When the Prophet Muhammad died in the sixth century, a dispute arose over who would succeed him. The Muslims of the world were divided into two main branches, Sunni and Shia. For centuries, Sunni and Shia Muslims have lived side by side, but political forces have fueled tensions between them.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shia Muslim Iran
Today, two powerful states are fighting for influence in the Middle East, Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shia Muslim Iran. Hear how their power struggle drives bloody conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. About armed Shia militias, extremist Sunni groups and how some cities are divided into Sunni and Shia Muslim neighborhoods. A story about how religion, power and politics mix and lead to violence. Hear also why the memory of the battle of Karbala in Iraq in 680 is an open wound even today.
Participants: Cecilia Uddén and Johan Mathias Sommarström, Middle East Correspondents, Firas Jonblat the Arab group at Ekot
Host: Johar Bendjelloul
Producer: Katja Magnusson
Technician: Johanna Carell
Source: ICELAND NEWS