Shia-Sunni

Citation:** Stearns, Peter N., et al. __World Civilization: The Global Experience__. Ed. Janet Lanphier. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007.
 * SHIA-SUNNI

I. The Sunni-Shi'a Split
 * the conflict started with the murder of the third Caliph, Uthman.
 * Uthman unpopularity arose from his origins as a Umayyad, the ex-enemies of Muhammad
 * people who supported Ali, a clansman of Muhammad, saw the death of Uthman as an opportunity
 * The Umayyads rejected Ali's claim. They sought revenge after the death of Uthman went unpunished
 * The Umayyads and Ali went to war. Ali almost defeated them at the Battle of Siffin when he respected a plea of mediation.
 * his own supporters did not want to negotiate and renounced Ali as a leader. While Ali and his allies were arguing, the Umayyads regrouped their forces.
 * 660 C.E.- Mu'awiya (a Umayyad) became the new caliph and Ali was assassinated
 * The basic split of the Sunni-Shi'a goes back to the question of sucession: Sunnis (Umayyads) and Shi'a (supporters of Ali)

II. Modern Conflicts The above picture is the Mosque where Ali is buried.
 * Citation:** "Sunni-Shi'a Relations." Wikipedia. 17 Apr. 2009. Wikimedia. 21 Apr. 2009.[].
 * The Sunni-Shi'a split has been very prevalent in Afghanistan
 * the Sunni-Taliban has targeted the Hazara ethnic group, the primer Shi'a faction in Afghanistan
 * 1998: 8000+ killed in a Taliban targeted attack on a Hazara location (Mazar-i-Sharif)

The above map shows the Muslim Distribution of Sunni vs. Shia.

68,700,000 || Shi'a population: 61,800,000 || % Shi'a 89.96 ||
 * [|Iran] || Total population:
 * [|Pakistan] || 165,800,800 || 33,200,000 || 20.02 ||
 * [|Iraq] || 26,000,000 || 17,400,000 || 66.92 ||
 * [|Turkey] || 69,660,000 || 17,400,000 || 25.00[|[56]] ||
 * [|India] || 1,009,000,000 || 11,000,000 || 1.09 ||
 * [|Azerbaijan] || 8,000,000 || 6,000,000 || 75.00 ||
 * [|Afghanistan] || 31,000,000 || 5,900,000 || 19.03 ||
 * [|Saudi Arabia] || 27,000,000 || 4,000,000 || 14.81 ||
 * [|Lebanon] || 3,900,000 || 1,700,000 || 43.59 ||
 * [|Kuwait] || 2,400,000 || 730,000 || 30.42 ||
 * [|Bahrain] || 700,000 || 520,000 || 74.29 ||
 * [|Syria] || 18,900,000 || 190,000 || 1.01 ||
 * [|UAE] || 2,600,000 || 160,000 || 6.15 ||
 * [|Qatar] || 890,000 || 140,000 || 15.73 ||
 * [|Oman] || 3,100,000 || 31,000 || 1.00 ||
 * Source: [|Based on data from numerous scholarly references and from governments and NGOs in the Middle East and the West.] ||

Above: The chart that estimates the population of Sunni-Shi'a in different Middle Eastern Countries. [|Sunni-Shi'a population distribution]


 * FIVE PILLARS OF FAITH**


 * Citation:** Stearns, Peter N., __World Civilizations: The Global Experience.__ Ed. Janet Lamphier. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007.

1. "There is no God by Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet." 2. Pray five times a day facing the holy city of Mecca 3. Fast during the month of Ramadan 4. Zakat: the tithe for charity 5. hajj: believers must journey to the holy city of Mecca and the Ka'ba.