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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Condor who wrote (95955)	4/24/2003 12:41:23 PM
From: Sun Tzu	Respond to of 281500

OK, I am hearing too many superficial description of differences between Shiites and Sunnis by the so called experts. Any portrayal of the differences in terms of historical events is meaningless. The real sociopolitical difference is this: In the Middle East traditionally the same person has held both offices of religious leadership and political leadership. This is mostly without parallel elsewhere in the world; Pope coexisted with the Kings. In this context, the difference between Shiites and Sunnis is that Sunnis have been pro-establishment but the Shiites have been the opposition. In other words, if you lived in ME some 1000 years ago and did not like the government, you were also opposing the religious authority of the Caliph. Saying that opposed the king and believed in a different leadership was the same thing as saying you do not accept the king's religion and believe in a different sect. For this reason alone, Shiites have always been brutalized and persecuted. This is also the reason why the Shiites are much more adept at political organization and why it should not have been a surprise they can fill the power vacuum quickly. Political resistance and organization is built into Shia. As to the comment about the Egyptians seeing Shia with "baffled distaste", oh pleeeeez! Egyptians have been making anti-Shia movies for ages. They always portray the Shia as a bunch of crazy loose cannons who want nothing better than war and mayhem. Demonization of Shiites in the Muslim world has had deep historical roots for centuries. Only recently have the Shiite been elevated to the ranks of nut cases from their previous position of anti-god and almost devil worshipers.