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Why do Sunni and Shi'a hate and kill each other?

A serious question here. No joke or insult intended. If Sunni and Shi'a are both Moslem why go to the extent of killing each other? I understand the basic schism was due to sunna holding to the Qur'an and tradition as it applied to choosing a successor to Mohammed when he died (c.632) and some of these traditions were not codified in the Qur'an, but is that a reason to kill?

16 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Its their nature to kill. So why not kill each other.

  • 1 decade ago

    Awesome question and a very dumb answer at the top.

    I think it has less to do with religion and more to do with politics. Sunni and Shi'a have turned into political parties rather than religious sects.

    For example, when the US appointed a Shi'a ruler in Iraq (after years under Sunni leader Saddam), the Sunnis carried out the attacks and were labelled "insurgents."

    And for the imbecil above, the Crusades were carried out by who? yeah, thought so.

  • mil's
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    I am a Sunni and I've never once hated or even intended to kill my Shia brothers. Yes, we differ in several matters but we are still followers of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We may take different roads but our destination is the same. And when we meet in our final destination, it's God and only God who will judge our differences as He mentioned in the holy Quran (about judging differences).

    In Islam, innocents must be protected (be it Muslims or non-Muslims) and cannot be harmed in any way. In the holy Quran, God said that if you take even one life it is as if you have taken the lives of all mankind. Those who kill one another are radical Islamists/extremists whose actions have been and will always be condemned by the majority of the Muslim Ummah (community) who believe and practise the Prophet's injunction not to choose the extreme or the lesser but to choose the middle - Moderation.

    And God alone knows best.

    Happy Eid al-Adha

    Peace & Love

    =)

  • Religious differences, as PERCEIVED by people, have been at the heart of conflicts throughout history. Usually, the violent individuals just use the religion as a mask and excuse to justify their acts. Look at the conflcit that is still not totally resolved in Northern Ireland, where Protestants and Catholics have been at odds for decades.

    In short, no true muslim cleric would ever sanctify killing another follower, just as no true priest would ever sanctift killing others. Those who choose evil in this world often use the cloak of belief as a guise for their acts, trying to lend credence to the atrocities they commit, in their own eyes and the eyes of the world.

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  • Shossi
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    Please --have you read any of the answers given on here-----all the many,many times this has been asked?

    The Sunnis believe the leader of Islam should be elected after Mohammad died. The Shias believed that leadership would belong to the Prophet's family. They argue over who is the correct followers of Islam.

    If you are referring to the situation in Iraq---this is a political situation--not religious. It just happens that the lines are drawn by religious beliefs. It is a matter of-------each wants to rule the country.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Why do Christians hate and kill each other? Why for the joy of killing that's why. Man has been killing each other since they climbed down out of the trees. Religion are nothing else makes a difference. War is the nature of man. Live with it. Just hope you can stay away from it if you are a pacifist or a coward. xx

  • 1 decade ago

    Because the Shiites claim that they are the real Muslims, and the Sunnis claim that they, are the real Muslims, and between real Muslims, hatred seems to generate.

  • 1 decade ago

    A very good qustion

    Shias and sunnis are not true belivers they just need to read Qur'an and understand it,that's it

    A true Muslim should say that i am not a shia or sunni,I am a MUSLIM and proud of it

  • Dane
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    The catholics and protestents butchered each other for centuries, still occuring in ireland. Both christian, both use the bible.

    One thinks god is blonde the other that he is brunette. Lets fight over it.

    Religion is a form of madness.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Its called sectarianism the Christian Church has gone through century's of it most prominently in recent time in Northern Ireland.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    It's in their book. They must fight the non-believer. One sect believes in one line of ascention, the other another line of ascention. One sect beleives the Holiday has already started, the other sect believes it doesn't start til tomorrow.

    And that's what they fight and kill over.

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