It's interesting to me that they don't care. Like most in the west; me being part of it, we get complacent when people do serious deadly harm to one another because of race, religon, sect. We look at eachother and are confused and don't understnd the question. Because in my little world we don't care. Well maybe that's the root of our global problem. We just don't care until it effects us directly. if only we did care even just a little, things would not be the way they are now.
Tony, Orlando, Florida (Magic Kingdom) where we don't care.

in response to tony's comment.....maybe not caring is best....if you care as much as some of the extremeists....then you might kill someone.

Thank you for your insight. It reminds me of my childhood friends in Dublin when we Roman Catholic kids knew who were the Protestants among us but only very rarely ever made any reference to the distinction, i.e., it just didn't matter except in rare circumstances. We knew enough not to make comments or ask questions because it was rude so to do
without good reason.
However, I feel sure you are referring in your article to people in the professional class, as am I in my comment. What I noticed as a child was that the leading questions and derogatory comments came up amongst the children of the lower classes, with whom I was not allowed to associate. (My family's snobbery was par for the course at the time, but well enough intentioned in case I might pick up bad habits.)
Is it not still a matter of upbringing and education?

Being Shiite or Sunni is not written on anyone's forehead and definitely not easily recognizable by the the way a person looks or appears. Remember that for many many years the Iraqi Shias & Iraqi Sunnis co-existed happily, until one day the ruthless regime of Saddam decided to take a U-turn and start the process of well-coordinated massacre on Shias. The current sectarian violence in Iraq is a direct result of Wahabi sect-backedc(the one found pre-dominantly in Saudi Arabia) insurgents that have vowed to eliminate Shias from Iraq. I mean there are several other countries that I can cite examples of where different sects (especially sects among moslems) co-exist peacefully. One such example is INDIA.

This whole problem goes beyond Shiite vs. Sunni, Christian vs. Muslim. Religious fanaticism is at the heart of the conflict. It's hard to believe that this old-century thinking is still prevalent today. People around the globe are still unable to accept that there are differences in all of us. Nobody can completely conform to a set of ideals held by another. When fanaticism results in loss of life and restrictions of freedom, there is a big problem and it challenges the very foundation upon which all free nations were built. Why the nation, let alone the world, is not united against these fanatics completely baffles me.

It's wonderful for the citizens in those nations of the world where distinctions between religion, class, and gender are of no great significance. However in many nations that simply just isn't the case.
The differences can be blantant as with the caste system in India or subtle as is the reality for people of color in many western nations. Quite often social harmony is nothing more than an illusory condition maintained through an all-encompassing economic prosperity.
In the instance of the Sunnis and Shia of Iraq the potential for social upheaval between these two branches of Islam was clearly identifiable to anybody who studied Iraqi history since its post- WWI, European-brokered creation.
Cultural differences don't mature into murderous hatreds overnight. For me it seems apparent that the "aberration" of one country is in reality that country's "norm"... at least in the here and now.

Wm,Indianapolis - Turn off the TV...Pick up a book.

I dont understand why such a confusion and hatred is among people and religous. We are all God's children, he created us as his immage. We should love and respect each other. One of God's commandments is " love your neighbour like thyself ". what a wonderful and easy Command it is, if every person loves his neighbour like himself there will be no problems at all , love , understanding and forgiveness will bring Peace among Nations.

Mr. Maceda's blog explains our world problem in a nutshell. Religions 1,2 ,3,and 4 wish to live in peace and harmoney all worshiping their God in their own way and letting other do as well. Now we have Religion number 5 who belives that theirs is the only religion and wishes to dominate all non believers. The delima; how do the other 4 religions allow number 5 it's "freedom" to domainate them? and if they do fight back they are denying freedom or religion? Do they submit in order to live in peace? We in the West want to belive that all religions can live together-seperate but equal. It is difficult to come to the realization that there are others out there who want to dictact to who and how we pray. It dosen't matter to us what religion others are but it sure does matter to them.

