sunni & sh’ia

Sunni & Sh’iaFour “rightly-guided” Caliphs over Islam• Abu Bakr• Umar• Uthman• Ali – challenged by Aisha, Mu’awiya

– Civil War, Ali Assassinated– Ali’s son Hussein martyred in battle– Other son Hassan poisoned

Sunni & Shi’a:Theological Differences

SunniNo formal clergyRely on written tradition, consensus of

independent scholars, clerics


Shi’a12 “Imams” descended from founder Ali12th Imam, Muhammad Al-Mahdi Claim to Caliphate Disappeared at 4 yrs old Sunni claimed he was dead Shi’a said he was “hidden” & would return


Established council of clerics after last “true” Imam descended from Ali died

Focus on current, charismatic leaders who speak with Pope-like infallibility, e.g. Ayatollah Khomeini

Add “Ali is the beloved of Allah” to Shahadah Different call to prayer, prayer style, put clay from

Karbalah on forehead (where Ali killed).

Sufi

Suf = wool Focus on God’s love, mystical experiences, esp.

seeing God’s face Asceticism, poverty Whirling dervish subsect

IslamIsrael & Palestine

61 B.C. Romans occupy Judah70 1st Revolt132 2nd Bar-Kokbah Revolt135 Romans drive most Jews from Rome,

name the area Palaestina (“Philistine Syria”)

638 Caliph Umar conquers Jerusalem


19th Century - Zionism - Jews move to Israel• 200,000 Arabs in Palestine• No national identity• Settlers had mixed views from utopian to

exclusionary


1917 Balfour Declaration• Britain promises a national homeland to the

Jews in Palestine which will not infringe of the rights of the current population in the

1918 WWI ends• Britain and France take control of Middle

Eastern colonies of the Ottoman Empire


1920 Mandate of Palestine“Palestine” split at the Jordan riverWest of the Jordan (23%) = “Palestine”• a Jewish homelandEast of the Jordan (77%) = “Transjordan” • an Arab homeland (later simply “Jordan”)


1920-1939 Periodic Violence over increasing Jewish immigration in Palestine

1939 Under pressure from Arabs, British Govt. Issues White Paper of 1939, which limits Jewish immigration

• Jews to immigrate anyway bc of Holocaust1945-1947 Pressure on Intl Community for

Jewish homeland promised in Balfour


1947 UN plans another partition of “Palestine” (23% of original territory) into an Arab and Jewish State

Arabs reject the offer, both sides arm for war1948 Israel Declares Independence• Civil War breaks out• British Troops Evacuate


1948 After 6 Weeks of War, the Jews win, truce declared

Expulsions on both sides500-700k Arab refugees createdArab countries refuse to take in refugees1964 Palestinian Liberation Organization created1967 Surrounding nations attack Israel• Israel wins and takes Gaza and West Bank


1983 Islamic Jihad forms and begins terrorist attacks1987 Hamas (Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine)

launches first Intafada - Islamic terror 1993 Oslo Accords - Yassir Arafat offered 97% of

Six Day War Territory - West Bank, Gaza, East Jerauslam - walks away and starts 2nd Intafada (terrorist attacks)

• Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Arafat’s Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade begin suicide bombings


2003 Israelis begin building security fence2004 Hamas wins election over Arafat’s Fatah

party after Arafat’s death, renounces suicide bombings, arms smuggling

2005 Israel forces Gaza settlers to leave and gives the land to the Palestinians

sunni & sh’ia

Documents