Shi'a

It was against the backdrop of ignorance that our political leadership and their echo chamber in the media were able to sell the public on: the war's ease; the belief that we would be welcomed as liberators; and the notion that once the dictator was overthrown, democracy would flourish (remember neo-con Bill Kristol dismissing Iraq's Sunni/Shi'a tensions as "pop culture" for which he said "there's almost no evidence of that at all").

James Zogby: Our Ignorance and Our Interests: Why We Need to Learn More, Not Less, About Islam and the Arab World James Zogby 2010

It was against the backdrop of ignorance that our political leadership and their echo chamber in the media were able to sell the public on: the war's ease; the belief that we would be welcomed as liberators; and the notion that once the dictator was overthrown, democracy would flourish (remember neo-con Bill Kristol dismissing Iraq's Sunni/Shi'a tensions as "pop culture" for which he said "there's almost no evidence of that at all").

James Zogby: Our Ignorance and Our Interests: Why We Need to Learn More, Not Less, About Islam and the Arab World James Zogby 2010

Bahrain's most popular Shi'a cleric is Sheikh Isa Qassim, who has occasionally endorsed the Iranian regime's doctrine of velayat-e faqih, and as a result is a lightning rod for loud Sunni criticism, and quieter criticism from some more orthodox Shi'a clerics.

Sharmine Narwani: Rats, Roaches and Shiites Sharmine Narwani 2011

It was against the backdrop of ignorance that our political leadership and their echo chamber in the media were able to sell the public on: the war's ease; the belief that we would be welcomed as liberators; and the notion that once the dictator was overthrown, democracy would flourish (remember neo-con Bill Kristol dismissing Iraq's Sunni/Shi'a tensions as "pop culture" for which he said "there's almost no evidence of that at all").

James Zogby: Our Ignorance and Our Interests: Why We Need to Learn More, Not Less, About Islam and the Arab World James Zogby 2010

Post's very rough estimate is that 30 percent of the Shi'a here follow clerics who look to more senior clerics in Iran for guidance.

Sharmine Narwani: Rats, Roaches and Shiites Sharmine Narwani 2011

Bahraini government officials sometimes privately tell U.S. official visitors that some Shi'a oppositionists are backed by Iran.

Sharmine Narwani: Rats, Roaches and Shiites Sharmine Narwani 2011

At the heart of their fierce animosity is a debate over how to best protect Syria's myriad religious communities: Sunni Muslims, Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Druzes, Alawis, Jews, Yazidis, Ismailis, and others.

Mary Slosson: Debate Over Religious Freedom In Syria Causes Anger In Los Angeles Diaspora Mary Slosson 2011

At the heart of their fierce animosity is a debate over how to best protect Syria's myriad religious communities: Sunni Muslims, Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Druzes, Alawis, Jews, Yazidis, Ismailis, and others.

Mary Slosson: Debate Over Religious Freedom In Syria Causes Anger In Los Angeles Diaspora Mary Slosson 2011

Meanwhile, Christian, Shi'a, Druze, Iraqi, and Palestinian refugee minorities, which make up a quarter of Syria's population, have been asking what, exactly, is the agenda of opposition groups and will the resistance assure the security of minorities in a post-Assad scenario?

Majid Rafizadeh: Will Assad Survive? Majid Rafizadeh 2011

It was against the backdrop of ignorance that our political leadership and their echo chamber in the media were able to sell the public on: the war's ease; the belief that we would be welcomed as liberators; and the notion that once the dictator was overthrown, democracy would flourish (remember neo-con Bill Kristol dismissing Iraq's Sunni/Shi'a tensions as "pop culture" for which he said "there's almost no evidence of that at all").

James Zogby: Our Ignorance and Our Interests: Why We Need to Learn More, Not Less, About Islam and the Arab World James Zogby 2010