Causes Of Sunni-Shia Conflict

The historical foundation of the split between the two sects of Islam happened in the 7th century on who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnis believed it should be the best-qualified leader. On the other hand, the Shiites believed Muhammad’s blood descendants were his rightful successors.

The top three reasons Muslims in the Middle East blame for increasing Sunni-Shia conflict: American instigation of tensions in Iraq; Sunni and Shia clerics using their standing for political gain; The revival of Arab-Persian competition in the region.

The primary factor for the conflict between the two religious groups is due to the lack of trust: People from one sect do not trust the other side to be fair if they were in power, and vice versa.

There are three geopolitical camps in the region shown in the map below.The predominantly Shiite countries include Iraq, Iran, and Bahrain. The predominantly Sunni countries are Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. The countries that have mixed populations are Lebanon and Yemen.

Five sects that conservative Sunnis believe are heretics: Druze, Alawites, Alevis, Ismailis, and Sufi.
The Sufi are Islamic mystics who believe that we are all creatures of God and that there are many paths to God. Sufis go beyond external requirements of the religion to seek a personal experience of God through forms of meditation and spiritual growth.
According to the reading, reconciliation between the two major sects is possible, but for that to happen, trust must be established first. With so much bloodshed and power struggle between the two sects for many years, it is hard Sunnis and Shiites to trust one another. It takes time to heal old wounds, but once both sides realize that enough is enough, then the process of reconciliation can happen where all groups work together for the reformation of Islam.