Sunni, Shia, Continue War Over Who Represents Religion Of Peace

Early, peaceful military conquest of a large expanse in a short time cemented Islam’s claim as the religion of peace.

Credit: Pale Blue Dot

Sanaa, Yemen, December 17 – Opposing factions in a regional war continued to engage today in attempts to attain supremacy in a 1,300–year-old conflict regarding which side authentically represents the Religion of Peace.

Shiite and Sunni Muslims, whose split extends back to the early years of Islam following the death of Muhammad, clashed this week in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and various parts of West Africa, in attacks and ongoing battles that claimed hundreds of lives. Saudi Arabia, which claims leadership of the Sunni world, and Iran, which asserts primacy among Shiites, continued to engage in a proxy war for regional dominance that has dragged all the neighboring countries into the quagmire involving Iraqi militias, Kurds, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Hezbollah, the Islamic State, Hamas, Libya, Nigeria, and many others. Victory in this protracted war, it is hoped, will determine which side can legitimately claim to be the embodiment of the religion of peace.

Experts stress that the association of Islam with peace is not, as many believe, in its name. While the Semitic root s-l-m does occur in salam, the Arabic word for peace, in the religion’s name it is used more to denote submission, in this case to the will of Allah. Rather, they explain, the term “religion of peace” refers to the behavior and societal outcome of following Islamic principles in daily life and politics. “The link to the Semitic root for peace is convenient, but ultimately not what makes Islam the bringer of so much peace that the world has come to know and love,” said Islamic theologian Mustafa Massikr. “The essence of Islam as the religion of peace lies in its unsurpassed record in bringing diverse peoples together, primarily through conquest, and it is that peaceful model that characterizes the Islamic world to this day.”

Indeed, the first century of Islam saw rapid expansion from Arabia – the cradle of the faith – across North Africa and across the Straits of Gibraltar into what would become southern France. Subsequent Muslim conquerors imposed the faith on peoples as far-flung as India, China, Indonesia, East Africa, and Central Asia. The peaceful military conquest of such a large expanse in so short a time cemented Islam’s claim as the religion of peace, and it is that legacy that the Sunni and Shiite powers and their proxies are vying to take the lead in upholding.

The conflict has become increasingly complex in recent years, with Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia both ostensibly backing opponents of Sunni ISIS, even as both side with opposing sides in the Yemen conflict. Iran also supports the Sunni militant group Hamas, which has now allied itself with ISIS in the Sinai, which is fighting Sunni Egypt. The religion of peace will continue to bring its blessings to the region for many years, predicts Massikr. “If you look at where some of the fiercest fighting is going on, you’ll see it’s where the Islamic State is attacking non-Muslim minorities,” he said. “Once those Christians, Yazidis, and Jews are gone, everyone will rape the benefits of Islamic peace.”

“Reap! I meant reap!” he added.

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