What is the difference between Kurds Shiites and Sunnis?
The Shiites and Sunnis are ethnically Arabs (that is, they speak Arabic and share a common culture). Kurds are not Arabs; they have their own culture and language. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims. The division between Shiites and Sunnis dates to the death of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, in 632 A.D.
Is Iraq Shia or Sunni?
The majority of Iraq’s Muslims are Shia, and the Isis militants gaining ground there are Sunni. According to the Pew Research Center, Iraq is one of only a handful of countries with a Shia majority.
Are Iraqi Kurds Sunni?
The majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims.
In what ways are Sunni and Shiite alike and different?
Both sides agreed that Allah is the one true God and that Muhammad was his messenger, but one group (which eventually became the Shiites) felt Muhammad’s successor should be someone in his bloodline, while the other (which became the Sunnis) felt a pious individual who would follow the Prophet’s customs was acceptable.
Was Osama bin Laden Sunni or Shia?
The bin Laden family made $5 billion in the construction industry, of which Osama later inherited around $25–30 million. Bin Laden was raised as a devout Sunni Muslim.
Is Iran Sunni or Shiite?
While Shia represent the majority of the population in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan and a plurality in Lebanon, Sunnis are the majority in more than 40 other countries, from Morocco to Indonesia. Despite their differences, Sunni and Shia have lived alongside each other in relative peace for most of history.
Are Kurds Sunnis or Shiites?
In modern times Kurds like other Muslims were either Sunni or Shiíte. The majority were Sunni. However, the hatred that separated Sunni Arabs from Shiíte Arabs did not exist among Kurds. The Kurds were the world’s largest ethnic group without their own country.
What is the relationship between the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq?
When Sunni dictators were in power they used oil revenues to finance their own development and the destruction of the northern Kurdish region and the Shiíte south. Kurds remained secular in their region; the Shiítes created a sectarian region in southern Iraq if they desired. Sunnis were to be protected from Shiíte domination.
What are the sources of conflict between Iraq’s Shiites and Kurds?
The Kurds’ demand for a secular state and relative autonomy. Kurds are the majority in three of Iraq’s northern provinces. Sistani and other Shiite leaders are opposed to the two-thirds rule, and may seek to overturn it. Thus, this is another potential source of conflict between Iraq’s Shiites and Kurds.
What percentage of Iraq’s population is Sunni?
Reflecting the Iraqi population makeup, Shiítes won a clear majority, but about 20 percent of representatives were Sunni. A new constitution had been completed and approved by the people in October 2005.