Ah Yes, of Course, the Religion of Peace
"Members of the [Sunni and Shia] sects have co-existed for centuries and share many fundamental beliefs and practices."
"The differences lie in the fields of doctrine, ritual, law, theology and religious organization."
"Their leaders also often seem to be in competition."
BBC
Quite the understatement, that. There is no denying that both the minority Shiite sect and the majority Sunni sect of Islam do share fundamental beliefs and practices, just from a different initial perspective over the centuries, and often targeting one another as heretics. If the differences stem from disagreements in doctrine, ritual, law, theology and religious organization, those aspects together so fundamental to a shared belief, mark them as basically oppositional.
What is basic to each sect is their veneration of Allah, and the Prophet Mohammad; the Shiites wedded to control and influence descended from the line of the prophet, and the Sunnis content with reliance on the concept of an inheritance through popular assent, not descent. That basic schism has served to ensure the focal point of dissent, earned each the distinction of an unforgivable assault on Islam itself and a corresponding insult to Mohammad in the opinion of the other.
Their tribal Bedouin inheritance geared traditionally to war has ensured ever since that each has been prepared to piously accuse the other of unforgivable disrespect to Islam, deserving of the most hideous types of vengeance to be visited on one another, for in insulting the integrity of Islam, they assault the very reason to worship, offensively refusing to surrender to the Almighty's call upon his faithful.
Wherever a Middle East nation has a minority population of tyrannical power as in Syria with a Shia-Alawite-Baathist regime tormenting and oppressing a majority Sunni population, dysfunction reigns supreme. And when the tables can be turned as when the Iraqi Sunni-Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein, exploited and beggared his majority Shiite population, with his removal the Shiites came into their own and oppressed the minority Sunnis.
In each instance the national cohesion disintegrated and chaos ensued, permitting the rise of fanatical Islamist jihadist groups claiming to speak for imperial Islam and reclaiming the classic caliphate. In their zeal to reflect the origins of Islam, they have reverted to the initiations of Islamic rule by conquest, running amok with suicide bombers, beheadings and crucifixions in place of rampaging scimitars.
Osama bin Laden's revolt against Saudi Arabian complicity with the United States was only the initial manifestation of Islamism reborn. His example and his death have given birth to the Islamic State, heralding the new world order advancing inexorably in its march of ultimate conquest. It's a tossup which is more dedicated to archaic brutality, the Shiite jihadism of Iran with its flirtation with nuclear weaponry or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, both exhorting to sublime martyrdom.
"[Osama bin Laden died] with more sanctity and honour in the eyes of Allah than any Christian, atheist, or Jew", proclaimed a Wahhabi preacher whom the Foundation for Defense of Democracies quotes in the National Interest, highlighting "how leaders from all five Sunni-ruled Gulf monarchies -- the Saudi king in particular" -- have promoted this preacher.
Labels: Iran, Islam, Islamic State, Islamism, Jihad, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Shia, Sunni
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, June 28, 2015
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