Shia and Sunni clashes are among the most violent in the world.
But what is this divide? And how did it originate?
After Prophet Mohammad’s death in 632 AD, there was a conflict about who should succeed him. One faction, who came to be known as the Shias, or Shiites wanted the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali to lead them. But Abu Bakr, one of the Prophet’s first companions and leader of the other faction, ended up as the first Caliph.
Things really came to a head 680 AD when Ali’s grandson Hussain and his followers refused to swear allegiance to Yazid, the Sunni Caliph. Yazid’s forces slaughtered Hussain and his family, including his 6-month-old son at Karbala.
This sectarian divide has been played out in various forms, and has turned particularly violent over the last four decades.
In 1979, Iran — a regional power in the West Asia saw Shia-Islamic revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini. After centuries, a completely theocratic Shia government headed a powerful state was keen to spread its influence.
Most Islamic States had Sunni-led governments and majorities. This has led to a cold-war like situation, with Iran funding Shia groups and governments and Saudi Arabia doing the same for Sunni’s.
In Iraq, the worst Shia-Sunni conflicts began during the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, and continue to this day, with ISIS. While Sadam was accused of killing Shias and Kurds, ISIS, a self-proclaimed Sunni Caliphate has been regularly massacring Shias.
In Syria, Lebannon and Egypt the Syrian civil war has led to a rise in Sectarian tensions.
With many Sunni Muslims from around the world, including western nations flocking to fight for ISIS, this story is far from over.
The picture in South Asia, however, is a little different.
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