...between multiple sects. The moderate, more flexible blend of Sufi Islam practiced by most Pakistanis challenges the strict traditionalist revivalism extolled by fundamentalists, such as the politically vocal minority Deobandi Sunni sect. Its adherents, including the Taliban and allied militant groups in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, follow a hard-line, Saudi-inspired version of Islam. Sufism heresy, especially because of the sect’s veneration of...
...#8220;Presidency Council” is particularly telling. The Council is composed of a president and two vice presidents. Each post must be filled by a member of one of Iraq’s three dominant groups — the Shias, the Sunnis, and the (predominantly Sunni) Kurds. This politician affirmative action policy is seen across Iraq and serves as a constant reminder to the people of what divides them. How will the people ever see themselves as Iraq...
...Persian Gulf. Protests against the ruling al-Khalifa family monarchy have been a mainstay in the country since early 2011. Last month marked the two-year anniversary for demonstrations against the political domination of the Sunni ruling family and the marginalization of the Shi’ite majority. A 16-year-old boy was killed during clashes with the police at that time, as have scores of others since the outburst of hostilities in February 2011. Gran...
...whether a government keeps the people interests at heart. Bashar al-Assad, like his father, Hafez al-Assad before him, comes from the Alawites – a very small part of the population. 84% of the Syrian population comes from the Sunni sect, which has a long history of animosity toward both Assads, father and son. Initially the discontent was political. Yet after the Hama massacre of 1981 where Hafez al-Assad sent tanks into the center of Hama and k...
...f (or likely already) becoming a big proxy war, where these divides are most present. Iran is clearly standing with its man, Assad, while the Saudis and the gulf nations are very interested in backing specific factions of the Sunni opposition and generally weakening Iran. Hamas is against a prior patron, the Syrian regime, while Hezbollah is for it. Events in Syria are being scrutinized carefully in Washington and Jerusalem, as the potentiality o...
...nterpreted the so-called “axis” between Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah as the most powerful countervailing force to Israel’s interests, and the prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapon has alarmed many in the region, including rival Sunni Arab states. A cynical observer could ascribe much of Western democracies’ and Sunni dictatorships’ political support for the protesters and animosity towards the regime as pure realpolitik designed to weaken Iran’s al...
..., religion has become a third fault line in Malian society. Prior to the Islamist incursion in Azawad, religion was not a major cause of tension or division. Mali is a secular state, and though 90 percent of the population is Sunni or Sufi Muslim, relations between Muslims and religious minorities have historically been friendly and accepting. The Malian practice of Islam is moderate and has adapted to and absorbed local customs. Even traditional...
...e natural gas pipeline connecting Iran to countries such as Pakistan and India. Because Afghanistan does not have a majority Shiite population, the risks to Iran of it becoming a collapsed state are far greater. The return of Sunni militants may become as much a threat for Tehran as for the United States, but this consideration has only resulted in limiting Iranian support for the Taliban, rather than eliminating it. Carter points out that Iran’s...
...junction with the Islamist rise in the region, all bode well for the future of Hamas. Josh argues, “In reality Hamas’s reputation remains unchanged.” However, in reality the recent public display of support for Hamas from the Sunni Arab world has largely legitimized its position regionally. Hamas is now feeding out of the hands of both Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is imperative to acknowledge these realities, like those expressed in this Washington...
...ngs in the balance and the conflict could bubble over into neighboring countries. What’s more, Syria’s unrest is shaping up to be the latest front in an ongoing and rapidly escalating cold war between Iran and the rest of the Sunni Gulf powers, chiefly Saudi Arabia. The senator’s hearts may be in the right place, but referencing Libya doesn’t help their cause. If anything, our track record in Libya is cause to never support rebel factions again....
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