A Comparative Analysis of Sunni and Shia Theological Disparities
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Iran: Ethnic and Religious Minorities
Order Code RL34021 Iran: Ethnic and Religious Minorities Updated November 25, 2008 Hussein D. Hassan Information Research Specialist Knowledge Services Group Iran: Ethnic and Religious Minorities Summary Iran is home to approximately 70.5 million people who are ethnically, religiously, and linguistically diverse. The central authority is dominated by Persians who constitute 51% of Iran’s population. Iranians speak diverse Indo-Iranian, Semitic, Armenian, and Turkic languages. The state religion is Shia, Islam. After installation by Ayatollah Khomeini of an Islamic regime in February 1979, treatment of ethnic and religious minorities grew worse. By summer of 1979, initial violent conflicts erupted between the central authority and members of several tribal, regional, and ethnic minority groups. This initial conflict dashed the hope and expectation of these minorities who were hoping for greater cultural autonomy under the newly created Islamic State. The U.S. State Department’s 2008 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, released September 19, 2008, cited Iran for widespread serious abuses, including unjust executions, politically motivated abductions by security forces, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and arrests of women’s rights activists. According to the State Department’s 2007 Country Report on Human Rights (released on March 11, 2008), Iran’s poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. The government placed severe restrictions on freedom of religion. The report also cited violence and legal and societal discrimination against women, ethnic and religious minorities. Incitement to anti-Semitism also remained a problem. Members of the country’s non-Muslim religious minorities, particularly Baha’is, reported imprisonment, harassment, and intimidation based on their religious beliefs. -
The Islamic State
The Group That Calls Itself a State: Understanding the Evolution and Challenges of the Islamic State The Group That Calls Itself a State: Understanding the Evolution and Challenges of the Islamic State Muhammad al-‘Ubaydi Nelly Lahoud Daniel Milton Bryan Price THE COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER AT WEST POINT www.ctc.usma.edu December 2014 Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 6 Metamorphosis: From al-Tawhid wa-al-Jihad to Dawlat al-Khilafa (2003-2014) ........... 8 A Society (mujtama‘) in the Making During Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi’s Era ................. 9 The March to “Statehood”.................................................................................................... 14 Parting Ways with al-Qa’ida .............................................................................................. 16 What is the difference between the “Islamic state” of 2006 and that of 2014? ............ 18 The Sectarian Factor .............................................................................................................. 19 Goals and Methods: Comparing Three Militant Groups.................................................. 27 The Islamic State: An Adaptive Organization Facing Increasing Challenges .............. 36 Trends in IS Military Operations ....................................................................................... -
The Differences Between Sunni and Shia Muslims the Words Sunni and Shia Appear Regularly in Stories About the Muslim World but Few People Know What They Really Mean
Name_____________________________ Period_______ Date___________ The Differences Between Sunni and Shia Muslims The words Sunni and Shia appear regularly in stories about the Muslim world but few people know what they really mean. Religion is important in Muslim countries and understanding Sunni and Shia beliefs is important in understanding the modern Muslim world. The beginnings The division between the Sunnis and the Shia is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam. To under- stand it, it is good to know a little bit about the political legacy of the Prophet Muhammad. When the Prophet died in the early 7th Century he not only left the religion of Islam but also an Islamic State in the Arabian Peninsula with around one hundred thousand Muslim inhabitants. It was the ques- tion of who should succeed the Prophet and lead the new Islamic state that created the divide. One group of Muslims (the larger group) elected Abu Bakr, a close companion of the Prophet as the next caliph (leader) of the Muslims and he was then appointed. However, a smaller group believed that the Prophet's son-in-law, Ali, should become the caliph. Muslims who believe that Abu Bakr should be the next leader have come to be known as Sunni. Muslims who believe Ali should have been the next leader are now known as Shia. The use of the word successor should not be confused to mean that that those that followed the Prophet Muhammad were also prophets - both Shia and Sunni agree that Muhammad was the final prophet. How do Sunni and Shia differ on beliefs? Initially, the difference between Sunni and Shia was merely a difference concerning who should lead the Muslim community. -
Islamic Ethics in Australian Muslim Everyday Life: a Shi’Ite Perspective Mohamad Younes
