Shias and Sunnis: The Influence of Sectarianism in the Middle East

Shias and Sunnis: The Influence of Sectarianism in the Middle East

Introduction

There is a problem in the Middle East called sectarianism. It is causing division and problems in many countries, like the Persian Gulf, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Countries that were already not very strong were having a hard time dealing with the ongoing conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims, as well as issues related to the rights of minority groups. These problems became even more challenging after the changes and disruptions caused by the Arab Spring. This blog will talk about why people in different religious groups don't get along, how it affects the area they live in, and the problems it creates for the United States in protecting what it wants.

The Origins of Sectarianism

A long time ago, after a very important person named Mohammed died, some people couldn't agree on who should take his place. Two different groups formed within Islam: the Sunni and the Shia. Some people who follow the Sunni belief say that the person who should take over after the leader should be very close to him. On the other hand, some people who follow the Shia belief say that the leader's family members should be the ones to take over after him. This argument caused a time of fighting among the people called Fitna.

Modern sectarianism, which means people fighting and hating each other because of their different beliefs, can be connected to something called World War I. In the year 1916, the British and French began making plans to beat Germany and their friend, the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire had been in charge of a big part of the Middle East for a really long time, like 400 years. After World War One, some powerful countries decided to split up the land that used to belong to the Ottoman Empire. They did this to make sure that France and Britain would have control and influence over those areas. There was an agreement called the Sykes-Picot Agreement that decided how to divide the Arab provinces. This agreement created new countries that weren't natural and caused problems between different religious and ethnic groups.

The Rise of Sectarianism

After World War II, some very powerful leaders called strongman dictators came into power. These leaders made the problem of people from different religious or ethnic groups not getting along even worse. These people who were in charge of the military, like Gamal Abdel Nasser in Egypt and Saddam Hussein in Iraq, used harsh methods to stay in power and control their countries. Even though it wasn't the best situation, having this enforced stability stopped fights between different groups from happening.

In 2003, the United States went into Iraq and stayed there for a while. This made the problems between different religious groups in Iraq even worse. Many Shia people in Iraq who were suffering from unfair treatment by the Sunni government benefited from the invasion. They were able to be free from violence and repression. But it also made the differences between the Sunni and Shia groups even bigger.

The Arab Spring and Its Consequences

The Arab Spring was a series of events that happened in 2011. It happened because people in the Arab world were not happy with how their leaders were treating them. These leaders were like bosses who had a lot of power and didn't let people have a say in how things were done. The people wanted to change this and have more freedom. The reason why people started protesting and fighting for their rights was because they wanted to have a say in how their country is run and to be treated with respect and fairness. But because people didn't work well together and there wasn't a new way of running the government, things became unstable, and different groups started fighting each other based on their beliefs.

In Syria, there were protests called the Arab Spring. These protests started because people were unhappy with the government. But instead of staying peaceful, the protests turned into a fight between two groups of people. One group is the Alawites, who are a small group in charge of the government. The other group is the Sunnis, who are the majority of people in Syria. The fighting went from one place to another, making people from different religious groups even more angry at each other in that area.

The Role of Proxy Wars and Regional Powers

The fights in Syria and Iraq are like battles fought by other countries that want to protect their own interests in that area. Iran helps the government of Assad in Syria, while Saudi Arabia helps the people who are against Assad, called rebels. This has made the disagreements between different groups even worse and made it harder to find solutions to these problems.

ISIS is a group that has become very powerful in Iraq and Syria. They say they are creating an Islamic country. This happened because of what happened after the United States invaded those countries. When the United States invaded, it caused a lot of problems and chaos. This chaos made it easier for ISIS to become powerful. ISIS wants to change the lines on the map and question the way countries were created in the Middle East a long time ago.

The impact on Lebanon

The fighting in Syria has had a significant impact on Lebanon, a country where different religious groups coexist. Lots of people from Syria who follow the Sunni Muslim religion have come to a new place. This has made things harder because there are not enough resources for everyone. It has also changed the number of people who follow different religions in that place, with more Sunni Muslims now. This has made the existing problems between different religious groups in Lebanon even worse. The Sunni, Shia, and Maronite communities are not getting along well.

The Challenges of Governance and Democracy

The problems and disagreements in the Middle East are not just about different religious groups. Some things make the region unstable. One of them is that many young people don't have jobs, which means they don't have a way to make money. Another thing is that there aren't many chances for people to make money in the region. These things together make the region unstable. When there are no rules to follow and people don't get a say in making decisions, it makes it even harder for peace and stability to happen.

Conclusion

In the Middle East, different groups of people have different beliefs and ways of doing things. They sometimes don't get along with each other because of things that happened in the past, disagreements about how to run the government, and problems with money. It has made the differences between people stronger and made it harder to make things stable and fair in the area. The United States needs to be careful when dealing with complicated situations so that it doesn't make things worse.