Why don't you see the Sunni-Shia divide in the US?

[Coyote]

Interesting article. Why don't we? The author talked to people who attended the Yusuf Mosque in Boston, and represented Muslims from a wide area of the Muslim world from Indonesia, to Iraq, to North Africa and asked them a question: "Why do the different Islamic sects seem to get along here, but - in extreme cases - kill each other back home?" The answers are interesting and, say a lot about our country as well.

Why don't you see the Sunni-Shia divide in the US? | Public Radio International

"In Iraq or in Syria or Yemen or Libya, people are looking for power," said Anwar Faisal who is Palestinian. "And when you have the power you have the wealth, you have loyalty. Our mentality as a Middle Easterns, we're people who love power."

Faisal said many of the Muslim nations remain third world countries without rule of law or effective government institutions. So they're vulnerable to unscrupulous leaders who divide people along religious fault lines.

In the US, he said, people may call themselves liberal or conservative, but they don't care who you call God.

"The people here, the people of America, they believe they're under one God. it doesn't matter what God you're praying for. You can have a temple you have a mosque you have a church. Also, here we're under one flag and that is the key. It makes this country the most beautiful country on the planet," Faisal said.

Yusuf Nasrullah, from Pakistan, adds that a national identity supercedes a religious or tribal one for Muslims in the US.

"They have lived with non-Muslim communities, they can give and exchange and they're like, 'okay, you have your right as a minority, I have mine and we are all contributing.' That is what keeps people humane and civilized in this part of the world," Nasrullah said.

"Why do people get along here when they come to this country, when they immigrate to this country?" asked the mosque's Iman, Ismail Fenni, from Algeria. "I think it has a lot to do with when you're a fish out of your bowl, you do a lot to survive. And I think it's true about anyone, any ethnicity, regardless of religion. You try to make do until you get back to your fishbowl."

Fenni said it may take the Muslim world generations until their different fishbowls are free from religious violence.

But hey, said Riyad Tubaishat from Jordan, America had its own problems back in the day.

"Keep in mind, America, how long it took. We had a big civil war here. Keep in mind most of these countries right now, they're very new to political structure. They didn't have enough time and they have so much outside influence," Tubaishat said.

It's been hundreds of years since the US shook off a colonial power... These men say you gotta give Islamic countries some time to catch up.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Do you remember when the warring tribes of Native Americans set aside their differences for a greater coup at Little Big Horn?

 

[Sunni Man]

Do you remember when the warring tribes of Native Americans set aside their differences for a greater coup at Little Big Horn?

Leave it to Irish Ram to always look for a negative spin whenever something positive about muslims is posted. ..


Only 2 tribes where involved in the Battle of Little Big Horn; the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes.

It was an isolated incident lasting two days but took on a mythic proportion in the American psyche.

And in the scheme of things wasn't a historical game changer.

 

[irosie91]

Interesting article. Why don't we? The author talked to people who attended the Yusuf Mosque in Boston, and represented Muslims from a wide area of the Muslim world from Indonesia, to Iraq, to North Africa and asked them a question: "Why do the different Islamic sects seem to get along here, but - in extreme cases - kill each other back home?" The answers are interesting and, say a lot about our country as well.

Why don't you see the Sunni-Shia divide in the US? | Public Radio International

"In Iraq or in Syria or Yemen or Libya, people are looking for power," said Anwar Faisal who is Palestinian. "And when you have the power you have the wealth, you have loyalty. Our mentality as a Middle Easterns, we're people who love power."

Faisal said many of the Muslim nations remain third world countries without rule of law or effective government institutions. So they're vulnerable to unscrupulous leaders who divide people along religious fault lines.

In the US, he said, people may call themselves liberal or conservative, but they don't care who you call God.

"The people here, the people of America, they believe they're under one God. it doesn't matter what God you're praying for. You can have a temple you have a mosque you have a church. Also, here we're under one flag and that is the key. It makes this country the most beautiful country on the planet," Faisal said.

Yusuf Nasrullah, from Pakistan, adds that a national identity supercedes a religious or tribal one for Muslims in the US.

"They have lived with non-Muslim communities, they can give and exchange and they're like, 'okay, you have your right as a minority, I have mine and we are all contributing.' That is what keeps people humane and civilized in this part of the world," Nasrullah said.

"Why do people get along here when they come to this country, when they immigrate to this country?" asked the mosque's Iman, Ismail Fenni, from Algeria. "I think it has a lot to do with when you're a fish out of your bowl, you do a lot to survive. And I think it's true about anyone, any ethnicity, regardless of religion. You try to make do until you get back to your fishbowl."

Fenni said it may take the Muslim world generations until their different fishbowls are free from religious violence.

But hey, said Riyad Tubaishat from Jordan, America had its own problems back in the day.

"Keep in mind, America, how long it took. We had a big civil war here. Keep in mind most of these countries right now, they're very new to political structure. They didn't have enough time and they have so much outside influence," Tubaishat said.