As an American convert (20 years) to Islam, I'm so pleased to see this message finally come out. I never ask whether someone is Sunni or Shia (the proper appellation of Shiite). And while I do believe the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, appointed a successor in the person of his cousin Ali (remember this is the origin of the split), I prefer to call myself nonsectarian or even anti-sectarian. My daughter wears hijab but I cover only from the neck down. Imam Ali said there are only two kinds of people in this world: your brother in religion or your equal in creation. When you accept that, there's nothing left to dispute.

"Liberal" Mulsims may not care. I grew up in Belfast and no-one asked whether you went to church or chapel because either a.you never met someone of the opposite faith or b.you already knew because of where they lived or what their surname was. I now live in the UAE, and, once again, no-one asks if others are Shiite or Sunni because the presumption is you are Sunni. Virtually everyone in the country is. In other Arab nations you don't ask because you can tell by names. But I can assure you that it matters a great deal not only to the govts. of Gulf countries (for example, Bahrain and Oman where there are very large numbers of Shiites who feel unrepresented by the Sunni govt., just as they did in Iraq under Saddam) but also to many of the citizens who look on their fellow Muslims very often in the way that Northern Irish Protestants viewed Catholics, and vice versa.

Hello. I am a Sunni Muslim Lebaneese American male, and i had no ideal about the Sunni vs. Shea differences until i married a Shea woman years ago. Only then, in the differences of wedding ceremony, did i even become aware that there was a difference. Today, i am appauled that this simple religous difference has driven so many to such lengths.

Iraq enjoyed the closest thing to peace that a country with 3 completely different sects that all hate eachother, could have, under Sadam Housein. Lest we forget that George Bush 1 sent 300k Shias to their death by starting an uprising after the first gulf war. And the CIA has been funding Kurdish assasination attempts of Saddam in Iraq for the last 20 years!

It is funny how we forget that we are mere people. Religion is a tool used in every society to either dominate other races or conquer other people. Although the main ideology behind the messages are good in intentions, it is still a tool used to regulate our social behaviors and convinces us that we are different. I really do not care what sect each person is, my main view is that we are all the five fingered people. That is how I identify myself and the people around me.

To most Americans, there is no difference between Sunni and Shia muslims. Before marrying my wife and embracing islam, I didn't know either. Now that I have been living in a muslim home I do see the difference. Especially since my wife's mother is Shia and her father is Sunni. And now in my home, against what her father says, my wife claims Shia while I follow Sunni beliefs.
Both her parents and us have happy, healthy relationships regardly of the sideline differences of sect. Over 1 million married couples coexisted peacefully in Iraq alone until just recently (after Saddam was overthrown and we destroyed their economy and way of life) This violence between sects started only as the result of outside influence.

Thanks for an interesting column. A thought along these lines had occured to me this morning to ask my husband: when you were growing up in Morocco, did you have mosques of different sects to choose from, like the different protestant churches we choose from here in the U.S., or was it basically one sect.

I would strongly suggest reading a marvelously written thought provoking book called - Violence & Identity" by Amartya Sen. The Shia - Sunni issue is nothing compared to bigger problems that we are facing today. Shouldn't we be concerned about the next generations, our kids ?? We should ask this question to ourselves - Have we made the world a much better place for them ??? No we haven't. And the sad part is that no one understands the importance of that. It is SAD indeed.

I think the problem is rooted in education. The middle east, from my understanding, is not well know for their education and communication with the outside world. From what I know, the average person is undereducated compared with Western cultures and is oblivious to a world economy or global culture. This leaves them with an inner focus picking away at their own problems and rejecting any outside influnces as a way to protect their own radical idealism.

