Afghanistan, Iraq, and Middle East Relations - GED Social Studies

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Question

Which of the following pairs refers to the two sects that straddle the major religious division within Islam among the population of Iraq?

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Answer

Over 80% the worlds 1 billion+ Muslims belong to the Sunni tradition. Around 10-15% belong to the Shia tradition. The two factions originally split over who should rightly succeed the prophet Muhammad upon his death as the leader of the Muslim community. Those who would come to be known as Sunnis backed the eventual successor Abu Bakr, and those who would come to be known as Shiites backed Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, who would also come to power before being assassinated. The term "Shia" is derived from the term for "party of Ali" in Arabic. From this political split, Sunni and Shia Islam diverged in a number of ways in their respective practices of Islam. This division has historically been a tremendous source of strife between the two groups. Iraq is physically located on the border between the Arab-speaking, Sunni-professing region of the Middle East and the historical center of Shia belief in Persian speaking Iran. As a result, Iraq is a majority Shia country, but the country holds a very large Sunni minority and is subject to foreign influence from its many Sunni neighbors. The Sunni/Shia split is a major determinant of Iraqi politics.

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