Sectarian violence among Muslims

Last updated September 29, 2024

Sectarian violence among Muslims is the ongoing conflict between Muslims of different sects, most commonly Shias and Sunnis, although the fighting extends to smaller, more specific branches within these sects, as well as Sufism. It has been documented as having gone on from Islam's beginnings up until contemporary times.^{[ citation needed ]}

Modern

In Bahrain

Bahrain is ruled by the Al Khalifa family, who are part of the Sunni minority since 1783. Bahrain's Shia majority has often complained of receiving poor treatment in employment, housing, and infrastructure, while Sunnis have preferential status.^[1] The Bahraini government has reportedly imported Sunnis from Pakistan and Syria in an attempt to increase the Sunni percentage.^[1]^[2]

Shiite Muslims are blocked from serving in important political and military posts.^[2] Sunnis and Shia often stress that, no matter what their denomination, they are all Bahrainis first and foremost. However, sectarianism seethes below the surface of society.^[3]

Minor sectarian clashes have occurred during the Bahraini uprising. On 4 March 2011, about six people^[4] were injured in Hamad Town and police intervened to disperse young Shi'ites and largely recently naturalized Sunni Arabs who clashed with knives, sticks, and swords, witnesses said.^[5] It is unclear what caused the incident,^[6] with both sides blaming the other for the outbreak of violence.^[5] This incident marks the first sectarian violence since protests erupted on 14 February. A spokesman for Al Wefaq opposition party said the clashes were due to a dispute between families in the area and weren't sectarian. Others said that Shiite youth had targeted naturalized Sunnis living in the area.^[4]

In Bangladesh

On 24 October 2015, one person was killed and 80 injured in a bomb attack on an Ashura procession of the Shia Muslims community, in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, for which The Sunni terror group the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility.^[7]

On 26 November 2015, 1 person was killed and 3 injured in an attack by gunmen on a Shi'ite mosque in northern Bangladesh, for which The Sunni terror group the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility.^[8]

On 14 March 2016, Abdur Razzak, a top Shia preacher was hacked to death, for which The Sunni terror group the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility.^[9]

In Indonesia

In February 2011 three members of the Ahmadiyya movement were killed after a mob surrounded them accusing them of heresy.^[10]

In Iraq

Following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and subsequent fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, the minority Sunni sect, which had previously enjoyed increased benefits under Saddam's rule, now found itself out of power as the Shia majority, suppressed under Saddam, sought to establish power. Such sectarian tensions resulted in a violent insurgency waged by different Sunni and Shia militant groups, such as al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Mahdi Army. Following the U.S. withdrawal in 2011, violence has increased to 2008 levels.^[11] Following February 2006 tens of thousands of people were killed across Iraq, when a civil war between the two Muslim rival sects erupted, lasting until 2008.^[12]

In Lebanon

In Pakistan

In Saudi Arabia

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al Shaykh, issued a fatwa on 12 September 2013 that suicide bombings are "great crimes" and bombers are "criminals who rush themselves to hell by their actions". Sheikh described suicide bombers as "robbed of their minds... who have been used (as tools) to destroy themselves and societies."^[13]

On 16 September 2013, he condemned violence against non-Muslims living in Islamic countries or Muslims labeled as infidels. The Grand Mufti condemned acts that cause the "shedding of blood of Muslims and of those living in their counties in peace." Sheikh Al Shaykh stated, "Given the dangerous developments in the Muslim world, I would like to warn against the danger of attacking Muslims and those (non-Muslims) under Muslim protection."

"In view of the fast-moving dangerous developments in the Islamic world, it is very distressing to see the tendencies of permitting or underestimating the shedding of blood of Muslims and those under protection in their countries. The sectarian or ignorant utterances made by some of these people would benefit none other than the greedy, vindictive and envious people. Hence, we would like to draw attention to the seriousness of the attacks on Muslims or those who live under their protection or under a pact with them," Sheikh Al-AsShaikh said, quoting a number of verses from the Qur'an and Hadith.^[14]

However, the Government of Saudi Arabia does discriminate against and/or persecute Shia Muslims,^[15] Ahmadiyya ^[16] and even non–Salafist Sunni Islam.^[17]

In Somalia

Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a is a Somali paramilitary group consisting of Sufis and moderates opposed to the radical islamist group Al-Shabaab. They are fighting to prevent Wahhabism from being imposed on Somalia and protecting the country's Sunni-Sufi traditions and generally moderate religious views.^[18]

In Syria

Some analysts described segments of the Syrian Civil War (2011–present) to be sectarian, particularly between the ruling Alawi Shias and Sunnis.^[19]

In Yemen

Related Research Articles

Sectarianism is a debated concept. Some scholars and journalists define it as pre-existing fixed communal categories in society, and use it to explain political, cultural, or religious conflicts between groups. Others conceive of sectarianism as a set of social practices where daily life is organised on the basis of communal norms and rules that individuals strategically use and transcend. This definition highlights the co-constitutive aspect of sectarianism and people's agency, as opposed to understanding sectarianism as being fixed and incompatible communal boundaries.

Islam is the state religion in Bahrain. Due to an influx of immigrants and guest workers from non-Muslim countries, such as India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, the overall percentage of Muslims in the country has declined since the late 20th century. Bahrain's 2010 census indicated that 70.2% of the population is Muslim. The last official census (1941) to include sectarian identification reported 55% as Shia and 45 per cent as Sunni of the Muslim population.

The Al-Aimmah Bridge disaster occurred on August 31, 2005 when 953 people died following a panic, and subsequent crowd crush, on the Al-Aimmah Bridge, which crosses the Tigris river in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

At approximately 6:44 a.m. Arabia Standard Time on 22 February 2006, al-Askari Shrine in Samarra, Iraq, was severely damaged in a bombing attack amidst the then-ongoing Iraq War. Constructed in the 10th century, it is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. Despite the magnitude of the explosions, there were no casualties. American president George W. Bush asserted that the bombing had been carried out by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which denied involvement in the attack.

