Whatever happened to the “Arab Spring?” Washington opined that religion-based governments would switch to western-styled governments. The American Way of Life would become the global imperative for peace and prosperity. Oil would flow smoothly to us all and America could move on to containing China in the Pacific.
The Middle East has been on the Western world agenda since Alexander of Macedonia was empire building in 326 BC. Marco Polo took us through the next great leap when he opened overland trade routes to the Orient in the 1200s. Then oil was struck in Saudi Arabia in 1902 and the U.S. became involved. That’s primarily why we are there now.
Our current dilemma arises from an explosive resurgence of a Fourteenth Century old schism between the two predominant divisions of the Muslim religion. Further, within these two sects, there are crusaders who seek global dominance of their particular views using martyrdom and murder in recruiting followers.
This clash between Shia and Sunni groups isn’t the whole answer over what is going on, but it does affect who is fighting whom. This centuries-old fight over who is the true follower of Muhammad is driving the atrocities.
The argument started in 632 AD when the Prophet Muhammad died without naming a successor. The largest group, the Sunni sect, backed Abu Bakr, friend and father–in-law to Muhammad. The Sunni are orthodox in nature. They believed that successors to Muhammad should be elected and established Caliphates vested with all his powers except prophesy. The second largest sect is the Shia, which has an evangelical orientation. They believe that the rightful successor to Mohammed should have been his kinfolk. They supported Ali, his cousin and son-in-law. They believe that Ali’s successors have been given all of Muhammad’s temporal and religious powers. Imams, the prayer leaders in mosques, lead them spiritually. Politically, Shia followers are ruled by Ayatollahs who are high-ranking scholars, authoritative on religious law and its interpretation.
Both sects agree that there is one God and Muhammad is his messenger. Both accept the Koran as their holy book and follow the five ritualistic pillars of Islam – Allah’s one-ness, public prayer, charitable giving, fasting (Ramadan), and pilgrimage (Hajj). They differ fundamentally on who sets the rules.
Currently, the ‘Shia Crescent’ runs from Iran, through Iraq, Syria and into Lebanon’s Hezbollah community. The Sunni’s predominate Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey.
So it is expected that ISIS, one of several Sunni splinter groups, which includes the Mujahedeen, Al Qaida and the Taliban, would be enemies of the Shia Crescent. And it is not surprising that Egypt and Turkey would buy oil from ISIS controlled wells so that the Sunnis could gain control of Iraq and Syria. This is a religious war.
Meanwhile the flow of oil to Europe and America is at risk. So we draw lines in the sand and change allies as needed in supporting our own interests.
And the Sierra Club, Bishop Tutu, and Al Gore say nothing.
Alan Murdock is a local pediatrician.
