ABSTRACT
Christianity originated in Palestine, then spread outward along trade routes throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The creation of nation-states was a process that, in most cases, involved political and economic elites taking over the apparatuses of power previously held by foreign empires. The creation of nation-states was a process that, in most cases, involved political and economic elites taking over the apparatuses of power previously held by foreign empires. The Middle East is a land of considerable linguistic diversity. Perhaps the most significant international issue in the Middle East is that of the establishment of the state of Israel in the former British colony of Palestine. Political Islam refers to the invocation of Islam in contemporary political and economic life, both by political actors within states and by groups opposed to existing governments.
