• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
      • Political Islam
    • Areas of Expertise
      • Economic Warfare
        • Cyber Security
      • U.S. Policy
      • Anti-Corruption
      • Foreign Election Observing
      • Supporting Free Speech
        • Legislation
      • Impact of ACD’s Work
      • Free Speech Celebration, U.S. Senate
    • Board of Directors & Advisors
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
  • Our Impact
    • Endorsements
    • Additional Praise
  • Media
    • Recent Interviews
    • Events
      • Coming Events
    • Radio
    • Television
    • Rumble / Youtube
  • Publications
    • All Posts Archive
    • ACD Presentations
    • Articles
    • Books
    • Papers
    • Recommended Readings
  • Free Speech
    • Legislation & Support
    • Impact of ACD’s Work
      • FREE SPEECH Act Celebration, U.S. Senate, September 20, 2010
      • Some Congressional Testimonies
  • Economic warfare
    • The Impact of Purposeful Interference on U.S. Cyber Interests
    • Cyber/Space, EMP Insecurity- Current and Future Threats
    • The Existential EMP Threat
    • New Strategies to Secure U.S. Economy from Cyber Attacks
    • Economic Warfare Subversions July 9, 2012
    • CyberSpace Security – Papers And Articles
    • Cyber Security
    • Da’esh “lite” North America Islamist – Sources
    • The Muslim Brotherhood and Da’esh “Lite” in North America
  • Support ACD
    • Donate
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
American Center for Democracy

American Center for Democracy

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • Free Speech
  • U.S. Policy
    • U.S. Foreign Policy
  • Political Islam
    • Canada
    • Hamas
    • Iran
    • Islam
    • Muslim Brotherhood
    • Palestinian
    • United States
  • Narco-Terrorism
  • Middle East Conflicts
    • Iran
    • Israel
  • Global Conflicts
    • China
    • North Korea
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
  • Soros
You are here: Home / ACD/EWI Blog / The Sunni-Shiite Divide Widens

The Sunni-Shiite Divide Widens

January 7, 2014 by J. Millard Burr*

Quoting Iran’s official news agency, Agence France-Presse reported on 6 January that General Muhammad Hejazi, Iran’s Deputy Chief of Staff, had just announced that, if asked, the Islamic Republic of Iran was “prepared to provide military equipment and advice to Iraq to help it battle al-Qaida.” Only arms and advice was contemplated as it was said that the Iraqis “have no need of manpower.”

Hejazi claimed there had been no request from Iraq to “carry out joint operations against the ‘takfiri’ terrorists,” a term used to describe al Qaida and its various fraternal allies. In this case it would be to assist in the attack on the al-Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which leads the Sunni Muslim conflict in both Syria and Iraq. The ISIL has just taken control of Fallujah, a major Iraqi pivot in the Middle East conflict.

The Iranian announcement came within hours of reports on extensive fighting between Iranian-supported Huthi rebels (centered in Saada, a province in northern Yemen) and Sunni opponents. In two days of fighting the Shiite Huthi, joined by fighters from the Islah Islamist Party, killed dozens of Sunni tribesmen and al-Qaida backed rebels in Jawf, Amran, and Saada provinces. They now threaten to seize the Bart Al-Anan border crossing with Saudi Arabia, thus creating a dangerous situation with Yemen’s unhappy neighbor.

Saudi Arabia itself has been involved in events in neighboring Bahrain, a predominantly Shiite state governed by the Sunni Al-Khalifa royal family. A Shiite revolt emerged in February 2011 when thousands of protestors took to the streets, an event that led Saudi Arabia to send a military force to Bahrain to ensure the survival of the Al Khalifas. Just before New Year 2014 the Bahraini authorities arrested Sheikh Ali Salman, the Shiite leader of the country’s opposition al-Wefak National Islamic Society. He was accused with incitement during Friday prayers. Allegedly, Salman made comments “contained sectarian language to incite hatred.” After questioning, he was released later that day, with warning not to attempt to leave the country.

Elsewhere in the Muslim World the Sunni-Shiite divide widens. In Egypt, recent reports describe attacks on the small Shiite communities. In Pakistan, the minority Shiites have been under attack from the north to Karachi, which is located in the South, along the coastline of the Arabian Sea. And in Iran, the authorities are forced to contend with pesky attacks by the Sunni Baluch that populate a large part of southeastern Iran and western Pakistan.

Lebanon is now threatened with a Muslim civil war as Shiite artillery located in Syria bombs (often indiscriminately) Lebanese border villages. Meanwhile, Sunni jihadists tied to ISIL have begun to car-bomb the Shiite quarters of southern Beirut. Snipers have also created serious tensions between the Sunni and the Alewite minority in Tripoli city.

Seen realistically, there now exists a widespread war between Sunni and Shiite, the likes of which in its expanse has never been seen before in the Middle East and South Asia.

Since the palmy days of the Popular Arab and Islamic Conference (1991-1996), which met in Khartoum to unite in a single jihad the efforts of Sunni and Shiite, much has changed. Since the war in the Balkans, where Iran and Saudi Arabia worked together to arm and fund that jihad, the inter-Muslim rapprochement has been shattered. There was the war in Iraq which saw the replacement of a Sunni dictatorship with a Shiite government; there is a predominance of hardliners in the Iranian government and within its personalized military force (the Pasdaran); finally, the “Arab Spring” resulted in the weakening of Egyptian power and the emergence of a powerful Iranian government determined to enhance its war-making capability.

