The bloody prehistory of the Shia

The divide between Shia and Sunni Muslims arose already in the first few years after the Prophet's death in 632. Muhammad had not appointed a successor. His position from the time of emigration to Medina had been political as well as religious, which is also reflected in the form of the Qur'an, which contains a number of social rules, injunctions and prohibitions said to have been revealed to Muhammad of God. It was therefore in every way a powerful position that had to be filled, and there was no one who could take over on the basis of prophecy, which had been Muhammad's legitimacy as leader.

The Prophet's closest associates chose Abu Bakr, an early convert and father of one of Muhammad's wives, as his descendant. Already there began the germ of division in the Muslim world.

The original split

The legitimacy of the election was contested by Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, married to his daughter Fatima. According to Ali and his followers, Muhammad's successor had to kill him with blood ties, which Abu Bakr did not. Against the notion of the blood's submissive power in power, stood the second branch of Muslims, those who supported Abu Bakr.

So they fell down on the caliph as an elected leader, the foremost among equals. This contrasts with most of the practice in the area and the Jewish / Christian tradition of David's chosen lineage. The Qur'an intended to build on precisely Judaism and Christianity, but it is emphasized that Muhammad is only a prophet, not a deity. In the election of a leader without direct kinship with Muhammad, the antimonarchic currents of the time are also reflected.

Abu Bakr died after only a few years in power, but even now Ali was elected. In the same selection process, he was followed first by Omar, another early convert, and then Uthman. While both of the first two successors came from families of moderate social importance, Uthman of another cast, representing the powerful Umayyads, was one of the most powerful clans in Mecca. He, like his predecessors, had been part of the Prophet's inner circle, albeit the only one of this class of society.

Bloody history

Then began the bloody part of the story. For Ali's followers had not calmed down at all with the development of things. In 656, Uthman was assassinated, as the first Muslim leader to suffer this fate, and Ali himself was appointed his successor. This led to a further division in the young Muslim community. Among Ali's opponents was Muhammad's widow Aisha. His followers would eventually become known as Shiites. Shia originally means "party", in other words: Ali's party.

The power struggle and divide surrounding the appointment of Ali to the caliph culminated in Ali becoming the first Muslim leader to lead Muslims in battle against other Muslims, before accepting mediation between him and his challenger, Muawiyah, governor of Syria. The compromise was seen as a provocation against the view of the succession as divinely appointed. In addition, the mediators chose party for Muawiyah. In 661, Ali was assassinated, suffering with the same fate as his predecessor, and the Caliphate headquarters was moved to Damascus.

With Ali, the chosen caliphate died, and the Umayyads took over, in a more traditional monarchical heritage tradition. They were to retain power for nearly a century. Although not without protests.

Martyr Hussein

In 680, civil war was again made, a war that is remembered far better for religious reasons than from the immediate military or political significance. The war created one of the most celebrated martyrs of the Shia, Hussein ibn Ali, son of Ali and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. After leading a revolt against the Umayyads and being lost, Hussein, his family and supporters were killed at Karbala in present-day Iraq.

Hussein's martyr status helped both revitalize the Shi'a movement and further divide the Muslims. Not least, it became central to all later Shia Islam.

But why did he become such an important martyr? The answer lies in a combination of drama and interpretations surrounding Hussein's sacrifice.

When Hussein, his family, and his numerous inferior army were attacked at Karbala, a strategy initially cut water supplies, causing enormous suffering for children as well as adults. Hussein's forces waited in vain for the promised support from Kufa, seven miles further north. In this desperate situation, Hussein entered into negotiations with the Umayyads, trying to pressure him to accept the regime, without doing so.

He nevertheless allowed his forces to disregard the oath of loyalty and escape in order to escape the inevitable massacre. The forces remained, and refused to leave Hussein to the enemy.

Resistor Symbol

Discussions among Shiite Muslims have since gone on whether Hussein was actually warned and voluntary and with open eyes entered the martyr status, or whether he initially had a realistic hope of succeeding with his military project. In any case, Hussein symbolizes a heroic will to resist an oppressive regime and defense of his own family, which makes him a total hero. It has led to a whole mythology of wonderful stories about his life and life. And that Hussein has remained a symbol of all that is good and pure, in contrast to oppression and the evil of the world. Hussein has therefore become a unifying symbol of resistance among Shia Muslims. The stories include touching stories from all of Hussein's life, from the shoulders of his father to more or less thirsty deaths during the siege at Karbala. It also symbolizes Hussein as the rightful heir to Muhammad, as opposed to the Sunni regime, which has direct transfer value to today's oppressed Shia in Iraq. Otherwise, Hussein has also been popular in Iran, where the Shia are in an even clearer majority.

Already four years after the events, supporters have begun to mark Hussein's death. After 1502, the marquee turned into a spectacular public spectacle of self-whipping and grief, especially in Iran. A clear parallel to Christianity's traditions of self-whipping, martyrs and hereditary sins, for the abuses committed against Hussein and his associates, are, according to the followers, the same committed against the later believers. Salvation can be achieved by sacrificing one's own life in the service of good.

Holy places

Ali's tomb in Najaf is today one of the most important Shi'ite pilgrimage sites.

However, the other holy city in Iraq, Karbala, can adorn itself with the tomb of Ali's son, Hussein. In 1991, in the wake of the war, it was precisely from the Karbala Shia rebellion against Saddam came, a rebellion Americans had hoped to repeat in the current war.

The Shi'ites today constitute a majority of the population of Iraq, with between 55 and 65 percent, with the cities of Karbala and Najaf as important centers of power. But in Baghdad, too, they are in the majority. In total, however, the Shi'as constitute only 16 percent of the Muslim population.

Saddam's religious awakening

Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party is basically a secular government, but dominated by Sunni Muslims. Still – after the resurrection of Shia Muslims in 1991, we have seen a clear shift in the direction of a more visible God-interested leader. The construction of mosques has accelerated in parallel with Iraqi television and radio's new and ardent interest in Qur'an recitation programs and the school system's escalation of Islamic education. The need for a unifying ideology has led to a greater and more focused focus on the religious, despite the strong official distinction between church and state on which the regime is built. At the same time, Saddam's own image as a political leader has been embellished with the fact that images of the big leader, which is big business, in recent years have also included portraits of Saddam in prayer. This has not always been the case. Saddam also claims direct kinship with Muhammad.