I suppose like many readers, I am fascinated and somewhat perplexed by the unpredictable and outsized importance of events in the Middle East. Is it because oil is the single most important commodity in the world, the Middle East is the birthplace of much of the world’s theocratic beliefs, or the collective guilt regarding the extermination of Jews during WWII. Whatever the reasons, this article does an admirable job explaining the tension between the two most important factors in the turmoil today.
Sunni-Shiite Conflict Reflects Modern Power Struggle, Not Theological SchismThe ancient divide has become the biggest fault line in the battle for dominance in the Middle EastENLARGEPakistani Shiite Muslims mourn Wednesday following an attack by gunmen in Karachi that killed 43 Shiite Muslims. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES By YAROSLAV TROFIMOVMay 14, 2015 9:43 a.m. ET8 COMMENTSBEIRUT—The conflict raging between Sunnis and Shiites across the Muslim world is easy to view as eternal hatred that is destined to keep claiming lives for the foreseeable future.
Source: Sunni-Shiite Conflict Reflects Modern Power Struggle, Not Theological Schism – WSJ