Divisions in the Muslim World

Paper Summary:

Despite their common religion, all Muslims in the world are not united. In fact, many Muslim communities experience divisions that have made them enemies with each other. The paper shows that the reasons for these divisions are many and complicated: Differing sectarian beliefs, differing cultures, differing customs and differing interpretations of their holy book, "The Koran". These divisions have caused strife and turmoil within the Muslim world for centuries. The paper shows, however, that despite the many divisions there are also those issues which draw them together and make them more aware of their common bond of religion, even uniting them behind it. Particularly strong in uniting Muslim communities has been their common perception of persecution from other religions and other cultures. This paper examines some of the main divisions within the Muslim community and their causes, as well as some of those issues which have served to draw them together.

From the Paper:

"Perhaps the best-known division within the Muslim world today is the division between the radical (or fundamentalist) and traditional (or moderate) Muslims. The recent terrorist attacks on the United States have brought this particular division painfully to light. There is a growing faction within the Islamic religion of those Muslims who are adopting a radical interpretation of the teachings of the Koran. These are mostly disaffected young men and women who have been plagued by poverty in their homelands their whole lives and blame the Western nations for this state of affairs. They also accuse Western nations of trying to destroy Islam. This accusation provides the perfect rallying cry to holy war, of jihad, with the West."

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