Islam is divided into two major sects, Sunni and Shia Islam, each with its own sub-sects. Large numbers of Shia Arab Muslims live in some Arab countries including Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, and Qatar.

Sectarian violence in Pakistan refers to violence directed against people and places in Pakistan motivated by antagonism toward the target's religious sect. As many as 4,000 Shia are estimated to have been killed in sectarian attacks in Pakistan between 1987 and 2007, and thousands more Shia have been killed by Salafi extremists from 2008 to 2014, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). Sunni Sufis and Barelvis have also suffered from some sectarian violence, with attacks on religious shrines killing hundreds of worshippers, and some Deobandi leaders assassinated. Pakistan minority religious groups, including Hindus, Ahmadis, and Christians, have "faced unprecedented insecurity and persecution" in at least two recent years, according to Human Rights Watch. One significant aspect of the attacks in Pakistan is that militants often target their victims places of worship during prayers or religious services in order to maximize fatalities and to "emphasize the religious dimensions of their attack".

After the death of Muhammad in 632, a group of Muslims believed that Muhammad's successor as caliph of the Islamic community should be Abu Bakr, whereas a second group of Muslims believed that his successor should be Ali ibn Abi Talib. This dispute spread across various parts of the Muslim world, which led to the Battle of the Camel and Battle of Siffin. Sectarianism based on this historic dispute intensified greatly after the Battle of Karbala. During the battle, Husayn ibn Ali and some of his close partisans, including members and children of Muhammad's household, were killed by the ruling Umayyad Caliph Yazid I. The outcry for revenge divided the early Islamic community, albeit disproportionately, into the Sunni and the Shia. This is known today as the Islamic schism.

The Saudi government does not conduct a census on religion or ethnicity, but some sources estimate the Shia population in Saudi Arabia to make up around 10-15% of the approximately 34 million natives of Saudi Arabia.

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Anti-Shi'ism or Shiaphobia is hatred of, prejudice against, discrimination against, persecution of, and violence against Shia Muslims because of their religious beliefs, traditions, and cultural heritage. The term was first used by Shia Rights Watch in 2011, but it has been used in informal research and written in scholarly articles for decades.

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Anti-Sunnism is hatred of, prejudice against, discrimination against, persecution of, and violence against Sunni Muslims.

The Qatif and Dammam mosque bombings occurred on 22 and 29 May 2015. On Friday May 22, a suicide bomber attacked the Shia "Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque" situated in Qudeih village of Qatif city in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast, which killed at least 21 people. The event is the second deadly attack against Shia in six months.

A suicide bombing took place on 26 June 2015 at a Shia mosque in Kuwait. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attack. Sabah al-Sabah, the Emir at the time, arrived at the location of the incident after a short period of time. Twenty-seven people were killed and 227 people were wounded.

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Bilateral relations exist between the countries of Bahrain and Iran. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, relations between the two countries have been strained over various geopolitical issues such as the interpretations of Islam, Awakening of the Islamic world, and relations with the United States, Europe, and other Western countries. In addition, Iran has been severely critical of Bahrain for hosting the United States Fifth Fleet within the Persian Gulf at the Naval Support Activity Bahrain base.

Sectarianism in Saudi Arabia refers to the Saudi government's "top-down push towards sectarian polarization" between the Sunni majority, and Shi'ite minority. This encompasses anti-Shi'ite policies by the Saudi regime, as well as tensions between the Sunni majority and the Shi'ite minority. The Saudi government is often viewed to be oppressing the Shi'ite community, who constitute up to 15% of the Saudi population. This occurs against the backdrop of the broader Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, since Iran is a Shi'ite republic.

References

1 2 (registration required) "Bahrain Gets Tough". Financial Times. 17 February 2011.
1 2 "Issues Behind Protests in Bahrain". 660 News. Associated Press. 18 February 2011. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
↑ "Bahrain riven with fears of sectarian conflict". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 September 2021.(subscription required)
1 2 "Id=278678 Bahrain sees first sectarian violence". Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
1 2 "Sectarian violence flares in Bahrain". The Financial Times .
↑ "New Sectarian Violence Erupts in Bahrain Protests". Voice of America. 4 March 2011.
↑ Barry, Ellen (24 October 2015). "ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack in Bangladesh". NY Times.
↑ "Report: IS Claims Bangladesh Mosque Attack". VOA News. 27 November 2015.
↑ Uttom, Stephan (7 March 2016). "Islamic State says it killed Shia cleric in Bangladesh". UCA News.
↑ Indonesia Ahmadiyah Muslim sect killings condemned retrieved 6 February 2012
↑ Field, Scott. "Will Iraq fall apart?" . Retrieved 24 April 2017.
↑ Finer, Jonathan; Sebti, Bassam (24 February 2006). "Sectarian Violence Kills Over 100 in Iraq". The Washington Post.
↑ "Saudi grand mufti says suicide bombers will go to hell" . Retrieved 24 April 2017.
↑ "Saudi Grand Mufti condemns attacks on Non-Muslims". Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
↑ "Dispatches: Killing of Saudi Shia a wakeup call". 6 November 2014.
↑ "Saudi Arabia: 2 Years Behind Bars on Apostasy Accusation". Human Rights Watch. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
↑ Robert Murray Thomas Religion in Schools: Controversies Around the World Greenwood Publishing Group 2006 ISBN 978-0-275-99061-9 page 180
↑ "Somali rage at grave desecration". BBC News. 8 June 2009.
↑ Syria sectarian battle retrieved 6 February 2012