Re: split-- from- Men read this..
The fact still remains that Muawiyah hated Ali. No matter how to try to dissect the issue, Muawiyah held a grudge against Ali and as Muslims we need to pick a side. Either Ali or Muawiyah, you cannot have it both ways.
Why do you have to pick sides? The sahabah were not completely fault-proof, so both sides made mistakes. Arguably, Ali warred against Aisha. One could criticize him for that as well.
I dont think that in order to be a good muslim, one must pick sides. There is always the objective viewpoint - that each person did what they thought was right, and whether there was some greed or suspicioun or whatever that was swaying their thoughts - who cares?
How many sins have you committed - what position are you in to demand that muslims take sides?
Its an attitude like that which divides people. Discussing the history and evaluating it is one thing, but picking sides?
