Word: schisms
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Imam Hussein. They rejected the three Caliphs chosen by consultation among the Prophet's followers after his death - those recognized by the Sunnis, who constitute about three quarters of the world's Muslims today - and instead followed a series of 12 imams who were direct descendants of Muhammad. The schism originated as a violent power struggle, with both Ali and Hussein murdered by rivals. The latter, killed at the battle of Karbala in Iraq, came to symbolize the cult of martyrdom in the Shiite tradition, with followers still today flagellating themselves during the annual Ashura festival for their failure...
...contemporary conflict between Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq is based not only on a schism that happened almost 14 centuries ago, but on the politics of the Saddam Hussein era. The Sunni Arabs, some 15-20% of the population, provided the bulk of the governing class under Saddam, while the Shiites, who comprise upward of 60% of the population, were denied political rights and their religious freedoms were curtailed. The contemporary politics of the divide also has a regional dimension: The main Shiite religious political parties that have dominated both of Iraq's democratic elections have close ties to Iran...
...there are also no denominations more in danger of ceasing to exist. Churches that once held the sway of large percentages of the American population are now smaller than several non-Christian faiths, there is no end in sight to their membership collapse, and many are near schism because of unsolvable, usually partisan, arguments among their adherents...
...percent of Iraq. Sunnis, however, make up about 85 percent of the world's Muslims. Taking the Shi'ite's sides in Iraq might buy them influence in that country, but there's a real risk that the U.S. will be seen as taking sides in Islam's greatest schism, decreasing influence in the greater Islamic world and, thus, weakening its hand in the greater war on terror...
...against the British as the "fighting family." Last week Begin's Herut Party, which the former Prime Minister dominated for almost four decades, demonstrated that it was still ready for a fight. This time, however, the family members spent most of their time battling one another. The result: a schism within Herut, the backbone of the right-wing Likud bloc, between the followers of Party Leader Yitzhak Shamir, who is also Foreign Minister, and the combined forces of Deputy Prime Minister David Levy and Industry and Trade Minister Ariel Sharon. The melee raised questions not only about the future...