Islam Divided: The Underlying Political Culture of the Conflict Between the Sunni and the Shi'a

Though commonplace to speak about Islams in view of benign multiple identities, there remains a deep-seated conflict running throughout Islamic history, represented by Sunni and the Shi'a divergence. Division seems to be one of the most potent forces in the shaping of the Islamic world"”especially in terms of its political culture(s). The present study aspires to demonstrate that this division is both inherent and foundational to the experience of Islam. By a combined analysis of historical data and phenomenological types we delve into the cardinal religio-political issues of authority and interpretation, as well as their ramifications, in order to bring forth the distinctiveness of Islamic historicity. At the same time, a reassessment of certain aspects of conflict theories of religion is proposed.