Hebraic
Musing – Do we understand the Muslim
civil war?
We have heard and understand that “Every
kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house
divided against itself will not stand.” Mt 12:25 NKJV
The daily news contains reports of civil war
type clashes in the middle-East and debates the question of U.S. involvement. I
am concerned that if the U.S. tries to intervene, we will learn why police do
not like to answer calls for domestic violence - both parties will stop
fighting and band together against the police when the police try to help.
Information
from JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE News Update June 26th 2013:
THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUNNI AND SHIITE MUSLIMS: The religion of Islam was established by
Muhammad in the seventh century A.D. There are two branches of the religion he
started; Sunni and Shiite. The serious split between the two is rooted in who
should succeed Mohammed in leading Muslims after his death in 632. Shias say
the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali was his rightful successor but was
cheated when authority went to those the Sunnis call the four "Rightfully
Guided Caliphs" - Abu Bakr, Omar and Othman and, finally, Ali. Sunnis are
the majority across the Islamic world. In the Middle East, Shias have strong
majorities in Iran, Iraq and Bahrain, with significant communities in Lebanon,
Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other parts of the Gulf. Both sects of
Islam consider the Quran the word of God.
But there are
sharp distinctions in theology and religious practice between them. When talk
in the Middle East turns to the tensions between Islam's two main sects, Shias
are described by Sunnis as devious, power-hungry corruptors of Islam. Sunnis
are deemed by Shias to be extremist, intolerant oppressors. Hatreds between the
two are now more virulent than ever in the Arab world because of Syria's civil
war. Hard-line clerics and politicians on both sides in the region have added
fuel, depicting the fight as essentially a war of survival for their sect.
In
Syria, Sunnis make up 74% of the total population. Shiites and their Alawite
offshoot group make up the remaining 13%, including Syrian President Bashar
Assad and his regime. The Lebanon-based terrorist organization, Hizbullah, is a
Shiite-backed group. Iran’s previous president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is Shiite.
Syrian rebels are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims. Al-Qaeda, until May 2011 ruled
by Osama bin Laden is a Sunni Muslim terrorist organization. The two Muslim
factions, Sunni and Shiites are bitterly opposed to each other and are
increasingly at war in the Middle East. Both are avowed enemies to Israel and
the West.
Point to Ponder
Is our Christian family similarly
divided?
What can we (you and me) do
to foster unity?
May the Good Lord bless you and
keep you
