other teachings of
Muhammed. All citizens are expected to be versed in the Quran, however, many
practices such as the Chador (the wearing of veils and covering women from
head to toe) haven't been rigidly followed for several decades. Of all the
Islamic nations, the Caliphate is probably the most "Western," with western
business practices and western style schools and even several shopping malls.
(>) Just because some of the more restrictive practices have been
"officially" relaxed, doesn't mean that you won't see plenty of Chador-clad
wives and the like throughout the country. Women, especially, aren't really
granted equal status; much the same as women were in the United States in the
50's (1950's that is). This is particularly true of the older, more
traditional individuals most likely to be in positions of judicial and
bureaucratic power. Because of the traditional Arabic emphasis on education,
if you find that you're likely to need to talk to such a person, plan on
having a conservatively-dressed, educated, articulate male do it for you - a
human if possible. Unsurprisingly, there is a ready market of such
individuals available for hire as "translators" and "guides" for the
visitor
in need. Warning: In many cases, but especially legal matters, the speaker
should be able to demonstrate that his knowledge of the Quran is innate - not
chip-based. Many judges and bureaucrats feel that resorting to artificial
memory aids such as chips for such an important thing is a sign that they are
dealing with an unbeliever, or infidel, and prejudice their case and actions
against him accordingly.
(>) Asmodeus
(>) Only partially true Asmodeus. Because things like the Chador have been
officially relaxed, you will find plenty of people, men included, that are
quite happy with the progress. Because it's religious laws we are dealing
with, there are plenty of people on both sides of the argument. Try to find
out what the beliefs are of those people you're dealing with. It could be
critical.
(>) Wildsmasher
(>) The whole "veil and robe" thing is actually a pretty good deal if you're
looking to be invisible over here - and happen to be a woman - since those
outfits can conceal a manpack SAM if you don't try and run with it. Of
course you need a traditional-minded man to act as a front-man for the cover
to work, but anybody worth a damn can get around that obstacle without too
much trouble. Just be sure to act submissive, keep your eyes down when
around men, and pay attention to the other requirements of the faith.
(>) Emeraldeyes
Both Syria and Algeria support several groups of "freedom fighters" in
Caliphate territory, including radical fundamentalists and such ethnic
minorities as Pakistanis and Bangladeshis (imported in the previous century
to work in the oil fields and as household menials).
(>) Those freedom fighters aren't much more than a thorn in the side of the
Caliphate. They don't have enough power, gear, or will to do anything really
nasty. At least not yet.
(>) Minds.Eye@****.com
