Source Asia Times
SPENGLER
Without stretching the analogy, the conflict between Sunni and Shi’ite Islam in the Middle East today has something in common with the Thirty Years War that surrounded 17th-century Holland. Most Israelis seem to have adapted well to a long-term war regime amid a sea of unrelenting misery, and seven months after the start of the Arab uprisings, their position is a paradox, just like Holland’s before it emerged victorious from the European maelstrom.
Categories: Middle East
I could not open the link at the moment. Anyway, after 8 years in the center of the Sunni / Shiah conflict (in Iraq) I still do not think that this is a mainly religious conflict. It is more political. In Iraq a minority who happened to be Sunni ruled over a majority who happened to be Shiah. Now we have a democracy and democracy is the rule of the majority. Therefore the so-called Sunni Shiah conflict is a power game and not a religious game.
Similarly Saudi Arabia who happens to be Sunni would like to be the leader of the Muslim world, while Iran, who happens to be Shiah does not like to be dominated by Saudi Arabia and vice versa. Again it is a question of power and not religious issues.
You are right terming it a non religious issue. But one has to see how the Islamic/non Islamic world sees to it. Why then Saudi led Wahabi governments all over Arab World are afraid of Iran Supremacy? Why Bahrain is determined to pacify the voice of its Shi-ite majority? Why Pakistani Shias were deprived of enrolment for security duties of Bahrain. To me main threat for SA led Wahabi type governments is seen in Supremacy of Shia majority governments. Apparantly it looks political game but in depth one sect of Islam is afraid of other sect. So no harm to term it as religious conflict also.
I am extremely inspired along with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid subject or did you modify it yourself? Anyway stay up the nice high quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..