Beset with increasing protests against them, governments in
many parts of the Middle East are struggling
to stay afloat. The law and order situation in Iraq,
Lebanon, Libya, Syria,
and Yemen
has deteriorated rapidly.
Much of the problem can be attributed to rivalry between
Sunnis and Shiites, two sects of Islam.
It all started over the matter of succession, after Prophet
Muhammad passed away, almost 14 centuries ago. Since neither Prophet
Muhammad, nor the Holy Quran addressed this matter, it has caused a lot of
bloodshed through the history of Islam.
The point of contention after Prophet Muhammad’s death in
632 CE was, whether succession should be based on the candidate’s family relationship
with the Prophet, or on the candidate’s capability.
One group of the Prophet’s companions wanted Ali ibn Abi
Talib, the Prophet’s younger cousin and son-in-law, to succeed him; the
other group supported succession by Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s friend and
collaborator.
The disagreement led to Battle of Karbala, on October 10,
680. Ali’s son, infant grandson, and all their supporters were killed in the
battle. This created a permanent rift between the two groups.
The battle is mournfully commemorated annually by the
supporters of Ali, known as Shiites. Supporters of Abu Bakr are called Sunnis.
Over the centuries, differences between the two groups have
become magnified. Besides their faith in the Quran, and their respect for Ali,
Shiites and Sunnis disagree on almost everything else, including
interpretations of the scriptures.
Currently, 90 percent of Muslims are Sunnis. Egypt, Jordan
and Saudi Arabia
are Sunni-majority countries.
Shiites constitute about 10 percent of all Muslims. Iran, Iraq
and Bahrain
are Shiite-majority nations. Also Kuwait,
Yemen, Lebanon, Qatar,
Syria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have sizable
Shiite communities.
Since the very beginning, many Sunni rulers have regarded
the Shiite as a threat to their political and religious authority. They have
continued to marginalize the Shiites in a variety of ways, including their
imprisonment, persecution and killing, and sacking of their holy sites.
Until 2003, Shiite people were heavily persecuted in Iraq. As
recently as 2011, the Malaysian government banned the Shiite as a “deviantâ€
sect, and prohibited them from promoting their faith, although they could
practice it by themselves. Also along with other religious minorities, the
Shiite continue to be targeted by Sunni terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida,
Taliban, ISIS and their affiliates.
Most of the conflicts in the Middle East can be attributed
to the tussle for political dominance between Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran.
To pursue its agenda, Saudi
Arabia has supported Sunni insurgents against the
Shiite-led governments in Iraq
and Syria.
Also it helped put down the pro-democracy movement in Baharain, and the Houthi
attempts to establish a Shiite regime in Yemen. Of course, the Shiites
forces, aided by Iran,
have attempted to resist the Sunnis everywhere they can.
In spite of their invocation of divine will and their
attempts to establish their version of heaven on earth, both parties end up
creating a hell.
Fortunately, most Muslims of either sect are peaceful
people. Many of the international conflicts will be easier to resolve if and
when their silent majority decide to speak up.
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Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D., of Keizer
is a retired neuropsychologist. He is the executive director of Oregonians for
Peace and Association for Communal Harmony in Asia.
