The Sunnis and the Shias they are two groups of Muslims that have political differences and because of that, they have been in conflict for a long time.
They are mostly located in Saudi Arabia (Sunni majority) and Iran (Shia majority).
In addition to these countries, it is possible to find some Sunni and Shia minorities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Yemen, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Differences between Sunnis and Shias
Sunnis and Shias share the same tenets of the Islamic faith. However, the big question is who would be the true prophet after the death of Muhammad (570-632).
The founder and most important prophet of Islam, Muhammad (Muhammad) is the author of the Quran, the holy book of the Islamic religion.
Sunnis (about 90% of Muslims) believe that the caliph (head of state and successor to Muhammad) should be elected by the Muslims themselves.
As for the Shiites, the prophet and legitimate successor should be Ali (601-661), son-in-law of Muhammad, who was eventually murdered.
In his place, Caliph Muhawya, responsible for power in Syria, was elected. It was in this context that he decided to transfer the capital of the Caliphate, which was in the city of Medina (Saudi Arabia) to Damascus (now the capital of Syria). Even today, Medina is a holy site for Muslims as well as Mecca.
Shias are considered more traditionalists. They preserve more the traditions of the holy book and strictly adhere to the ancient interpretations of the Quran and Sharia (Islamic Law).
Sunnis, in turn, are considered more orthodox. In addition to following the precepts of the Islamic religion according to the Qur'an and Sharia, they also base their beliefs on the Suna, a book that reports the deeds of Muhammad.
For this group, religion and the state should be a single force.
Conflicts
Conflicts between Sunnis and Shias have existed for centuries, that is, since 632 AD, the year of Muhammad's death. This fact was the driving force to trigger disagreements between these peoples who, to this day, commit acts of violence among them.
As stated above, after the death of Ali, who for the Shias was supposed to be Muhammad's successor, the Islamic religion was divided into two major groups.
In addition to him, his sons were murdered:Hassan and Hussein. From there, many conflicts and civil wars developed.
Before the Prophet Muhammad, polytheism (belief in several gods) was practiced by different groups. It was, therefore, he who united Arab society in the monotheistic belief, where Allah would be the supreme God.
The actions of the prophet were essential to unite the Arab groups in a single religion:Islam.
Many countries were the scene of these conflicts, especially Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Pakistan. Among members of Shia and Sunni groups, they cultivate hatred and loathing.
In this way, the Sunni majority discriminates against the Shia minority. As a result, Shias are marginalized and oppressed, in addition to having the worst economic conditions in the Arab world.
Every year, it is possible to corroborate this hatred with the violence and executions that occur frequently, for example, of the cleric Nimr Al-Nimr in 2015, an Iranian Shiite.
This fact further increased tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is difficult to confirm which of the groups are more extremist, however, the Sunnis present a more neutral position.
Although there are controversies as many extremist groups are Sunni, for example:Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and Boko Haram.
The Civil War in Lebanon, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the current conflicts in Syria and Iran confirm that the history of violence between these groups is unfortunately far from resolved.
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