First Published 2006-02-10, Last Updated 2006-02-10 11:09:31 Whats the origin of Shiite-Sunni divide?
Shiite-Sunni divide dates back to martyrdom of Shiite leader Imam Hussein at hands of the Sunni leader Caliph Yazid in 632 AD. HANGU, Pakistan - Shiites, whose annual Ashura commemoration was marred by deadly attacks by Sunni extremists in both Afghanistan and Pakistan Thursday, broke with the mainstream faith in the earliest days of Islam. The Ashura festival, which worshippers were marking when the bombers and rioters struck, itself commemorates the martyrdom of revered Shiite leader Imam Hussein at the hands of the Sunni leader Caliph Yazid in what is now Iraq more than 13 centuries ago. Hussein was a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and the battle in the central Iraqi town of Karbala in which he died was over the succession to the founder of Islam following his death in 632 AD. The founders of the Shiite tradition believed the prophet should be followed by his son-in-law and cousin, Ali, while the Sunni mainstream held that the post of caliph or successor should be taken by the most competent candidate. The first three caliphs, whom Shiites do not recognize, were appointed or elected by Mohammed's followers after his death. Ali was to be elected the fourth caliph, but he was opposed by Aisha, a wife of the prophet, amid a violent struggle. Ali was killed in 661, while praying in a mosque in Kufa, in what is now Iraq. Hussein was Ali's son, and a grandson of the prophet. He was killed in 680 AD in the nearby town of Karbala, while fighting against the forces of the Caliph Yazid. It is that event which Shiites throughout the world commemorate every year in the Ashura festival. The word Shiite derives from the Arabic expression Shariat Ali, meaning supporters of Ali. Sunni means follower of the Sunna, the established teachings of the prophet. The Shiites are believed to number around 100 million and form the majority population in Iran, Iraq and the small Gulf state of Bahrain. They are also the largest religious community in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia's oil-rich Eastern Province is home to large numbers of Shiites, as are parts of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and former Soviet Central Asia. Various heterodox forms of Shiism are also followed in parts of north Africa, Oman, Syria, Turkey and Yemen. The two holiest cities of Shiite Islam, Najaf and Karbala, lie in Iraq, housing respectively the mausoleums of Ali and Hussein. Despite their differences, most ordinary Shiites and Sunnis do not consider themselves to be members of different faiths. Most refer to themselves simply as Muslims. However many Sunni militant groups, particularly those loyal to Al-Qaeda or Afghanistan's Taliban militia, regard Shiites as heretics and have carried out attacks on Shiite targets in both Afghanistan and Pakistan in the past. In Iraq, where the US-led invasion of 2003 freed the Shiite majority from decades of oppression under Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime, Shiite ceremonies are also frequently targeted by Sunni insurgents. There were no immediate reports of violence after Thursday's Ashura commemoration in Karbala but the festival was dogged by deadly violence in both 2004 and 2005. http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/culture/?id=15712 Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