It's been hundreds of years since the US shook off a colonial power... These men say you gotta give Islamic countries some time to catch up.

What an interesting piece of BS. -----I will help. I grew up in a town in which lived people who
could call themselves "CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION" descendants of original ---
13 colony British -----persons. It also happens that there was a considerable population of
IRISH SURVIVORS of the potato famine--------somehow they did not kill each other or even
touch on the centuries old irish/brit schism I grew up to be 20----and got a little
part time job which involved------involvement with lots of young doctors from
southeast asia, iran, even a few from Afghanistan. hindus, Sikhs, and lots of
muslims---------they did not kill each other either----but I could not help noticing
specific HATREDS manifested by DAGGERS FLYING OUT OF EYES ----real hatred.

Me-----to a young Pakistani "ACHMAD" 'we have a newcomer---safavi from Iran"
achmad very angry "why do you mention it to me'??????? I got news for
you............way back then, circa 1970-----before I knew the words "sunni" and "Shiite"-----
I knew that some muslims HATE each other-------even 'sight unseen' real hatred

I found it odd that young muslim docs------could not be friends if one was
pakistani and the other Iranian.--------as for arab and Iranian ---well
FORGET IT!!!!!!!! -------the one case of an attempted friendship involved a Shiite
from India and an Iranian..... it was sad------the young Shiite tried---poor lonely
guy-----the pakianis in the hospital were ALL SUNNIS

there are different mosques for Shiite and sunni in the USA ----at least some.
People can hate each other wthout killing each other

sometimes the situation was funny------a young Iranian I knew could not help
mocking his colleague by IMITATING his humming of Arabic melodies ----
with a kind of bitter anger

 

[Sunni Man]

....................................................^^ Hater #2 just appeared right on time. ..

 

[The Irish Ram]

The Shiites cheered just as loudly as the Sunni when the towers came down.

 

[AVG-JOE]

It is kind of interesting that folks who understand that they have a guarantee of freedom of worship, knowing that no political or religious movement can take that freedom away seems to make everyone relax a bit.

Freedom of worship.
Freedom of assembly.
Freedom of speech.

Pretty cool, eh?

 

[AVG-JOE]

The Shiites cheered just as loudly as the Sunni when the towers came down.

Here or there?

I don't remember hearing about any cheering here, and this discussion is all about the difference that freedom of worship can make.

 

[Sunni Man]

The Shiites cheered just as loudly as the Sunni when the towers came down.

Actually in Iran, the only Shiite country, an estimated 60,000 Iranian citizens after 9/11 held a huge spontaneous candlelight vigil in downtown Tehran for the Twin Tower victims. .

 

[Blackrook]

The Shiites cheered just as loudly as the Sunni when the towers came down.

Actually in Iran, the only Shiite country, an estimated 60,000 Iranian citizens after 9/11 held a huge spontaneous candlelight vigil in downtown Tehran for the Twin Tower victims. .

I see only women in this crowd. Where are the men?

 

[The Irish Ram]

It is kind of interesting that folks who understand that they have a guarantee of freedom of worship, knowing that no political or religious movement can take that freedom away seems to make everyone relax a bit.

Freedom of worship.
Freedom of assembly.
Freedom of speech.

Pretty cool, eh?

They were......

The phrase, "I may disagree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it", no longer applies. Now it's, "Say something we don't like and we'll dismember you publicly".
It is no longer freedom of religion. It is freedom from religion. Just by changing one little preposition a whole new quest is born, to label the religious as haters now.

But it is a different freedom which brings me to my question, are you allowed to shoot at UAV's? They'd make wonderful skeet.

 

[Sunni Man]

Immediately after 9/11 several prominent Muslim American organizations issued a joint statement. ..


"In a Joint Statement by the American Muslim Alliance, American Muslim Council, Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers, Association of Muslim Social Scientists, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Medical Association of North America, Islamic Circle of North America, Islamic Society of North America, Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, Muslim American Society and Muslim Public Affairs Council, stated:

"American Muslims utterly condemn the vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators. No political cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts."

Reactions to the September 11 attacks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[The Irish Ram]

And yet, a recent pew poll indicates that 1 in 3 Muslims polled support radical Islam and suicide bombings. If 1 in 3 isn't alarming, is 1 out of 2? All three?

Look at the change in the poll done in 2007, and now:

http://people-press.org/files/2011/08/muslim-american-report.pdf

 

[Sunni Man]

And yet, a recent pew poll indicates that 1 in 3 Muslims polled support radical Islam and suicide bombings. If 1 in 3 isn't alarming, is 1 out of 2? All three?

Look at the change in the poll done in 2007, and now:

http://people-press.org/files/2011/08/muslim-american-report.pdf

We all understand Irish Ram........you hate muslims and Islam......and nothing they do will ever be good enough. ..

