The Shi’a-Sunni relationship and the world today

[Sajjad1414]

One of the controversial issues among Muslims is the relationship of Shi’as and Sunnis. There has been some conflicts between Shi’as and Sunnis during the Islamic history.

We can find some ideas in religious texts that could be construed in a way that help to this conflict. Of course, there are many examples of the teachings in Quran and Hadiths that call Muslims for unity and brotherhood.

How do you think we (Muslims) should understand Islam in the world today? What is our religious obligations toward other Muslims (from other sects)?

[Akbar673]

41 minutes ago, Sajjad1414 said:

How do you think we (Muslims) should understand Islam in the world today? What is our religious obligations toward other Muslims (from other sects)?

 

Your question begs more clarification.

What is the definition of a Shia? Is it a 12er, 6er?, 7er, Zaidi, Alawi etc...?

What is your definition of a Sunni? Is it a Wahabbi, Salafi, Hanafi, Maliki, etc...?

The issue is not as broad as saying simply Shia or Sunni. There are subgroups within each sect that have significantly different opinions on the matter.

Your question for this forum would be better suited towards "What are the obligations on (Insert whichever Shia subgroup name here) towards (insert whichever Sunni subgroup name here) ?

However, for the basis of this forum I would say the question should be "What are the obligations of 12ers, based on the teachings of the Ahle Bait, towards Wahabbi/Salafi?" (since they are the most problematic of Sunnis currently)

 

[Shabbar-E-Shabbir]

This puts it fairly nicely. I wouldn't say I agree with the entirety of points made however it's a fairly concise summary.

 

[Panzerwaffe]

A lot of this is saudi gulf states and iran rivalry but we should be not carried away 

a pakistani or indian muslim should be dearer to me than a saudi or Iranian whether they are shia or sunni 

99 % pak sunni shia got along great before iran revolution and wahabi invasion there.Muharram it seemed like all pakistan was hussainI

this bs was started by wahabis and holier than thou shia Zakir who publicly curse 

pakistan despite all this problems was a model community for sectarian tolerance till 80s

 

[js47]

As an agnostic person (a former Catholic but in name only) living in America, I have this to say about the interviewee:

He was polite throughout the interview but lied through his teeth so that he wouldn't look bad to his Sunni buddies.

I liked his point that perhaps unity was not possible - that seems evident to me - but he kept on suggesting that somehow the Shia and Sunni were equally at fault or equally violent or equally inflammatory.

As a neutral ref, I can tell you with 100% certainty - when American say "there is a problem with Islam," even when Donald Trump supporters say there is a problem within Islam, they don't know it, but the problem is actually a Salafi problem, a Sunni problem, and the two from what I can tell are becoming harder to distinguish.

[mayf321d]

With the global threat of sunnite violence growing (ISIS, Syria, suicide attacks, hateful preachers, etc), and the Islamophobia that results from it I have found that life has become a lot harder in the workplace and in public.

Whenever possible I disassociate myself from sunnism instead of 'extremists' to the layperson.

The difference between sunnism and Shia Islam is vast, however the difference between sunnism and sunni terrorism is very small.

I do not want to be associated with sunnism as they have a much harder case to argue regarding extremism in their own religion, whereas Shia Muslims do not. 

[Panzerwaffe]

On 29/07/2016 at 9:44 PM, js47 said:

As an agnostic person (a former Catholic but in name only) living in America, I have this to say about the interviewee:

He was polite throughout the interview but lied through his teeth so that he wouldn't look bad to his Sunni buddies.

I liked his point that perhaps unity was not possible - that seems evident to me - but he kept on suggesting that somehow the Shia and Sunni were equally at fault or equally violent or equally inflammatory.

As a neutral ref, I can tell you with 100% certainty - when American say "there is a problem with Islam," even when Donald Trump supporters say there is a problem within Islam, they don't know it, but the problem is actually a Salafi problem, a Sunni problem, and the two from what I can tell are becoming harder to distinguish.

I agree with you  however there is nothing inherently peaceful about 12er shiaism either its just that it there is NO INTEREST of the 12er establishment (who have a much tighter control over their followers than sunnis due to marja system) to come in conflict with the west or western interests