What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?

swissinfo.ch ^ | Apr 2, 2011 | Eveline Kobler,

[george76]

Tensions and violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims are often in the news in countries like Iraq, Pakistan and Bahrain, but why are they at daggers drawn?

swissinfo.ch: How did it come about that a Sunni minority should rule over a Shiite majority, as for example in Bahrain, where there are currently popular protests?

Arnold Hottinger: This is a matter of power which has historical roots. Bahrain has a Sunni government but the majority of the population – 70 per cent - is Shiite. The example of Iraq, which also has a Shiite majority, can be easily explained in the same way.

Iraq belonged to the Ottoman Empire. The Turks were Sunnis and installed a Sunni governor in Baghdad. Later, when the British were in power in Iraq, they kept the Shiites down and promoted the Sunnis.

There were no direct descendants left by around the ninth century. The Shiites believe that the last Imam has disappeared into eternity and will return. This is a kind of Messianic belief...

Iran is the only Shiite state. There the belief has developed that each of the faithful should choose a spiritual leader. If a cleric has many followers he may be called an Ayatollah.

It is important to point out that the Iranian Shiites are very different from the Arabic-speaking Shiites.

The Persian Shia Islam is strongly mixed with the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism. The Persians, today’s Iranians, have a different language, history and culture.

[Popman]

What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?

Insanity ?

[MasterGunner01]

My understanding of the Shia-Sunni split among Muslims came about because the prophet Mohammed died without naming a successor. Therefore, a great debate grew up as to who was his legitimate heir. Was it his uncle or was it his brother-in-law? Suffice to say that Muslims have been butchering each other in the name of Allah ever since, except when they're murdering Infidels (non-believers).

[cripplecreek]

Left handed head hackers vs right handed head hackers?

[wku man]

"What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?"

One sect prefers to have relations with goats, while the other prefers sheep.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[dsrtsage]

One believes you get 70 virgins for indiscriminate killing, the other believes you get 72, I don’t remember which one is which.

Speaking of Muzzies, I have always thought it strange the complete misapplication of the word martyr. I don’t think it means what they think it means.

[cripplecreek]

Fighting over who gets all the goats.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

The Sunni Muslims believe in killing all infidels and all Shiite Muslims whereas teh Shiite Muslims believe in killing all infidels and all Sunni Muslims.

[EricT.]

What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?

Center mass hits from a .50BMG?

[CurlyDave]

On a much more serious note than most of the responses here, exactly why doesn’t the western world exploit the deep differences between the major flavors of islam, promoting shooting war after shooting war until they are exhausted enough to be easily defeated?

[OldNewYork]

“On a much more serious note than most of the responses here, exactly why doesn’t the western world exploit the deep differences between the major flavors of islam, promoting shooting war after shooting war until they are exhausted enough to be easily defeated?”

That was part of supporting Saddam Hussein in Iraq’s war with Iran. It didn’t work out entirely well for us, besides the money we made selling him the poison gas he used.

[AndrewB]

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

There were no direct descendants left by around the ninth century. The Shiites believe that the last Imam has disappeared into eternity and will return.

Misleading. The Ismailis are Shiite, and they think there is a direct descendant and living imam. IIRC he is a Harvard man, class of '57. :) Back in the day, had a lovely home on the Rue des Ursins in the heart of Paris...built a very cool resort in Sardinia...my human almanac is on a tear.

[NoLibZone]

Do they each have a distinct version of the Koran?

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

If only. There might then be some hope of a reformation.

[sageb1]

Seems by now Freepers would know enough to add Islam to keywords.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Shorter answer : no. Just one quran. The hadith, or traditions, are somewhat open to dispute, but not the quran.

[combat_boots]

The split and its variations between sunni and 5er,7er and 12er shia all point to the issue of succession after Ali’s death, which has deepened into an argument of which faction is ‘right.’ As late as the 20th century, sunnis destroyed Hasan’s burial mosque.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi%27a_view_of_Hassan_ibn_Ali

So much for muslims not killing other muslims.

THe 3rd caliph was murdered, and the inclination extended to generations thereafter.

[SpaceBar]

You, or should I say, Star Trek nailed it 45 years ago. The irreconcilable bigotry of perceived differences that will never be settled until they annihilate each other, taking entire civilizations with them.