Sunni Shia Conflict Essay - 857 Words

Saudi Arabia and Iran Saudi Arabia considers itself to be the Protector of Islam as they contain Mecca and Medina as well as oversee the Hajj. The Sunnis are the dominate form of Islam in Saudi and its main branch is called Wahhabism. It is a very strict form of Islam that is based on the literal interpretation of the Qur’an and allows for no other versions of Islam, like Shiism (StevenAU 2004). Iran has long been defined as the central power of Shiism especially following the 1979 Islamic revolution. Both nations are capable of polarizing the Middle East. The Saudis are allied with other Gulf monarchies, Jordan, parts of Northern Africa, and Morocco under Sunni guidance. Iran is connected to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and involved with groups†¦show more content†¦The Shia minorities in Saudi Arabia are seeking equal rights and representation within their governments. In Saudi Arabia the oppressive tactics against the Shia takes the form of exclusion from jobs, lack of Shia places of worship, and a ban on their holy days like Ashura. In some cases the Wahhabi Sunni harass Shias making the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is a required act for all able Muslims (Jaffar 2013). The Saudi Senior Ulema Council, the country’s religious council, has no Shia representation. This council passes laws that uphold only Sunni authority exacerbating the sense of discrimination Shia feel. The schools teach both Shia and Sunni but the information about the Shia is derogatory and in some cases they are labeled as rawafidh, or rejectionist, which is a very insulting term to Muslims (Wehrey 2013). The Saudi monarchy has used anti-Shia tactics as a way to keep its Sunni clerics happy as well as shift blame for unpopular actions. These terms and tactics are tied to lingering suspicions dating back to the Iranian Revolution of 1979. That Iran is possibly seeking to cause such a revolt in Saudi Arabia and has agents contributing to the protests occurring within Shia dominated regions (Wehrey 2 013). Sunnis living in Iran are also feeling the effects of discrimination. They have been prohibited from celebrating Islamic holy days inside mosques in Tehran. SunnisShow MoreRelatedThe Sunni Shia Conflict Essay1341 Words   |  6 PagesSunni Shia Conflict Syria is currently all over the news regarding what many have to come to see as a civil war. A term like civil war needs to identify the players and the reasons for the war. In this case the players are being identified as pro government or antigovernment with a Sunni or Shia overtone. Sunni and Shia are the two major sects of Islam and both have a historical based conflict going back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad and how Muslims should be governed. 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