I suppose the Shiite versus Sunni conflict in Islam could be compared with that of Protestants versus Catholics in the Christian faith, where Catholicism dominates the landscape. The reality is that it is basically two schools of thought with the same roots, each vying for supremacy (control). Truth be told, it really makes no difference what each denomination/sect believes; they may as well believe in Greek mythology… It’s all make-believe folks, nothing but fairy tales, and most definitely nothing that should serve to separate individuals, families and entire communities; much less to create violence, death and destruction. As stated countless times on this Blog, religion is the worst of man’s inventions. TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Shiite Muslims in Malaysia have made a rare public plea for authorities to let them legally worship amid fears of a clampdown on outlawed religious groups, a human rights official said Tuesday.
Malaysian religious officials allow only Sunni Islam to be openly practiced by Muslims, who make up nearly two-thirds of this Southeast Asian country’s population. All other Islamic denominations including the Shiite are considered illegal.
Sunni Islam is the world’s largest branch of the religion, followed by Shiite Islam, which is practiced mostly in Iran, Iraq and Bahrain, though there are sizable minority populations in many Muslim countries.
Islamic authorities detained more than 200 Shiite Muslims at a prayer meeting recently in central Malaysia in one of the largest recent mass arrests of its kind. Government-linked newspapers have since published articles warning people to avoid illegal sects.
About 30 Shiite community representatives handed a petition to Malaysia’s government-backed Human Rights Commission this week seeking its help to curb any further crackdown, said Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah, a member of the rights watchdog.
Islamic department officials who could comment on the issue were not immediately available Tuesday.
The Shiites face a stiff challenge because authorities have repeatedly defended their policies against non-Sunni teachings as necessary to preserve public stability and the integrity of Islamic teachings. Nevertheless, some Malaysian Islamic scholars support the right of Shiites to practice their beliefs.