Islamic Ethics in Australian Muslim Everyday Life: A Shi’ite Perspective Mohamad Younes Master’s Thesis in Sociology Spring Term 2017 Humanities and Communication Arts Western Sydney University 1 17481784 Mohamad Younes 2 17481784 Mohamad Younes ABSTRACT Despite the strong emphasis on ethics within the Islamic tradition, Islamic ethics itself is scarcely represented as a discipline within academic scholarship (Ansari 1989). Even within this area, Islamic ethics have predominantly been studied from Sunni perspectives, with little attention being paid to Shi’ite or other minority understandings. This thesis will, therefore, use qualitative data collection methods of semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups, to sociologically study the perceptions, understandings, and applications of Islamic ethics in Australian Shi’ite Muslim everyday living. It will investigate the overarching understanding of Islamic ethics and its specific application in Australian Shi’ite Muslim context. The project's objective, therefore, is twofold: one to strengthen Islamic ethics as an independent discipline; and two to address the scant attention Shi’ite Islamic ethics has received in Islamic ethics scholarship generally. Conceptually, this project will contribute to the understanding of Islamic ethics through a particular analysis of Shi’ite Islamic ethics in an Australian Shi’ite context. This is significant as specific understandings of Islamic ethics in certain contexts help to explain how minority groups such as Shi’ite Muslims develop their own ethical standards to shape social relations in society. In addition, this thesis argues for Shi’ite Islamic ethics to be highly Imamate based; that is, very reliant on the actions and sayings of 12 divinely guided Imams (leaders). -
The Islamic Caliphate: a Controversial Consensus
The Islamic Caliphate: A Controversial Consensus Ofir Winter The institution of the caliphate is nearly as old as Islam itself. Its roots lie in the days following the death of Muhammad in 632, when the Muslims convened and chose a “caliph” (literally “successor” or “deputy”). While the Shiites recognize ʿAli b. Abi Talib as the sole legitimate heir of the prophet, the Sunnis recognize the first four “rightly guided” caliphs (al-Khulafa al-Rashidun), as well as the principal caliphates that succeeded them – the Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluk, and Ottoman. The caliphate ruled the Sunni Muslim world for nearly 1,300 years, enjoying relative hegemony until its abolition in 1924 by Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Although Sunni commentators have defined the essence of the caliphate differently in different periods, they tend to agree that the caliphate was founded for the purpose of managing Muslim affairs in accordance with the laws of God and organizing the lives of their people according to the principles of Islamic religious law.1 In practice, the caliphate has experienced highs and lows over the course of its history. In some periods, it exerted authority over political, administrative, financial, legal, and military affairs; in others, it was reduced to the symbolic and spiritual realm, such as leading mass prayers, much in the manner of the modern Catholic papacy.2 The Islamic State’s 2014 announcement on the renewal of the caliphate showed that the institution is not only a governmental-religious institution of the past, but also a living and breathing ideal that excites the imagination of present day Muslims. -
Religious Fundamentalism in Eight Muslim‐
JOURNAL for the SCIENTIFIC STUDY of RELIGION Religious Fundamentalism in Eight Muslim-Majority Countries: Reconceptualization and Assessment MANSOOR MOADDEL STUART A. KARABENICK Department of Sociology Combined Program in Education and Psychology University of Maryland University of Michigan To capture the common features of diverse fundamentalist movements, overcome etymological variability, and assess predictors, religious fundamentalism is conceptualized as a set of beliefs about and attitudes toward religion, expressed in a disciplinarian deity, literalism, exclusivity, and intolerance. Evidence from representative samples of over 23,000 adults in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey supports the conclusion that fundamentalism is stronger in countries where religious liberty is lower, religion less fractionalized, state structure less fragmented, regulation of religion greater, and the national context less globalized. Among individuals within countries, fundamentalism is linked to religiosity, confidence in religious institutions, belief in religious modernity, belief in conspiracies, xenophobia, fatalism, weaker liberal values, trust in family and friends, reliance on less diverse information sources, lower socioeconomic status, and membership in an ethnic majority or dominant religion/sect. We discuss implications of these findings for understanding fundamentalism and the need for further research. Keywords: fundamentalism, Islam, Christianity, Sunni, Shia, Muslim-majority countries. INTRODUCTION -
Kuwait 2019 International Religious Freedom Report
