January 27, 2020 | Many videos talk about the differences between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, but most of them offer superficial (and sometimes misleading) explanations. Filip Holm gives us a more comprehensive overview.
Let’s Talk Religion is a YouTube channel run by Filip Holm which aims to educate on the subject of religion from an academic perspective and to open up for informed discussions on the subject. You will find videos discussing the big religions of the world, historical reviews of important figures and works as well as documentaries about numerous related subjects.
Why is it important to know the difference between Shia ad Sunni branches of Islam? For several reasons. One of them—presently relevant in the face of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East—is that the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the recent terrorist attack in Iran that took the lives of nearly a hundred people.
“Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly Iran attack, Tehran vows revenge” – Reuters, January 4, 2024
It may come across as a total surprise that the attack was carried out by the Islamic State. What reason would the IS have to attack Iran, a country that supports Hamas amid the escalating tensions against Israel? The reason has to do with the difference between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam and the clash between them throughout the history of islamic religion.
ISIL has claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings that have killed 85 people in south east Iran. The attack happened at a cemetery in the city of Kerman on Wednesday, during a ceremony at the tomb of the assassinated senior Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have promised what they’re calling a ‘harsh response’. (Al Jazeera, January 4, 2024)
Both the Islamic State and Hamas are Sunni Muslim (terrorist) organizations. The IS consider as a part of their mission to kill “apostate” Muslims, including Shiites. Iran, on the other hand, happens to be a majority-Shiite country, led by a theocratic government in which Shiite clerics are in charge. The IS, whose affiliate in Afghanistan, ISIS-Khorasan, has repeatedly threatened Iran over their supposed sins of “polytheism” and “apostasy,” has claimed responsibility for several previous attacks in Iran.
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