Why islam split

As a scholar of Islam and a public educator, I often field questions about Sunnis, Shias and the sects of Islam.

What exactly is the Shia-Sunni divide? And what is its history? The differences are related more to historical events, ideological heritage and issues of leadership. The first and central difference emerged after the death of Prophet Muhammad in A. This group held that Ali was appointed by the prophet to be the political and spiritual leader of the fledgling Muslim community. Abu Bakr became the first caliph and Ali became the fourth caliph. Aisha was defeated, but the roots of division were deepened.

D For the Shias, this battle, known as the Battle of Karbala, holds enormous historical and religious significance. This helped Tehran attract Shia militias from Iraq and Lebanon that would fight for Iranian interests.

Making the Syrian civil war as sectarian as possible also ensures that the Syrian government, which is Shia, will remain loyal to Iran.

Sunni-Shia hatred in the Middle East may be new, and it may be artificial. But over the past decade, it has nonetheless become very real. Sectarian fear, distrust, and violence now exists at a grassroots level.

The hostility runs so deeply now that although Sunni-Shia tension is not ancient, it might as well be. Tribalism — that is, the tendency to side with your own group, however defined, especially in times of conflict — has its own internal logic and momentum that often has little or nothing to do with the demographics through which it manifests. But once a society divides along tribal lines — whether they are religious or racial or ethnic — those lines become experienced as real.

Consider Rwanda: Before colonialism, the line between Hutu and Tutsi was mostly a class distinction, and often a blurry one 1. But about a century ago, Belgian colonists hardened the distinction, pushing the idea that Hutus and Tutsis were completely distinct ethnic groups and entrenching Tutsis as dominant over Hutus.

As such, after colonialism, political grievances fell along this ethnic line. Even though the ethnic distinction was arguably in part a modern colonial invention, Rwandans began to treat it as real, which helped lead to one of the worst genocides in modern history. There's debate over whether, or the degree to which, Hutus and Tutsis are ethnically distinct.

Some studies suggest they are; others suggest they're in fact pretty genetically similar. Suffice to say the genetics are complicated, but that Hutu and Tutsi views of their own differences have changed over time, which goes to show how malleable ethnic identities can be, and the degree to which supposedly ancient and unbridgeable divides are in fact modern inventions.

Consider also the city of Baghdad. For much of its history, Sunni and Shia lived generally peacefully, side by side in mixed neighborhoods.

But when the US toppled Saddam and disbanded the Iraqi army, it opened a dangerous security vacuum. Lawlessness and street justice prevailed.

Communities that happened to be Sunni or Shia formed self-defense militias, first to protect themselves, then to exact revenge killings. Sunni families and Shia families came to see one another as threats, and the militias committed massacres to drive out the other side.

In just two years, Baghdad's once-mixed neighborhoods were starkly divided by religion. The story of Baghdad is important not because it's necessary to blame America for everything but because this was in some ways the start of today's Sunni-Shia region-wide war, and it shows how that conflict is not really primarily about religion.

Rather, it is a story of how insecurity and fear can lead a once-unified people to divide themselves along some tribal line, which then hardens into hatred and violence. And it shows how people will split along whichever lines are most readily available, or whichever lines happen to line up with the politics of the moment. In that case, it was religion. But there's little to this story that is in itself religious, much less ancient. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding.

Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today to help us keep our work free for all. Sunni extremists frequently denounce Shia as heretics who should be killed.

The Iranian revolution of launched a radical Shia Islamist agenda that was perceived as a challenge to conservative Sunni regimes, particularly in the Gulf.

Tehran's policy of supporting Shia militias and parties beyond its borders was matched by Sunni-ruled Gulf states, which strengthened their links to Sunni governments and movements elsewhere. Today, many conflicts in the region have strong sectarian overtones.

In Syria, Iranian troops, Hezbollah fighters and Iranian-backed Shia militiamen have been helping the Shia-led government battle the Sunni-dominated opposition. Sunni jihadist groups, including Islamic State IS , have meanwhile been targeting Shia and their places of worship in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

In January , the execution by Saudi Arabia of a prominent Shia cleric who supported mass anti-government protests triggered a diplomatic crisis with Iran and angry demonstrations across the Middle East. Quick guide: Islam. Sunnis and Shia in the Middle East. Image source, AP. The roots of the Sunni-Shia divide can be traced all the way back to the seventh century, soon after the death of the prophet Muhammad in A.

Ali eventually became the fourth caliph or Imam, as Shiites call their leaders , but only after the two that preceded him had both been assassinated. Ali, himself, was killed in , as the bitter power struggle between Sunni and Shia continued. This combination of money and power would only grow. A massive Sunni army waited for them, and by the end of a day standoff with various smaller struggles, Hussein was killed and decapitated, and his head brought to Damascus as a tribute to the Sunni caliph.

In addition to Karbala, the NPR podcast Throughline identified three key milestones that would sharpen Sunni-Shia divisions by the end of the 20th century. First came the rise of the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century, which transformed Iran through force from a Sunni center into the Shia stronghold of the Middle East.