 

[PixieStix]

Why don't you see the Sunni-Shia divide in the US?

Because we have laws against murdering one another for religious differences?

 

[Coyote]

It is kind of interesting that folks who understand that they have a guarantee of freedom of worship, knowing that no political or religious movement can take that freedom away seems to make everyone relax a bit.

Freedom of worship.
Freedom of assembly.
Freedom of speech.

Pretty cool, eh?

Very

I think we often don't realize how freedom leads to greater tolerance and how in many parts of the world, those freedoms don't exist and religious tensions run high.

 

[Coyote]

Why don't you see the Sunni-Shia divide in the US?

Because we have laws against murdering one another for religious differences?

So does Ireland, but look at the Troubles.

No...I think it's more than that as indicated by the many different answers he got.

 

[Coyote]

And yet, a recent pew poll indicates that 1 in 3 Muslims polled support radical Islam and suicide bombings. If 1 in 3 isn't alarming, is 1 out of 2? All three?

Look at the change in the poll done in 2007, and now:

http://people-press.org/files/2011/08/muslim-american-report.pdf

American Muslims - No signs of growth in alienation or support for extremism.

From the report:

About eight-in-ten American Muslims (81%)
say that suicide bombing and other forms of
violence against civilians are never justified in
order to defend Islam from its enemies. Just
8% say these tactics are often or sometimes
justified. There has been virtually no change in
these opinions since 2007.

That is not 1 out of 3 "supports suicide bombings".

And then there is this poll: The myth of Muslim support for terror - CSMonitor.com

Poll: Muslims, atheists most likely to reject violence

New data from polling firm Gallup shows that out of all the religious groups in the U.S., Muslims are most likely to reject violence, followed by the non-religious atheists and agnostics.

Through interviews with 2,482 Americans, Gallup found that 78 percent of Muslims believe violence which kills civilians is never justified, whereas just 38 percent of Protestant Christians and 39 percent of Catholics agreed with that sentiment. Fifty-six percent of atheists answered similarly.

When Gallup put the question a bit more pointedly, asking if it would be justified for “an individual person or a small group of persons to target and kill civilians,” the responses were a bit more uniform. Respondents from nearly all groups were widely opposed to such tactics, with Protestants and Catholics at 71 percent against. Muslims still had the highest number opposed, at 89 percent. Seventy-six percent of atheists were also opposed.​

Religious freedom and, I would add freedom from state interference or promotion of a religion leads to greater tolerance.

There are other factors too, as the interviewees in the OP pointed out

 

[AVG-JOE]

Why don't you see the Sunni-Shia divide in the US?

Because we have laws against murdering one another for religious differences?

So does Ireland, but look at the Troubles.

No...I think it's more than that as indicated by the many different answers he got.

Although, having a justice system in place that people generally trust does help.

In spite of what you read in the Politics Forum, the majority of Americans trust their government, at least with regards to this kind of security.

And yeah, it is imperative that the majority keep a vigilance in place with regards to the phrase
"I full-on HATE what you're saying, but I'll defend your right to say it."

Freedom of assembly and speech and freedom of religion REQUIRE tolerance, forced if necessary.

 

[AVG-JOE]

And yet, a recent pew poll indicates that 1 in 3 Muslims polled support radical Islam and suicide bombings. If 1 in 3 isn't alarming, is 1 out of 2? All three?

Look at the change in the poll done in 2007, and now:

http://people-press.org/files/2011/08/muslim-american-report.pdf

American Muslims - No signs of growth in alienation or support for extremism.

From the report:

About eight-in-ten American Muslims (81%)
say that suicide bombing and other forms of
violence against civilians are never justified in
order to defend Islam from its enemies. Just
8% say these tactics are often or sometimes
justified. There has been virtually no change in
these opinions since 2007.

That is not 1 out of 3 "supports suicide bombings".

And then there is this poll: The myth of Muslim support for terror - CSMonitor.com

Poll: Muslims, atheists most likely to reject violence

New data from polling firm Gallup shows that out of all the religious groups in the U.S., Muslims are most likely to reject violence, followed by the non-religious atheists and agnostics.

Through interviews with 2,482 Americans, Gallup found that 78 percent of Muslims believe violence which kills civilians is never justified, whereas just 38 percent of Protestant Christians and 39 percent of Catholics agreed with that sentiment. Fifty-six percent of atheists answered similarly.

When Gallup put the question a bit more pointedly, asking if it would be justified for “an individual person or a small group of persons to target and kill civilians,” the responses were a bit more uniform. Respondents from nearly all groups were widely opposed to such tactics, with Protestants and Catholics at 71 percent against. Muslims still had the highest number opposed, at 89 percent. Seventy-six percent of atheists were also opposed.​

Religious freedom and, I would add freedom from state interference or promotion of a religion leads to greater tolerance.

There are other factors too, as the interviewees in the OP pointed out

Tolerance ROCKS!!