# How do Shias and Sunnis tell each other apart
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 20, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009 "2007-04-20T23:08:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lynwood\_Slim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynwood_Slim)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009/1 "2007-04-20T23:08:55Z")
In the internecine warfare in Iraq, in addition to bombings that target neighborhoods known to be predominantly one sect or another, many of the murders are up close and personal. The news reports “20 Sunnis murdered” etc.
How do the murderers, death squads, etc., know a Shiite from a Sunni? Traditional dress? some linguistic shibboleth?
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009/2 "2007-04-20T23:19:02Z")
[Easy to tell a Sunni from a Shia?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=360372&highlight=sunni)
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009/3 "2007-04-20T23:22:02Z")
[QUOTE=Lynwood Slim]
How do the murderers, death squads, etc., know a Shiite from a Sunni? Traditional dress? some linguistic shibboleth?
[/QUOTE]
While there are a few minor personal clues, mostly revolving around slight variations in prayers and praying style, for the most part there is no obvious identifier.
It’s more that everybody knows everyone else’s business. What mosque you go to. For some what crowd you hang out with. Not infrequently ( and sadly increasingly frequently in Iraq ) what neighborhood you live in. What tribe, sub-tribe, clan or family you belong to. That sort of thing.
- Tamerlane
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009/4 "2007-04-21T02:26:36Z")
The same way that Christians tell Catholics and Protestants apart. People in the neighbourhood know who goes to the right place of worship and who goes to that other one.
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### Author:  [@Spezza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spezza)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009/5 "2007-04-21T02:40:32Z")
They let Allah sort it out.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009/6 "2007-04-21T05:25:23Z")
Well, that appears to be the CURRENT procedure, **Spezza**. ☹
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-shias-and-sunnis-tell-each-other-apart/401009/7 "2007-04-21T15:09:32Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone]
Well, that appears to be the CURRENT procedure, **Spezza**. ☹
[/QUOTE]
It has more to do with the fact that they have self segregated themselves. The deathsquads/bombers attack specific neighborhoods when they are not attacking specific people. Sometimes someone unintended gets killed too. Nobody’s perfect.