OK, who can cough up references

[Ernesto]

on why sunnis, shias, wahabis (sic) etc. can't get along. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is clueless about the characteristics of the people that seem to be running my world.

[Minstrel Boy]

1. They seem to be getting along fine.

It's the neo-cons who are exacerbating sectarian division, because they don't want a strong, independent Iraq.

[PassingFair]

2. 2 words

Religious Wackos.

Ok more words. Religious wackos bent on absolute control over women. And we're incubating a breed of them over here.
:puke:

[WilliamPitt]

3. In Iraq

they don't get along for these reasons:

1. The Sunnis ran the show under Hussein (who was a Sunni) even though they were a minority. The Ba'ath party is essentially a Sunni organization.

2. The Shia were brutally repressed by the Ba'ath Party Sunnis in Iraq at the behest of Hussein, even though the Shia are the clear majority at about 62% of the population. This is part of the problem now. The Shia hear 'democracy,' look at their superior numbers, and know the country might be theirs. The Sunnis see this and get really, really, really nervous.

3. Hussein and the Ba'ath Sunnis spent 30 years killing every Wahabist they could get their hands on. To proteslytize for Wahabbism in Iraq carried a penalty of death.

So...these kinds of things lead to friction.

[WilliamPitt]

5. Kick for your answer

[whistle]

4. Well let's just divide Democrats and republicans...

...two political points of view and socially prevent each from crossing over to the other's group. Now divide those two groups into major religious sectors (catholic, protestant, fundamentalist, etc.) and again keep one another divided further by those inherited beliefs. Then force all of us to live in the dessert areas of the U.S. (i.e. Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Death Vally) only and surround us with a dominant and superior military force that will prevent us from ever being able to migrate away from that region or seek opportunities elsewhere. Finally, deprive us of an economic means of self-sufficiency by draining away whatever natural resources we might have, concentrating the wealth that is generated from those resources in the hands of a few elitist families and their cronies. Now imagine how well we Americans might get along under those conditions. :freak:

Oh, is that a leftist point of view? Gee, I'm sorry, I just try to see it as it is. :shrug: May I still be part of the party? :kick:

[Ernesto]

6. OK, now that the obvious is laid out before our eyes

What I'm really looking for is historical background for the Islam of today....