2006-12-02 19:20:48 · 19 answers · asked by [ a. j. ] 1 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
By this, I mean beyond their spiritual differences... are there cultural, political, or societal differences that you sense or have read of?
2006-12-02 19:38:52 · update #1
The first drift occured when the 3rd successor of Prophet Mohammad, Othman was assassinated. The fourth calif, or successor of Mohammad was Ali. His opponents called for his removal on the basis that he didn't pursue the killers of Othman. The quarrel was fought out and Ali was eventually defeated and killed, together with his two sons, Hassan and Hussain. His followers, or Shiites, later claimed that he was the one most deserving of leading Moslems after Mohammad and he became more of a holy figure, revered almost as a prophet. Sunnis, who are majority among Moslems, believe in Ali as one of Mohammad's disciples, and is revered as such, but nothing more. Other things later followed, with the Shiites having their own dress code and their own religious leadership and their many interpretations of the Koraan, with emphasis on the holiness of Ali and his family branch.
2006-12-02 19:34:51 · answer #1 · answered by seek_fulfill 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The Sunnis believe that any one who is elected from among the believers of Islam can be a Mular and the Shiites believe that only a descendant of Mohammed can be a rightful Mular. They followed Ali a relation of Mohammed.
2006-12-05 16:49:00 · answer #2 · answered by Plato 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What it tells me is that human beings have a natural tendency to want to break down into smaller groups. That is why the 'Nation State' exists. If everyone agreed to share the same religion tomorrow, it wouldn't be long before separate factions began to develop. Even Islam can't stay intact. Neither could the Christian church. That is also why the EU wont stay intact. It is too big and the pull of the original 'nation state' would re-emerge.
2006-12-05 06:40:17 · answer #3 · answered by Veritas 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is not much difference,Both factions are Muslims and in most of the Islamic countries both are living side by side like a strong brotherhood.The little differences are cultural because shities mourn physically, the death of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).Sunnies dont do that.The clash In Iraq between these two main islamic thoughts is more political than reliegious.
2006-12-03 03:29:16 · answer #4 · answered by mentaq 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It is not a matter of opinion, their is a distinct difference in the two sects.
The Sunnis follow the teachings of Mohammad.
The Shiites follow the teachings of Ali - the nephew of Mohammed.
Their are many other sects of Islam including the Ismaelis who's leader is the Aga Khan.
2006-12-03 03:28:46 · answer #5 · answered by ian d 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The fact that both are ( so called ) Muslims should tell you some thing about their religion,they've been handed freedom on a plate and all they can do is blow each other up,the sad part about it is if the alliance pull out the country, it will go into civil war
2006-12-03 03:36:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Shiites are people that you just don`t wanna know, (although I thought that you spelt it with only one i,) and sunnis are people with a pleasant, happy disposition.
2006-12-03 04:22:14 · answer #7 · answered by The BudMiester 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
with the exception of the dominant shite country Iran which is Persian,the shite in most Arab countries are Arab.in Iraq the way to separate who is shite and who is Sunni is by their names and nothing else.
2006-12-03 04:09:13 · answer #8 · answered by miraclehand2020 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sunnis ancestors beheaded shiites ancestors, so its payback time...
so the difference is the number of kills lol
2006-12-03 07:52:29 · answer #9 · answered by lantaliban 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Shiites like to take their time with electric drills.
The Sunnis are more efficient and prefer carbombs and IEDs.
2006-12-03 03:24:46 · answer #10 · answered by nick4thompson 1 · 1⤊ 3⤋