KUWAIT 2019 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution declares Islam to be the religion of the state but declares freedom of belief is “absolute.” It declares the state will protect the freedom to practice one’s religion, provided such practice does not conflict with established customs, public policy, or morals. The constitution declares sharia to be a main source of legislation and all individuals to be equal before the law regardless of religion. Defamation of the three Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), publication or broadcast of material the government deems offensive to religious groups, and practices the government finds inconsistent with Islamic law are prohibited by law. In July the National Assembly passed legislation allowing the creation of separate courts for Shia Muslims for cases pertaining to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody. In April the government registered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ). The government prosecuted numerous individuals for remarks deemed religiously offensive, mostly for comments made online, and sentenced some to prison terms. The government continued to appoint and pay the salaries of Sunni imams and provide the full basic text for weekly sermons preached at Sunni mosques. It did not exercise the same oversight of Shia imams. The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) fined, reprimanded, or suspended several Sunni imams for giving sermons perceived as politically motivated, insulting to other religious groups, and violating the national unity law. MAIA organized several courses for Sunni imams promoting tolerance and countering radicalization, and in October it announced the creation of a committee to monitor calls for extremism on social media. -
Saudi Arabia 2020 International Religious Freedom Report
SAUDI ARABIA 2020 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary According to the 1992 Basic Law of Governance, the country’s official religion is Islam and the constitution is the Quran and Sunna (traditions and practices based on the life of the Prophet Mohammed). The legal system is based largely on sharia as interpreted by the Hanbali school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence. Freedom of religion is not provided under the law. The law criminalizes “anyone who challenges, either directly or indirectly, the religion or justice of the King or Crown Prince.” The law criminalizes “the promotion of atheistic ideologies in any form,” “any attempt to cast doubt on the fundamentals of Islam,” publications that “contradict the provisions of Islamic law,” and other acts including non-Islamic public worship, public display of non-Islamic religious symbols, conversion by a Muslim to another religion, and proselytizing by a non-Muslim. In practice, there is some limited tolerance of private, non-Islamic religious exercise, but religious practices at variance with the government-promoted form of Sunni Islam remained vulnerable to detention, harassment, and, for noncitizens, deportation. According to Shia community members, processions and gatherings continued due to decreased political tensions and greater coordination between the Shia community and authorities, and Ashura commemorations (of the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed) were marked by improved sectarian relations and public calls for mutual tolerance. Shia activists stated, however, that authorities continued to target members of their community on a religious basis with security operations and legal proceedings. In July, Shia Rights Watch (SRW) reported that security forces raided the largely Shia town of Safwa, resulting in several arrests and one injury. -
Understanding the Role of Khalifa for the Foundation of Wizard Khalifa Tourism
Understanding the Role of Khalifa for the Foundation of Wizard Khalifa Tourism Understanding the Role of Khalifa for the Foundation of Wizard Khalifa Tourism A.A.M. Any1, N.N. Ahmat2, A. Robani2, F.S. Fen3, S.A. Abas4 and M. Saad4 1Islamic Tourism Center, Ministry of Tourism and Culture 2Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Center for Languages and Human Development 3Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Faculty of Technology Management and Technopreneurship 4International Islamic University of Malaysia, Faculty of Languages and Management [email protected] Abstract—Branding has helped Malaysian among Islamic religious groups or orders. The tourism industry moving forward in this highly famous Caliphates were the 4 khalifas after the competitive world. Till now these Malaysian death of Prophet Muhammad SAW. However, brands such as Malaysia Truly Asia or Muslim for this article, the term khaleefa is firstly referred friendly country or Halal friendly country are still is when Allah command the angels to bow relevant but a new perspective toward Malaysia is down to Adam as in 2:30 in which give a clear a need. Thus, this research aimed to offer a new root meaning of vicegerent. The ayaat is {and approach of tourism branding that would put [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said Malaysian in the map of the world again. This to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the new approach of branding is a concept of Wizard earth a successive authority." They said, "Will Khalifa Tourism (WKT). It was introduced to You place upon it one who causes corruption relook philosophically at the role of mankind that therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your man is not a lord on earth but merely as a tourist praise and sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I in this world. -
Mapping the Global Muslim Population
