There are, of course, sub-sects within the sects.
Within Shiite Islam one finds:
- Twelvers: the most common form of Shiism; "twelvers" accept a line of twelve infallible imams descended from Ali.
- Ismali or Seveners: the second largest Shiite sect, which recognizes only the first seven imams.
- Zaydis: a minority sect that only recognizes the first five imams, and
- Alawite: a tiny subset found predominantly in Syria and Lebanon; they interpret the 5 Pillars -- duties -- of Islam as symbolic rather than applied, and celebrate an eclectic group of Christian and Islamic holidays. (The Assad family and the Syrian ruling elite are Alawites).
The Sunnis have one major sectarian subdivision called Wahhabi. They are, arguably, the most pervasive revivalist movement in the Islamic world. Unlike other Islamic sects, they tend to apply the Quran and Haddith [sayings of the Prophet and his companions] in a literal way. They occupy a position roughly equivalent to the ultra-orthodox haridim in Judaism. It should be noted that there is an extremely close relationship between the Saudi ruling family and the Wahhabi religious establishment. The most conservative interpretations of Wahhabi Islam view Shiites and other non-Wahhabi Muslims as dissident heretics. Outside of Saudi Arabia, this sect often goes by the name Salifi -- Arabic for "predecessors" or "ancestors."
One must also give a shout-out to the Sufi, the mystical branch of Islam. Historically, their influence was felt far more in Africa and Asia. Indeed, the tomb of one of the most revered Sufi saints, Khoja AfÄ , is in Kashgar, China.
So how in the world is it that these two groups [and their various sub groups] could be killing, fighting, and dying over something that happened nearly 1,400 years ago? Ah, there's the great distinction or difference between Western and Eastern history. Some people live and plan for their collective future by giving the past a vote but not a veto; others take marching orders strictly from their collective past. Sunnis and Shiites have been going at it for hundreds and hundreds of years, as if the issues upon which they so violently disagree -- prophetic succession and legal interpretation -- occurred last Thursday. To be sure, the rise of secular ideologies in the first half of the 20th century -- Nationalism, Communism, Baathism -- did manage to temporary mute or deflect tensions between the sects. But as Bill Cosby once quipped about Novocain, "It doesn't cure pain; it merely postpones it."
It is all reminiscent of a story Grandpa Doc like to tell:
A Jewish man is stranded on a desert island. After many years, his presence on the island is discovered by a passing ship. He greets his rescuers with dignity, grace and a cup of tea. They ask him how he has survived all these years. He then begins to proudly show them around his self-made paradise: his orchard, his garden and his pasture. Then, he tells them, "Ve go to 'da other side of 'da island, and I show ya 'da piece 'da resistance." They follow him to the leeward side of the isle where he proudly points to two finely-crafted grass huts. "What are these?" his rescuers ask. "Meina two shuls," he answers. "Your what?" they ask. "Meina two shuls -- meina two synagogues." "But why do you need two?" they ask. "Ah," he says, pointing to one , "Dats 'da vun I go to religiously every day. And dat vun," he says, pointing to the other, "Dats the vun I'd never step foot in!"
This new sectarian dimension -- Shiites going to war against Sunnis in order to hasten yawm al-qiyamah ("The Day of Resurrection") -- makes Western (read: American) involvement in Syria all the more problematic. Goodness knows taking sides in a civil war is difficult enough even without the added apocalyptic ambit. This chilling addition should force all sides, all potential players, to think long and hard; to consider every possible move and counter-move on the strategic chessboard. For when the 9th century comes 'a calling it's a whole new game; one whose rules, though older than time, possess an immediacy that is likely beyond our understanding.
-2013 Kurt F. Stone
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
3
3
2
