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We cannot understand the complicated divides
within the Islam of today without understanding the complications of. I will
attempt to give a very brief generalized overview of the differences between
the Sunni and the Shi’ite and the birth and ideology of Wahhabism, although
to thoroughly examine these issues would require much more time than we have
tonight..
The religion of Islam is the second largest
religion in the world with approximately 1.5 billion followers and it is
growing at a rate of about 20% per year. The largest of the major religions
is Christianity with approximately 2.1 billion faithful.
Like the different churches within the
Christian faith, Islam has two major branches: the Sunnis, with
approximately 940 million believers, and Shiites, with about 120 million.
Within these two divisions, or “sects,” there are branches and divisions,
including the well-known Wahhabi sect of the Sunnis.
The differences between the two major
divisions – or sects – of Islam, the Sunni and the Shi’ite, originate as a
political divide revolving around the death of the Prophet Muhammad, who
died in 632 A.D. and who left no instructions or wishes for his succession.
The Sunnis
The Sunnis – who account for the
overwhelming majority of Muslims then as now – opted to choose the most
appropriate among them to succeed Muhammad as their political leader. The
designee was not, however Muhammad’s spiritual successor as Islamic doctrine
states that Muhammad was the final prophet. This process continued for the
next three successors.
The Shi'ites
The Shi’ite believed that the successor to
Muhammad should come from his bloodline because they considered Muhammad and
his family “blessed by god.” Shiite’s believe that the rightful heir to
Muhammad was his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abu Talib and therefore
Shiites do not recognize the first three caliphs – or successors – as
legitimate. Ali was chosen the fourth and the last of the righteous caliphs
in 656. A.D.
Sustained tensions among Ali and his
followers and the followers of Ali’s predecessors culminated in civil war
and Ali’s assassination in 661 A.D. These events led to the great divide
between the Sunnis and the Shiites that exist to this day.
The theological differences between the
Sunni and Shiites have to do with the status of the leader of the Muslim
community. With regard to the Shiites it is the Imam. As stated earlier, the
Shiites believe the Prophet's family was blessed so the Imams are considered
as having a special knowledge because of a mystical connection with god.
They also hold the belief that the last Imam did not die but 'disappeared'
only to reappear at the end of times to announce the arrival of the Mahdi or
Messiah.
The Sunnis reject this and, instead, believe
their caliphs are, although pious, only political figures.
Wahhabism
Wahhabism, or Salafism,
is a fiercely fundamentalist form of orthodox Sunni Islam. It originated
circa 1703 and is the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Wahhabists
believe that any and all evolution of the Islamic faith after the 3rd
century of the Muslim era – after 950 A.D. – was specious and must be
expunged. Consequently, Wahhabism is the most radical form of Islam and the
form of Islam that Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahri (al Qaeda’s number
one and two) practice.
Arab-Israeli Conflict
The
Arab-Israeli conflict is a modern phenomenon,
which dates back to the end of the 19th century. The conflict became a major
international issue after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1917, and in
various forms it continues to this day. The Arab-Israeli conflict has
resulted in at least five major wars and a number of "minor conflicts". It
has also been the source of two major Palestinian intifadas (uprisings) and
is cited by al-Qaeda, a largely Arab organization, as one of the reasons for
its conflict with the Western world.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a part of the greater
Arab-Israeli conflict, is an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and
Palestinian people (or state). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a
simple two-sided discord with all Israelis (or even all Israeli Jews)
sharing one point of view and all Palestinians another. In both communities,
some individuals and groups advocate total territorial removal, or transfer,
of the other community, some advocate a two-state solution, and some
advocate a binational solution of a single secular state encompassing
present-day Israel, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. There
is a road that separates these two sides in Jerusalem.
Sunni-Shiite Conflict
Shias record the start of the schism with the death of
Muhammad, and in their view, a violent coup d'état against Ali in his first
day as caliph, which they argue was automatic without recourse to an
election or a formal investiture. After that, Shias contend that they were
systematically persecuted and killed by the first three Caliphs of Islam,
with a brief respite ensuing during the caliphate of Ali, although he was at
constant war with those the Shia regarded as their enemies. Sunnis hold that
the schism did not begin at the accession of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr,
since Ali ultimately swore allegiance and served all his predecessors before
his own accession. Sunnis in general reject dynastic claims of the Prophet's
household to the Caliphate. They hold that First Islamic civil war between
Ali and the Umayyad Muawiyah I, whose 20 year rule Shias regard as the most
difficult in early Islam, marked the beginning of the breach. |