MAPPING THE GLOBAL MUSLIM POPULATION A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population October 2009 About the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life This report was produced by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. The Pew Forum delivers timely, impartial information on issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. The Pew Forum is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy organization and does not take positions on policy debates. Based in Washington, D.C., the Pew Forum is a project of the Pew Research Center, which is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life Communications and Web Publishing Luis Lugo, Director Erin O’Connell, Associate Director, Communications Oliver Read, Web Manager Research Loralei Coyle, Communications Manager Alan Cooperman, Associate Director, Research Robert Mills, Communications Associate Brian J. Grim, Senior Researcher Liga Plaveniece, Program Coordinator Mehtab S. Karim, Visiting Senior Research Fellow Sahar Chaudhry, Research Analyst Pew Research Center Becky Hsu, Project Consultant Andrew Kohut, President Jacqueline E. Wenger, Research Associate Paul Taylor, Executive Vice President Kimberly McKnight, Megan Pavlischek and Scott Keeter, Director of Survey Research Hilary Ramp, Research Interns Michael Piccorossi, Director of Operations Michael Keegan, Graphics Director Editorial Alicia Parlapiano, Infographics Designer Sandra Stencel, Associate Director, Editorial Russell Heimlich, Web Developer Andrea Useem, Contributing Editor Tracy Miller, Editor Sara Tisdale, Assistant Editor Visit http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=450 for the interactive, online presentation of Mapping the Global Muslim Population. -
Bektashi Order - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Personal Tools Create Account Log In
Bektashi Order - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Personal tools Create account Log in Namespaces Views Article Read Bektashi OrderTalk Edit From Wikipedia, the freeVariants encyclopedia View history Main page More TheContents Bektashi Order (Turkish: Bektaşi Tarikatı), or the ideology of Bektashism (Turkish: Bektaşilik), is a dervish order (tariqat) named after the 13th century Persian[1][2][3][4] Order of Bektashi dervishes AleviFeatured Wali content (saint) Haji Bektash Veli, but founded by Balim Sultan.[5] The order is mainly found throughout Anatolia and the Balkans, and was particularly strong in Albania, Search BulgariaCurrent events, and among Ottoman-era Greek Muslims from the regions of Epirus, Crete and Greek Macedonia. However, the Bektashi order does not seem to have attracted quite as BektaşiSearch Tarikatı manyRandom adherents article from among Bosnian Muslims, who tended to favor more mainstream Sunni orders such as the Naqshbandiyya and Qadiriyya. InDonate addition to Wikipedia to the spiritual teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, the Bektashi order was later significantly influenced during its formative period by the Hurufis (in the early 15th century),Wikipedia storethe Qalandariyya stream of Sufism, and to varying degrees the Shia beliefs circulating in Anatolia during the 14th to 16th centuries. The mystical practices and rituals of theInteraction Bektashi order were systematized and structured by Balım Sultan in the 16th century after which many of the order's distinct practices and beliefs took shape. A largeHelp number of academics consider Bektashism to have fused a number of Shia and Sufi concepts, although the order contains rituals and doctrines that are distinct unto itself.About Throughout Wikipedia its history Bektashis have always had wide appeal and influence among both the Ottoman intellectual elite as well as the peasantry. -
E-ISSN 2651-4567 TİD, Cilt / Volume: 6, Sayı / Issue: 1 (Bahar / Spring 2019): 315-339
Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi Trabzon Theology Journal ISSN 2651-4559 | e-ISSN 2651-4567 TİD, cilt / volume: 6, sayı / ıssue: 1 (Bahar / Spring 2019): 315-339 Does Being Rafidi Mean Shi`ite?: The Representation of the Kızılbaş Belief in the Sixteenth Century Ottoman Records Râfizîlik - Şia ilişkisi: On Altıncı Yüzyıl Osmanlı Belgelerinde Tanımlanan KızılbaşReyhan İnancının Erdoğdu Sorgulanması Başaran Dr. Öğretim Görevlisi, Iğdır Üniversitesi, İlahiyat Fakültesi, Temel İslam Bilimleri Bölümü Iğdır / Türkiye Assist., Prof., Iğdır University, Faculty of Theology, Department of Basic Islamic Studies Iğdır / Turkey ORCID ID:e-mail: [email protected] DOI: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0046-2761 Makale Bilgisi 10.33718/tid.506735 Makale Türü / Article Information Geliş Tarihi / Article Type: Araştırma Makalesi / Research Article Kabul Tarihi / Date Received: 02 Ocak / January 2019 Yayın Tarihi / Date Accepted: 29 Ocak / January 2019 Yayın Sezonu / Date Published: 03 Haziran / June 2019 Atıf / Pub Date Season: Haziran / June / Citation: Reyhan ErdoğduTİD 6Başaran, “Does Being Rafidi Mean Shi`ite?: The Representation of the Kızılbaş Belief in the Sixteenth Century İntihal: Ottoman Records”, /1 (Bahar 2019): 11-35 Plagiarism: Bu makale, iThenticate yazılımınca taranmıştır. İntihal tespit edilmemiştir. This article has been scanned by iThenticate. No plagiarism detected. web: http://dergipark.gov.tr/tid Copyright mailto: [email protected] © Published by Trabzon Üniversitesi, İlahiyat Fakültesi. Trabzon University, Faculty of Teology, Trabzon, 61080 Turkey. Bütün hakları saklıdır. / All right reserved. Reyhan Erdoğdu Başaran Does Being Rafidi Mean Shi`ite?: The Representation of the Kızılbaş Belief in the Sixteenth Century Ottoman Records* Abstract The Kızılbaş, especially by the sixteenth century, played a central role in the Ottoman-Sa- favid struggle due to its close alliance with the Safavid.