Islam+in+the+News

//A Sectarian Split Around Chicken, In Iraq -//

Though violence between Sunnis’ and Shi’ites’ have died down over the years, there is still tension between these two sects. What sect you are is a huge part of //who// you are. It also decides some of the food you will eat. This may seem odd, but in Baghdad it is by no means anything to joke about. For quite a while, the reporters for NPR studios in Baghdad have been enjoying Sadia brand chicken. It is produced in Brazil, and then distributed in the Middle East. Shiites would rather eat Khafeel brand chicken. Also produced overseas - and distributed throughout the Middle East. But to mostly Shiite countries. They found out about this little dispute when the cook in their kitchen was forced to switch over to Khafeel. When they asked why, the answer was because most of the Iraqui reporters in the building were Shiite. The problem here is if the chicken is halal or not, which means if it has been killed and prepared going by Islamic law. Both of these brands are produced in Brazil, so there is really no way of telling if either brand is halal. Maybe neither. But Sunnis believe that Sadia is alright, and Shiites believe that Khafeel is OK. Who is either one of them to say the other is wrong?

  //Bahrain - Sunni’s Rule Country, Shi’ites Rule Majority -//

Shi’ites only make up around ten to twenty percent of all the Muslims in the world. With this statistic, it is sort of hard to believe hat they have majority in three countries: Iran, Iraq, and Bahrain. In both Iraq and Iran, the government is ruled mainly by Shi’ites. Though, Bahrain is still run by Sunnis. The Al Khalifa family has ruled in Bahrain since 1783, but not always independently. Britan ruled Bahrain from 1892 to 1970, which is when the country gained back its independence. Today, Bahrain is thirty percent Sunni, and seventy percent Shi’ite. The Sh’ites are wanting to take over the government - understandably - because they are the majority of the citizens. This dispute has been the root cause for many past arguments between the two sects in Bahrain. Shi’ites have been a little more integrated into the government of late, but they still do not have more say, or control than the Sunnis. As said, this has been changing. Hopefully it will continue to, without getting too violent and the two sects can both be in power.