by T. Lynn Wright

Created on: June 23, 2010

In 632 AD, the prophet Muhammad died in Medina. Initially, the differences between Shia Muslims and Sunni were political. Today, the differences remain political and somewhat religious. The basis of their practices remains fundamental. When Muhammad died, there were those who believed that the role should be assumed by someone who was worthy of the trust, and his close supporter Abu Bakr became the Caliph. Those who followed are known as Sunni Muslims. Shia Muslims were those who felt that someone within the prophet's family had a divine right to the position. Today, Sunni Muslims comprise over eighty percent of the world's Muslims, but in Iraq, the percentage is much different. The Shia number at about sixty percent and the Sunni a little over thirty percent. Despite the greater Shia population, the Sunni have been dominant in Iraqi political matters. Islam is an Abrahamic faith as are Judaism and Christianity. Muslims believe in the deity Allah, as well as angels, prophets, and the afterlife. Muslims adhere to firm beliefs about marriage, diet and daily prayer and the Pillars of Islam. Their fundamental rituals include Testimony, Prayers, Alms giving, Fasting, and the Pilgrimage. There are some break-away groups of Muslims whose practices vary, such as Yazidis, who have Persian roots and whose beliefs differ from the monotheistic beliefs of Muslims. Many Kurds in the northern areas of Iraq are Yazidis.

A very small number of Christians remain in Iraq today. Many of them are Roman Catholic, but some sects exist that combine elements of Christianity and Eastern faiths. A handful of Gnostics known as Mandeans resided in Iraq during Hussein's regime, but the country's tolerance has eroded and several of them have emigrated elsewhere. Gnostic, which comes from the Greek gnosis, translates loosely to knowledge. The Gnostic Mandeans believe in dark and light forces and baptism is a strong theme. Their rituals and laws are similar to those of Judaism, but many elements found in Christianity such as Jesus, John the Baptist and paradise are featured. Little is known about the origins of this faith. The few who remain in Iraq live near rivers in the southern part of the country. There have been Jewish people in the area known as Iraq since the existence of the ancient Mesopotamian city-state Babylon. While many of them emigrated to Israel in the mid 20th century, a small group remains in Baghdad. Religious tolerance in Iraq has faded over the centuries, but may find a resurgence as younger generations embrace a global economy.

   

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