What’s The Difference Between A Sunni And A Shiite?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in History, The World, WarI know…it sounds like the start of a joke, but obviously it’s no laughing matter.
Reporter Jeff Stein has been asking US officials if they know what the two groups stand for and what they want. The answers he’s been getting are not encouraging.
FOR the past several months, I’ve been wrapping up lengthy interviews with Washington counterterrorism officials with a fundamental question: “Do you know the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite?�A “gotcha� question? Perhaps. But if knowing your enemy is the most basic rule of war, I don’t think it’s out of bounds. And as I quickly explain to my subjects, I’m not looking for theological explanations, just the basics: Who’s on what side today, and what does each want? [...]
But so far, most American officials I’ve interviewed don’t have a clue. That includes not just intelligence and law enforcement officials, but also members of Congress who have important roles overseeing our spy agencies. How can they do their jobs without knowing the basics?
So, do you know the difference?
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 17th, 2006 and is filed under History, The World, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 17th, 2006 at 8:36 am
Most people don’t even realize that a ‘Kurd’ doesn’t fit into the comparison. Kurds are Sunnis (for the most part) but if you mention that to your congressman it will probably blow his mind.
October 17th, 2006 at 10:07 am
Actually, I do know the difference. It is stunning if people like those quoted in the article don’t. It’s worse than stunning, it is gross incompetence and negligence. Young people’s lives are on the line here and these fools cant’ even take the time to learn the basic facts?
October 17th, 2006 at 10:16 am
It’s not too hard of a question. A basic look at news stories since the start of the war have a basic explaination. I guess that’s something FOX and talk radio could brush up on?
October 17th, 2006 at 11:14 am
It’s easy. Sunnis are Moslems who like to attack and kill other Moslems. Shi’ites are exactly the opposite.
October 17th, 2006 at 11:40 am
I just assumed the difference was about the same as Baptists and Catholics… (except for the killing part).
October 17th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Well, they started out differing on whether the Prophet’s children had special status or not. (Shiites say yes, Sunnis say no.) But for purposes of Iraq, it’s probably simplest to think of the relevant differences between the IRA and the Protestants Militias in Northern Ireland in the late 20th century: religion was more a cover/shorthand for an excuse to kill each other for other reasons, rather than any real basis of disagreement.
October 17th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Except that God Himself was the One who gave them that excuse through the Holy Words of the Koran, which was literally dictated to Mohammad vocally, in Arabic.
LoL to sleipner.
October 18th, 2006 at 2:30 am
So god literally dictated to Mohammad “Sunnis and Shi’ites must kill each other,” that clears things up.
October 18th, 2006 at 7:43 am
Pretty much.
October 18th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Which sect is predominant in U.S. prisons?
October 18th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
The Farrakahan, Elijah Mohammad, “there is a space-wheel orbitting the earth ready to destroy the white race” – sect, I believe.
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:07 pm
shiite belive that mohmmeds air should be the ruler, Sunnis belive his advisor should