Across Arab World, a Widening Rift

In many Muslim nations, Sunni and Shiites live and work together as neighbors, and so the growing sectarian conflict in Iraq is unsettling for Muslim nations like Egypt. The divide between Sunnis and Shiites dates back to a disagreement in the 7th century about who should succeed the Prophet Mohammed. Shiites, long disenfranchised in Iraq and Bahrain where they make up a majority and many other nations where they are a sizeable minority, are emboldened by Iran’s growing influence and seek to secure more power throughout the region. Some Muslims suspect that the West instigates the sectarian strife, while others simply see no reason – in history or current events – for any acts of extreme violence. – YaleGlobal