[Corporate Democrat]

Religious Shia wear turbans in a very distinctive style, one they say is how Mo and his Companions wore them. Sunnis do not. Shia also like wearing black cloaks when wearing their turban. That's pretty much the most visible way to tell a crowd in Jeddah apart from a crowd in Tehran.

Shia really like calling their kids Hussein and Ali. If you ever see a Abu-Bakr, Omar, Muwaiyah or Yazid, he's almost certainly a Sunni.

Shia also believe in respecting the graves of Mo's Companions, and pray at their graves out of respect and often requests for their spiritual intercession. Sunnis view this as grave-worshiping and therefore shirk (polytheism) and equivalent to apostasy. Sunnis would actually prefer to destroy all the graves, bodies and monuments that encourage shirk.

This is a BIG deal for Muslims, because apostasy carries a death sentence. Therefore this practice marks all Shia for death in the eyes of some Sunnis. It's roughly comparable to Catholic veneration of saints and beliefs in Intercession, as opposed to Protestant minimalism.

Although obviously it's not as big of a deal, as Christianity doesn't demand death for Christians who may or may not have deviated.

Some Shia also engage in self-flagellation. Shia have also historically used mutah (temporary marriages) to justify Islamically what is basically prostitution.

[Bigg Red]

Thank you so much for taking so much time to answer my questions. God bless.

[ArmstedFragg]

It's roughly comparable to Catholic veneration of saints and beliefs in Intercession, as opposed to Protestant minimalism.

If you gave the Protestants automatic weapons and a thirst for blood....