General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Welp, that was a massive pile of bullshit. [View all]FairWinds
(1,717 posts)Shia islam does not really have much in the way of
a fundamentalist branch like the Sunni salafis.
In fact, and in contrast to the Sunnis, the Shia have
generally had a significant social justice component.
I'm no expert, but I read my Juan Cole (Informed Comment).
In part, this is what he wrote today . .
"Not only has Saudi Arabia stood for absolutism at home, it has mobilized to destroy populist and democratic movements in the region. Arguably it was a major force behind the derailing of the brief Egyptian experiment with parliamentary democracy. It suborned liberal Syrian revolutionaries into a fanatical Salafism (the Jaysh al-Islam) that threatened Alawite Shiites and other Syrian minorities and preached against democracy. Behind the scenes it has pushed a destabilizing fanatical Salafism throughout the Muslim world."
And there is also a VERY lively debate in the comments that follow his article . .