As we continue to fight against ruthless enemies, whether it’s Daesh or Al Qaeda, we have to acknowledge and understand the existence of a bigger and more complex issue - an increasing sectarian divide in the Middle East. This divide has inflicted a lot of harm on a region already plagued with violent extremism. Now there exists not only a moderate vs radical divide, but an increasing Shia vs Sunni one, which has increased intolerance and pitted brother against brother.
CENTCOM Commander, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin, recently stated that, “ISIL is not a monolith; rather it is a symptom of the larger problems that continue to threaten the Central Region. In particular, the growing divide between ethno-sectarian groups and between religious moderates and radical Islamists, have created ideal conditions for a group like ISIL to take root. Over a period of years the previous government alienated important segments of its society, notably the Sunni and Kurdish populations, which resulted in growing disenfranchisement among these groups. ISIL capitalized on this opportunity and launched a successful blitz into Iraq absent much resistance and with support from local Sunnis who viewed ISIL as a means for bringing about a change in their government. The Sunnis simply refused to fight; and, in so doing, they facilitated ISIL’s offensive. The remaining Iraqi security forces were largely incapable of mounting a credible defense against ISIL.”
Ultimately, in order for Iraq to be peaceful, it will not be enough to defeat Daesh; the leadership should avoid sectarianism and value competent and skillful people in order to build and maintain an inclusive well-represented form of government. A well represented government has the potential to achieve greater stability and progress for Iraq.
your boss General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was recently asked during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing whether he knew of “any major Arab ally that embraces ISIL.” His response: “I know major Arab allies who fund them.”…so u work for govt. whose allies are ones that fund worst form of sectarianism…so u can’t have your cake and eat it too…
We can thank Zia Ul Haq for this menace in Pakistan. He planted the seeds and we are paying the price to this date. With the way things are going, I don’t think we are going to get out of this mess any time soon.
The biggest thing we need to teach people is tolerance.
At the world level, no doubt the Saudi’s are the biggest culprits of spreading hatred towards Shia’s
Yes, tolerance is the only way to go. Tolerance for fellow human beings, irregardless of race, faith, ethnicity, sect, sexual orientation, is a good building block for any society. Bigotry, intolerance and hatred for the same, is not.
Tolerance also means showing respect for others faith. Can’t say, my religion teaches me tolerance, all the while claim Hinduism to be absurd, and Christianity to be corrupt. That is not how it works. You believe in this, I believe in that, both beliefs require a leap of faith, and as long as said belief is not hurting anyone physically, go ahead and believe in whatever you like.