# Re Sunni vs Shi'ite
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-sunni-vs-shiite/464930
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [September 24, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-sunni-vs-shiite/464930 "2008-09-24T02:49:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-sunni-vs-shiite/464930/1 "2008-09-24T02:49:40Z")
The last line of today’s staff report on [Sunni vs Shi’ites](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2803/whats-the-difference-between-sunni-and-shiite-muslims)says something like “I’ll never take our free press for granted again.”
From what I hear from friends in the Middle East (Qatar, at least), Aljazeera is more open and balanced than Fox News or probably even CNN.
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### Author:  [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-sunni-vs-shiite/464930/2 "2008-09-24T02:57:15Z")
And one small second nit-pick, the revelation from Gabriel happened in 610, not 620. But very thorough column!
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-sunni-vs-shiite/464930/3 "2008-09-24T03:22:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Warning: for almost every statement I make here, you’ll find some sect or group in Islam that takes issue with it, either as a matter of fact or interpretation. In the interest of telling a coherent story not clogged with footnotes and asides, I relate the the most commonly accepted version.
It’s a good column, **Dex** , but as a non-Muslim I think I could take some issues with it, as a matter of facts and opinion ;). Hopefully I don’t come off as churlish or needlessly pedantic - I understand the issues of space constraints when trying to cover everything.
A **factual** correction ( I think ). It’s not 100% clear, but you seem to _imply_ of saying that armed conflict broke out immediately with the election of Uthman. That is of not the case - fighting only broke out after Uthman was assassinated in 656. Ali may have resented his election, but he did not raise arms against it. It was Ali’s claiming of the mantle of Caliph in 656 that triggered the fighting and the issues surrounding that, that triggered the first Islamic civil war ( fitna ).
An issue of **opinion**. I’d say the final _Sunni-Shi’a_ break was the triumph of the Abbasids in 749. Up until that point, Shi’ism was a bit of a catchall category and many who supported _any_ member of the Prophet’s family over the Umayyads were considered Shi’a. When the Abbasids ( descended from Muhammed’s uncle ) took over, this group then merged into the Sunni mainstream. Those that held out only for the children of Fatima, remained as Shi’a.
An issue of **phrasing**.
> [@](#):
>
> For the Shi’ites, there were eleven imams; the twelfth in the line of Mohammed’s descendants vanished in the 800s. About 80 percent of Shi’ites believe this missing heir will return as a messiah-like figure, bringing peace on earth; they are called “Twelvers."
Not quite - 80-85% believe there was 12 Imams ( including the occultated one ). The other 15-20% believe there are fewer, hence the religious splits within Shi’ism ( i.e. “Fivers”, “Seveners” ).
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-sunni-vs-shiite/464930/4 "2008-09-24T03:43:34Z")
Well, dang - I missed there was already another open thread. Sorry, folks.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-sunni-vs-shiite/464930/5 "2008-09-24T04:43:26Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> Well, dang - I missed there was already another open thread. Sorry, folks.
True. I’m closing this thread and we can carry on the conversation over in the [other one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=484457).