[Popman]

What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?

Insanity ?

[MasterGunner01]

My understanding of the Shia-Sunni split among Muslims came about because the prophet Mohammed died without naming a successor. Therefore, a great debate grew up as to who was his legitimate heir. Was it his uncle or was it his brother-in-law? Suffice to say that Muslims have been butchering each other in the name of Allah ever since, except when they're murdering Infidels (non-believers).

[cripplecreek]

Left handed head hackers vs right handed head hackers?

[wku man]

"What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?"

One sect prefers to have relations with goats, while the other prefers sheep.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[MIchaelTArchangel]

The Sunni Muslims believe in killing all infidels and all Shiite Muslims whereas teh Shiite Muslims believe in killing all infidels and all Sunni Muslims.

[EricT.]

What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?

Center mass hits from a .50BMG?

[CurlyDave]

On a much more serious note than most of the responses here, exactly why doesn’t the western world exploit the deep differences between the major flavors of islam, promoting shooting war after shooting war until they are exhausted enough to be easily defeated?

[AndrewB]

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

There were no direct descendants left by around the ninth century. The Shiites believe that the last Imam has disappeared into eternity and will return.

Misleading. The Ismailis are Shiite, and they think there is a direct descendant and living imam. IIRC he is a Harvard man, class of '57. :) Back in the day, had a lovely home on the Rue des Ursins in the heart of Paris...built a very cool resort in Sardinia...my human almanac is on a tear.

[sageb1]

Seems by now Freepers would know enough to add Islam to keywords.

[combat_boots]

The split and its variations between sunni and 5er,7er and 12er shia all point to the issue of succession after Ali’s death, which has deepened into an argument of which faction is ‘right.’ As late as the 20th century, sunnis destroyed Hasan’s burial mosque.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi%27a_view_of_Hassan_ibn_Ali

So much for muslims not killing other muslims.

THe 3rd caliph was murdered, and the inclination extended to generations thereafter.

[the invisib1e hand]

There’s a book called “The Closing of The Muslim Mind” (haven’t read it, but heard the author interviewed) that I think sheds much light on this. One group or the other rejected reason and became fundamentalist slaves.

[Prospero]

This is, as they say, academic - in more ways than one.

Hottinger glosses over the division forgetting to mention its origins literally with the death of Mohamed, himself. And his equating of American evangelicals with fundamentalists in Pakistan is academic bigotry, or pompous bigotry.

There are better sources for those interested in the origins of the divisions among Muslims, and the differences between Persians and Arabs.

[Mike Darancette]

A preference for billy or nanny goats?

[ApplegateRanch]

What divides Sunni and Shiite Muslims?

A well wielded sabre?

[MestaMachine]

Comparison of Shia, Sunni and Sufi Factions of Islam

http://staff.jccc.net/jbacon/readings/world_religions/Sunni-Shia.htm

[sheik yerbouty]

Is there such a huge difference? Given their behavior, I figure they’re nearly all Sh*tites..

[Pollster1]

They consider the Koran perfect, so the Sunni should defer to the Shiite. After all, the entire Koran is full of Shiite.

[odds]

The Persian Shia Islam is strongly mixed with the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism.

Wrong. -- FR discussion - #16 plus

[taxesareforever]

And we are continually told that islam is a religion. It is not a religion. It is an ideology with intent to rule according to shria law. That makes it a political entity and not a religion.