Transcript Slide 1

SUNNI vs. SHIITE
WHAT CAUSED THE SPLIT?
• Muhammad, Islam’s
founder, died in 632 A.D.
-did not name a successor
• Muslims couldn’t agree
how to choose new Caliph
-Muhammad’s bloodline only?
-or, Muhammad’s closest
advisors / friends too?
SUNNI & SHIITE
• Shiites
-those who supported
Muhammad’s blood
relatives only
• Sunnis
-those who supported
any top Muslim leader
THE SPLIT
• Sunni & Shiites met
on the battlefield
-Sunnis won
• Shiites still refused
to accept Sunni
Caliphs
-appointed own leaders
(Imams)
AFTER THE SPLIT
• Sunnis controlled
the Caliphate & most
Muslim countries
-became dominate sect
-90% of world’s Muslims
are Sunni
• Sunnis spread prejudice
& oppressed Shiites
-treated them as 2nd class citizens
IRAQ
• Britain & France
created Iraq (1918)
-Shiite (60%), Sunni (20%)
-but, put Sunnis in charge
-Shiites faced discrimination
• Saddam Hussein took
power (1979 – 2003)
-increased Shiite oppression
-murdered Shiites (300,000+)
POST-SADDAM HUSSEIN
• USA enforced open
elections for Iraq’s
new gov’t. (2005)
• Shiites took control of Iraq
- “payback” time
-have excluded Sunnis from
all positions of power
-some Sunnis murdered
SUNNI RESPONSE IN IRAQ
• Demand more
power in gov’t.
• Sunni terrorism groups
began bombing campaigns
-bombed Shiites’ most
holy mosque
-in return, Shiite militias
have kidnapped, tortured,
& murdered Sunnis
IRAQ TODAY
• Sunni & Shiite extremist
(terrorist) groups carry
out attacks
• On Verge of Civil War
-Sunni & Shia are fighting
for control of Iraq’s gov’t.
(power!)
TERRORIST GROUPS
• Sunni
-Al – Qaeda
-Fatah
-Hamas
• Shiite
-Hezbollah