Shiite -vs- Suni

[AVG-JOE]

If you're not a Muslim, do you thank (insert your preferred Deity here) that these two groups are NOT on the same page?

Do you everyday for them to continue focusing so much negative energy on each other, instead of joining forces and aiming at the common thorn in their paws?

My preferred Deity... my 'God', told me that their conflict is necessary for peace, that's why the conflict evolved.

Exciting times, eh?

 

[Colin]

If it ain't sunni, the shiite will hit the fan!

 

[Nate]

If you're not a Muslim, do you thank (insert your preferred Deity here) that these two groups are NOT on the same page?

Do you everyday for them to continue focusing so much negative energy on each other, instead of joining forces and aiming at the common thorn in their paws?

My preferred Deity... my 'God', told me that their conflict is necessary for peace, that's why the conflict evolved.

Exciting times, eh?

I don't look up to the sky and wink to the old guy saying 'thanks' everyday but yeah I am thankful! I wonder if the world says the same thing about our Republicans and Democrats though...

 

[AVG-JOE]

If it ain't sunni, the shiite will hit the fan!

Strange how truly close that quip describes today's reality.

Does anyone know what the beef is?

According to: What Is the Difference Between Sunni and Shiite Muslims--and Why Does It Matter?

The Sunni branch believes that the first four caliphs--Mohammed's successors--rightfully took his place as the leaders of Muslims. They recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as legitimate religious leaders. These heirs ruled continuously in the Arab world until the break-up of the Ottoman Empire following the end of the First World War.

Shiites, in contrast, believe that only the heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the legitimate successors of Mohammed. In 931 the Twelfth Imam disappeared. This was a seminal event in the history of Shiite Muslims. According to R. Scott Appleby, a professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, "Shiite Muslims, who are concentrated in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, [believe they] had suffered the loss of divinely guided political leadership" at the time of the Imam's disappearance. Not "until the ascendancy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1978" did they believe that they had once again begun to live under the authority of a legitimate religious figure.

Makes it sound a bit like "No way, ******! MY balls are bigger!!"

 

[AVG-JOE]

If you're not a Muslim, do you thank (insert your preferred Deity here) that these two groups are NOT on the same page?

Do you everyday for them to continue focusing so much negative energy on each other, instead of joining forces and aiming at the common thorn in their paws?

My preferred Deity... my 'God', told me that their conflict is necessary for peace, that's why the conflict evolved.

Exciting times, eh?

I don't look up to the sky and wink to the old guy saying 'thanks' everyday but yeah I am thankful! I wonder if the world says the same thing about our Republicans and Democrats though...

As with most organizations that smack of time and humanity,

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes


A lot of it depends on the proximity to the American public trough of the citizen polled.

 

[ekrem]

If you're not a Muslim, do you thank (insert your preferred Deity here) that these two groups are NOT on the same page?

Do you everyday for them to continue focusing so much negative energy on each other, instead of joining forces and aiming at the common thorn in their paws?

My preferred Deity... my 'God', told me that their conflict is necessary for peace, that's why the conflict evolved.

Exciting times, eh?

There are some countries, where Shiites are the majority, but the only Shiite governed country is Iran.
The Middle-East doesn't even account for 1/3rd of total Muslim population on this earth.
Within the Middle-East, the only friction between Shiites and Sunnites is between S.Arabia and Iran. This friction follows the logic of power politics.

Some of those countries, where Shiites are in the majority or constitute a significant size of the population, are the countries of the Gulf-Cooperation-Council.
A Council, where S.Arabia is the biggest horse.
In the areas, where S.Arabia's biggest oil-reserves are located, live Saudi Shiites.

If Iran were to bring Iraq under its full control, then Iran would practically border S.Arabia and would have better options to manipulate the wind-direction in the relations not only between Iran-S.Arabia, but between all countries in the Gulf.
Iran would also become THE power of the Gulf.

Other then that, there doesn't exist much friction between Shiites and Sunnites.
The friction is contained to Iraq and to the question of Iraq's future.
Some turmoil at some times between Shiites and Sunnites happens also in Pakistan, but that friction is not the main turmoil in Pakistan.

 

[ekrem]

In historical perspective, wars between the Safavids and the Ottomans didn't occur because of religion. The wars had territorial objectives.

Saddam had no religious objectives. Tigris and Euphrat combine into Shatt-Al-Arab.
The Shatt-Al-Arab finally flows into the Persian Gulf within Iranian territory.
Iraq couldn't use both Euphrat and Tigris as a waterway into the Sea freely.
They wanted to gain control of it.

That's the kind of problems, when Colonialists divide territory with a ruler.