A (Very) Brief History of the Middle East Part 2

As promised, I’m back with another Middle East installment. Yesterday I decided that the most logical place to start was with the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, since much of the conflict seems to involve disagreements between these groups. I’ll continue in this vein today by looking at how the violence all began as well as by delving deeper into a major complicating issue.

The Violence

The violence, as best as I can tell, began in 656. Ali and his followers never fully accepted the caliphate, and trouble starts a brewing when the third caliph is assassinated and Ali replaces him (I smell a conspiracy). Ali himself is assassinated in 661, and shortly thereafter his son is killed (retaliation?)

This is when the groups truly emerge as distinct, split sects. They go to war, and the Sunnis emerge victorious. They become the dominant religious (and by extension political) group, praising the strength of the caliphate. The Shiites retreat into developing their beliefs, still following the Imams.

This lasted for years (and I mean years) until 1979 ,when the Iranian Revolution (led by urban middle class liberals) topples the government and creates a theocratic Shiite state. Other Middle East leaders (who are predominantly Sunni), most notably Saddam Hussein, see this as a major threat. The modern struggle, as we know it, has been flaming ever since.

More Division

To further complicate the conflict, both sides believe in a “Mahdi,” which is a guided being responsible for bringing a just global caliphate (leader) into existence, but they disagree strongly about the embodiment of the Mahdi. To understand this, we’ll once again need to dive into history.

Remember that for the Shiites, the Imams that are their supreme religious leaders are believed to be blood descendants of the prophet Muhammad. This means that each Imam is a Mahdi (Imam begets Imam). The complicating issue came in the year 874 when the 11th Imam died. His son, Muhammad al-Mahdi, was believed to be the next Imam appointed by God. At the 11th Imams funeral Muhammad al-Mahdi’s uncle was set to lead the prayers when Muhammad stepped forward and commanded “Move aside, uncle; only an Imam can lead the funeral prayer of an Imam.” When the five-year-old child was finished leading the prayers he vanished.

It is believed the 12th, and current, Imam (he was never replaced) was hidden by God for various reasons, including as a trial for believers and as a time of preparation for the world, and that when all other religions and governments fail the 12th Imam will return.

The Sunnis believe no such thing. They think that the true Mahdi has not yet come into being, and at some future date will emerge.

To put this into context for a predominantly Christian culture, it is comparable to the difference between Christianity and Judaism. Both believe in the same God, but Christians believe that the Messiah has already come in the form of Jesus, and at some future date will return. The Jews believe that a messiah has been promised, but do not believe that the messiah has come yet.

I know I promised a Who’s Who in the Sunni-Shiite world, but I can’t give it all away at once. What would keep you coming back? Believe me, the who’s who is coming (perhaps tomorrow) as well as further analysis on the modern state (post WWI) of Sunni-Shiite relations. I hope you enjoyed, and are closer to understanding the world around us.

Thanks for reading.