In his speech two days ago, Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah noted that the balance of popular support between the March 8 forces - the code name of political Shiism represented by the party - and the March 14 forces - the code name of political
Sunnism represented by the Future Movement - will remain unchanged for the next hundred years, concluding that both sides should offer concessions to exit this predicament.
As his logic accepts or rejects democracy according to those demanding it, it has dire consequences starting with the acceptance of exceptions within democracy, which may affect the Muslim Brotherhood itself by stigmatising it with an abhorrent sectarianism and a bias towards an oppressive minority due to is
Sunnism.
They have been accused of spreading their Shiite beliefs, holding
Sunnism in contempt, insulting the four rightly guided caliphs, receiving funding from abroad to propagate their sect in Egypt and attract new converts.
To start with, the Houthis are believers in Zaydi Shiism, a branch of Islam that often appears closer to
Sunnism, but with some important distinctions.
But in truth his greatest achievements lay elsewhere, and that was in his restoration of
Sunnism in Egypt," says Azzam.
Their quiescence and subordination to
Sunnism is over!
His persistent efforts to establish a fifth official Muslim law school--however well meaning in its desire to bridge the gaps between
Sunnism and Shi'ism--certainly won little support within Iran.
The Saudi government worked closely with Wahhabi ulema to build a network of seminaries, mosques, schools, activists, writers and journalists to emphasize Sunni identity, push it in the direction of militant Wahhabism, drive a wedge between
Sunnism and Shiism and eliminate Iran's ideological influence.
The trend might also signal a shift in the centuries-old public perception about the respective merits of Shiism and
Sunnism. For centuries Sunnis have been the stronger communities in the Muslim world and usually the rulers, while the Shi'a have been weaker and usually the ruled.
"The Origins of al Qaeda's Ideology: Implications for US Strategy" details the origins of
Sunnism and the personalities responsible for morphing it into the current militant form exemplified by the likes of al Qaeda.
First, Gregorian lays the background knowledge of Islam by presenting Prophet Muhammad as the messenger of Allah, the origin of Qur'an, the formation and the spread of Islam, and the conflicts in Islam leading to the diversities of
Sunnism, Shiism, and Sufism.
Its split with
Sunnism relates to a dispute over who was the proper successor to Mohammed, not to differing degrees of theological rigidity or piety.