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5 facts about Sunnis and Shiites that help make sense of the Saudi-Iran crisis
The execution of Shiite cleric Nimr Baqr
al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia has sparked a furor in the Middle East along
sectarian lines. In Iran, the regional Shiite superpower, the Saudi
Embassy was ransacked and burned. The Saudi kingdom and a number of its
Sunni allies have cut or downgraded diplomatic relations with Tehran. In
a number of Sunni-majority states, members of the Shiite minority have
taken to the streets to protest Nimr's death.
The events seem to be a worrying escalation of the sectarian rhetoric that has blighted the Muslim world in recent years and helped worsen conflicts in places like Syria, Iraq and Yemen. While it would be very wrong to lay all the blame on the religious schism that split the Sunni and the Shiite Muslims nearly 14 centuries ago, it's hard to deny that the current divide reinforces a lot of other rivalries and disputes – and is perhaps even exploited by some to further other aims.
The events seem to be a worrying escalation of the sectarian rhetoric that has blighted the Muslim world in recent years and helped worsen conflicts in places like Syria, Iraq and Yemen. While it would be very wrong to lay all the blame on the religious schism that split the Sunni and the Shiite Muslims nearly 14 centuries ago, it's hard to deny that the current divide reinforces a lot of other rivalries and disputes – and is perhaps even exploited by some to further other aims.
The
tension between the two main sects of Islam, Sunni and Shiite, is one
of the factors driving the violence in the Middle East. Here is an
overview of the sects' differences and where adherents live. (The
Washington Post) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/01/05/5-facts-about-sunnis-and-shiites-that-help-makes-sense-of-the-saudi-iran-crisis/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_wv
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