Tangentially, the rebel movement in Syria that sought to overthrow the Assad regime was stalemated and then placed on the defensive as Iran provided direct assistance to its ally. This eventually pitted Sunni against Shiite.

Will the situation be reversed soon?   It is fascinating to watch the ever-shifting Middle East kaleidoscope. Now it seems that an Egypt-Saudi Arabia-Israel alliance against Iran is emerging. Should the Erdogan regime be overthrown or replaced, Turkey would likely join the triad mentioned above. Such an arrangement, should it occur, would place Iran and its Shiite allies on the defensive. And where does Washington fit into the puzzle? In Foggy Bottom it seems that “leading from the rear” has become a habit, and it does not seem to care that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel all mistrust the Obama administration.

*J. Millard Burr, author of “Alms for Jihad”, is a Senior Fellow with the American Center for Democracy.

Filed Under: ACD/EWI Blog, Al Qaeda, Iran, Latest News, Middle East Conflicts

Primary Sidebar

Spotlight

website capture islamist incitement quote by j.woolsey obama signing Rachel's law chemical terrorism transportation terrorism nuclear threats on the rise winning the cyberwar gps concepts and misconceptions libel tourism

Search ACD

Recent Appearances

[5/1/2025] National Talk Radio with Shawn Moore

[3/11/2025] Shaun Thompson Interview

[3/10/2025] Larry Conners Interviews Rachel Ehrenfeld

[2/3/2025] The Truth About George Soros - Grey Matter Podcast

[1/22/2025] Fighting Terrorism Funding - SAM Podcast

[1/8/2025] COUNTER NARRATIVE Interview on PATRIOT.TV

[10/2/2024] The Shaun Thompson Show: Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld

[9/30/2024] Counter Narrative: Soros Power Grab: Media Takeover & Election Manipulation |

[8/28/2024] SOS Blinken warns U.S. allies that Iran may attack Israel in the next 24-48hrs

[8/9/2024] Purham & Associates Show Special Guest: Rachel Ehrenfeld

[7/26/2024] Dr. Ehrenfeld on The Andy Caldwell Show

[6/12/2024] Dr. Ehrenfeld on The Shaun Thompson Show

[5/29/2024] Interview on Bill Martinez Live

[5/24/2024] CAEF presents "Soros is No Dreyfus: The Soros Agenda to Change America & his Anti-Israel Crusade"

[5/16/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld on Jayne Carol Tonight - Portland, OR

[5/9/2024] How deep do the Soros ties go?

[5/6/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: The College Intifada-How Jew Hunting Became a Left Wing Blood Sport On Campus

[4/15/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld on The Vic Poricini Show

[4/11/2024] The Andy Caldwell Show

[4/10/2024] Always Right Radio with Bob Frantz

[4/3/2024] Kacee Allen & Rachel Ehrenfeld - The Pelle Neroth Taylor Show

[3/12/2024] Rachel Ehrenfeld | Gunther Rewind - Podcast on iHeart Radio

[2/18/2024] תעלומת ג'ורג' סורוס ותרומתו למאבק נגד ישראל - פוקוס על אמריקה - Podcast on Spotify

תעלומת ג'ורג' סורוס ותרומתו למאבק נגד ישראל - פוקוס על אמריקה | Podcast on Spotify

[2/7/2024] Are We in World War III and Don't Know It? - Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson

[1/23/2024] The Chris Smith Show - TNTRADIO.LIVE

[1/22/2024] 'Soros Agenda' Author Warns That Global Elites Could Steal '24 Election - One America News

[1/12/2024] Stacy Washington NOW Rachel on from 24:10 – 31:46.

[12/23/2023] Propagaza – Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson

View ALL

The Soros Agenda

g. soros

Soros: The Man Who Would Be Kingmaker, Part I

Rachel Ehrenfeld & Shawn Macomber

Soros: The Man Who Would Be Kingmaker, Part II

Soros: The Man Who Would be Kingmaker, Part III

Soros: The Man Who Would be Kingmaker, Part IV

More about Soros...
ORDER THE SOROS AGENDA →
Buy The Soros Agenda

Tags

antisemitism Caliphate Canada capital punishment China Christians Daniel Haqiqatjou Dawah Disinformation genocide Hamas Iran ISIS Islam Islamic Party of Ontario Islamic Relief Canada Islamization Islamophobia Israel J. Millard Burr Jews jihad Justin Trudeau LGBT liberalism Mazin AbdulAdhim Muslim Brotherhood Muslims NCCM Norman Bailey Palestine Political Islam Quran Russia Salaheddin Islamic Centre Saudi Arabia Sharia Sol W. Sanders SOROS Syria Terrorism Toronto US USA women's rights

Footer

About ACD

ACD is a New York-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which monitors and exposes the enemies of freedom and their modus operandi, and explores pragmatic ways to counteract their methods.

Endorsements

"The ACD/EWI ability to predict future threats is second to none"

- R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence

- - - More Endorsements - - -

Follow ACD!

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin

Copyright © 2025 | The American Center for Democracy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.