Shiaphobia
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Shiaphobia or Anti-Shi'ism (pronounced anti-SHE-ism) is hatred of Shia Muslims or prejudice against them.[1][2]
Shia Muslims make up somewhere between 10-13% of Muslims worldwide.[3] Shortly after Muhammad's death, Sunni Islam and Shia Islam split because they disagreed on what type of person that could become a caliph: a top Muslim leader. Shias believe the leader should be related to the Prophet Muhammad.[4] Sunnis, however, believe the leader should be chosen for his ability to lead the community.[4]
Journalists have noted that Shia and Sunni people lived together peacefully for centuries and even intermarried,[5] but political upheaval has sparked new conflict between the two groups.[6] Vali Nasr, an Iranian-American author and professor, has suggested that modern anti-Shi'ism violence is just a part of the overall conflict in the region, particularly due to the the collapse of authoritarian rule in the region.[7]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Anti-Shi'ism". Shia Rights Watch. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ↑ Kedourie, Elie (April 1988). "Anti-Shi'ism in Iraq under the Monarchy". Middle Eastern Studies. 24 (2): 249–253. doi:10.1080/00263208808700740.
- ↑ "Muslimpopulation.pdf" (PDF). Pew Research Center.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mike Schuster (12 February 2007). "The Origins Of The Shiite-Sunni Split". NPR. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ↑ Peter Beaumont (8 June 2013). "Conflict in the Middle East is about more than just religion". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ↑ Alyssa Fetini (16 September 2009). "Understanding the Sunni-Shi'ite Divide". Time Inc. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ↑ Nasr, Vali 2006. The Shia revival: how conflicts within Islam will shape the future. W.W. Norton, pp. 52-53. ISBN 978-0-393-06211-3
