Sunnis vs. Shiites in Iraq is all about who holds the power by Corina Ciubotaru

Ever wondered what the difference is between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and what is the true reason for all this fighting? Both the Sunnis and the Shiites have the three main doctrines: the oneness of God, the belief in the revelations of Muhammad and the resurrection on the Day of Judgment. The Sunnis have established a set of rules called Shari'a, while the Shiites developed an organizational system long after. The Sunnis represent 90% of the Islam adherents, which is why we've heard of them more. The Shiites are the partisans of Muhammad's son in law Ali more than Muhammad's and they are not a united group. They represent the majority in Iran and 56% of Muslims in Iraq, so the numbers don't seem to favor any cult in the country. The Shiites may be regarded as the faction of the underdogs and have caused many rebellions across the Islamic world, as their war against Sunnis is all about gaining power, in Iraq at least. Whatever American forces are trying to accomplish there, their goal to establish a democracy is beginning to look impossible. The best way to make peace last in a divided country like that is to bring all the people together and make their lives connected somehow, so that keeping the peace is in everyone's best interest. This has been attempted in Iraq by forming a government where Sunni and Shiite ministers can work together for the benefit of their countrymen, but the end-result so far is that Sunni representatives have left the administration. No unity in this case, and no peace.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070806/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AqKOb7t7rQ8Yq8ErfmBHrPGs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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