Why do the Shi'ites hate the Sunnis (and vice versa)?

Question

Is it like the Catholics hating the Protestants?

Please excuse my ignorance, no one's ever explained it to me.

Answer 1

There is really no main difference between a sunni and a shiite. A sunni just believes differently about the caliphs (religious leaders after Muhamed's pbuh death) saying that Ali (RA) was the first while a shiite believes Abu Bakr (RA) was the first. There are other differences too, but they are minor and thus there is not a main difference. personally, i'm a sunni and for me all that matters is that a shiite is still a muslim ............. we do follow the same book after all

as for the fights and wars among each other ......... poki answered correctly - damn politics

EDIT: i'll just add that Abu Bakr (RA) was related to our prophet (pbuh) by blood, whille Ali (RA) was not ............ shiite believe caliphs whould descend from blood line, sunni don't think it matters really

Answer 2

I don't think it's ignorance at all, I think it's just what's needed, for someone to look at a complicated situation like this, and ask an intelligent question.

First of all it's a problem with rligion, as it segregates people into different types, making people forget that they are all human beings - this then gives people a way of de-humanising the hurt they inflict on each other. Add to this the fact that for so many years they were all repressed under the same regime, and misunderstandings/hate were oppressed, enabling them to grow into resentment, unleashed when they were "liberated". It's been the same throughout history - Christians and Muslims, Protestants and Catholics.

The same applies when talking about different countries - Iraq/Iran, North/South Korea, etc, etc. It's like two mosquitoes arguing over who owns the arm they bite.

Answer 3

there is greater to the situation than religious variations. In the two the cases you suggested, *classification* is a greater physically powerful situation than religious variations. The ruling classification professes one version of the religion, the oppressed classification professes the different version of the religion. Say what you will with reference to the convenience of classifying the opposing forces via religion particularly than classification--it relatively is nevertheless regardless of if one is the oppressed or the oppressor that motives the conflict.

Answer 4

It's about a muslim soap opera that happened a 1000 years ago. All about money and power, who becomes the new king.
Murder in the family and who takes revenge. It's the longest running theatrical farce in history and everyone gets to play a part. Something like Shakespeare's Macbeth without the witches(because women don't count in muslim power plays).

Answer 5

All religious people are attracted to different things and in their minds their way is the best. Take a line from Blazing Saddles--these people are hard working salt of the earth people---you know morons!

Answer 6

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
--Steven Weinberg

Answer 7

I see a lot of people making excuses.The coalition are loosing their lives because of this.

Answer 8

actually, its more like the protestants hating the catholics. most catholics don't give a damn what protestants think, since they know they are the first christian religion, and the one closest to how Jesus expected us to behave. The hatred in christianity started with calvin and luther telling people to hate the catholic church and continued with the pentecostals screaming about hell and damnation for anybody who didn't support their church. its funny, but i'd rather follow a religious leader who gives up all his material things to teach, than someone who drives a caddy, and lives in a mansion while his paritioners can't afford to feed their kids!

Answer 9

i think its similar to the protestant/catholic divide. same faith, same (almost) practice but slightly different versions of historical priority.

Answer 10

yea i think the same as far as i can gather, all religion should be banned world wide why do wars break out? religion, no religions no wars?