I converted in June of 2001 to Islam. One sister, a convert (revert) herself, gave me what I consider an excellent piece of advice, which she received from her mother-in-law, a displaced Palestinian in UAE when she converted (reverted) seven years after marrying her husband: People will now start asking you if you are Sunni or Shia - just answer that you follow the Prophet, saaws, and the Holy Qur'an.
This made sense to me and I usually answer, on the rare occaisions I'm asked and usually by non-Muslims, that I am whatever the Prophet, saaws, was. To the best of my knowledge he never declared to be either Sunni or Shia. Just as Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, never claimed to be either Catholic or Protestant. All of the Abrahamic religions, Islam, Christianity, & Judism, have found ways to divide within their religion. How does this make sense within any of them? Aren't they man made differences and not differences from God?
I am not married to a Muslim man, I am married to a non-Muslim, I was married to him when I converted (reverted) and have remained married to him even though this is not allowed in Islam. Most of the women converts (reverts) I've met are single women who came to Islam without being married to a Muslim man.

I am confused. It seems that many women have voiced supportive opinions on this site about living as Muslims and being happy. Doesn't the Quran say?... "Men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other... those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them... and beat them". What is the actual status of women in Islam?
I respectfully submit this question, hoping to gain understanding.

Islam--the religion of Peace. Right

I have been watching this for so long and one thing that is becoming clear is that the Muslims who are doing this are not and do not care about anyone but themselves. All they want is a Muslim and a Christian war they have no reguard to any religion but their own and that is to have there beliefs and no one elses. These people and not men they are cowards who have to hide and then bomb people and run there is no honor in them or their belief. They are different from Muslims who truly honor there religion and whill pay the price for the extremists who are destroying one of the most beautiful places in history.

The world anxiously awaits the roar of moderate Muslims, voicing outrage at the extremist reaction to the Pope's comments.

Where is the leadership of the moderate Muslim community, especially within the Middle East? Why doesn't the European or even the American Muslim leadership speak out? They don't have to support the Pope's position (actually the Catholics have plenty of historical instances of brutal repression and forced conversion). All they have to do is answer that they are willing to help steer the greater Muslim community towards a dialog; a dialog that can heal.

I am a Christian, and I have a Muslim friend and we get along great. We talk about the things going on in Iraq, and cant understand why people would use God as an excuse to murder another human being. It goes against everything GOD teaches us on both sides
of the religous fence. I think a great problem is that the literacy rate in certain middle eastern countries is very low, so you have people that believe in a Quran that they cant even read! So then you have radical clerics that interpret the Quran in there own way to the countless people that cant read, and then you have a faithful public full of people ready to carry out "GOD's will". It's not GOD's will, it's the will of twisted and brain washed individuals whom were conditioned from childhood. It's not all clerics, but it only takes a few motivated individuals and an audience to start a war.
Nowhere in the Bible, or Quran does it give anyone the right to take the life of another for such reasons. It's ridiculous that in this day and age
people are still killing, and dying over religous differences. The world is our home, and we are ALL GOD's children. It's time we act like brothers and sisters, and exist in peace.It's not GOD's fault, he gave us FREE WILL remember? Thanks for letting me get that out. Praise be to GOD the Father.

As a non-muslim,it is interesting to observe that the differences between Sunni and Shia appear to be as insignificant to many muslims as they do to outsiders.The ferocity and hatred exhibited by these two groups in Iraq is incomprehensible to the point where people are tortured before they are executed.I bear no malice towards Muslims but I have to tell you that the lack of leadership by both Muslim clerics and political leaders in denouncing and taking action to stop the hideous slaughter of their own is having a profoundly adverse effect on anyone that is not Muslim .It wont be long before some politician concludes that people are tired of being politically correct and campaigns on a higly inflammatory platform of hostility to Muslims.It is not far beneath the surface in this country and once it is unleashed,it will be difficult to stop.

Why does religion seem to divide us? Can't we all just be good people and treat each other with respect and help your neighbor no matter what race, religion, income etc he or she is? As John Lennon put it, "imagine no religion", just be a good person and help and respect your neighbor. There is no need for religion unless it makes you feel better (Marx's opiate of the masses). Thank you for your time and read more science to find your true place in this world and the universe.