02 October 2011

Shia-Sunni split will halt democracy in its tracks

A war of extraordinary brutality is being waged across the Muslim world which is largely ignored by the media.

.... Since the start of the Arab uprisings this year, Shia-Sunni hostility has deepened again wherever the two communities seek to live side by side. Rulers have appealed to the Sunni and Shia loyalties of their people to stay in power.

In Syria and Bahrain the democratic movement against authoritarian rule, the Arab Awakening, has been thwarted by officially sponsored sectarianism. In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad has been clinging to power by playing the sectarian card for all it is worth. [independent.co.uk] Read more