Over the years, we’ve heard much about the Middle East. More recently it’s been about Iraq and Syria. So here’s your background information (as of January, 2016)
Iraq
The population of Iraq is 37 million. In terms of religion, 65% are Shia Muslim (like most of Iran) and 35% are Sunni (like most of Saudi Arabia). They also have a couple of Christians.
Iraq was ruled by a monarchy under the eyes of the British Empire from 1921 to 1958. In 1958, it was overthrown by a bloodless military coup. Saddam Hussein became the country’s fifth president in 1979, serving for 24 years until the US led invasion in 2003. Prior to becoming president, he was VP to his older cousin. Saddam was a Sunni Muslim. During his reign, positions of power in the country were mostly filled with Sunnis. This added to the discriminatory rift that already existed between the two religious groups.
After the US led invasion, the country was governed by an interim council. This council formed the country’s new constitution, which, among other things, changed the top position from president to prime minister. In 2006, the country elected Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia Muslim, as its first prime minister.
After the complete withdrawal of American forces in December 2011, Maliki immediately initiated discriminatory actions against the Sunni minority. Since they couldn’t rely on their government for protection (and now that Americans were gone), in order to defend themselves, the Sunnis spawned the formation of the group that eventually became ISIS.
ISIS was initially run by former military and government personnel from Saddam’s regime (who’d now been banned from holding any such positions), but it also included a radical core that had existed within the country for decades.
Syria
The population of Syria is 18 million. In terms of religion, 15% are Shia, 10% are Christian, and 75% are Sunni. Syria became independent of France in 1945 and was an original member of the United Nations. The country suffered political instability until 1970, when Bashar al-Assad’s father came to power. Hafez al-Assad was in office for 30 years, from 1970 to 2000. Bashar has been president since 2000.
Bashar graduated from medical school in 1988 and attended postgraduate studies at the Western Eye Hospital in London, specializing in ophthalmology. In 1994, after his elder brother Bassel was killed in a car crash, Bashar was recalled to Syria to take over Bassel’s role as heir apparent. Bashar is a Shia Muslim. So, like Saddam Hussein was a Sunni living within a Shia majority, Bashar is a Shia living within a Sunni majority.
The civil war uprising against Bashar started in March 2011. Shortly thereafter, ISIS joined in on the confusion to claim land within Syria for itself. This land was then added to what they’d already captured within Iraq to form a caliphate.
ISIS
ISIS is now a military gone wild. The problem isn’t that they kill people—leaders like Maliki and Bashar have killed many more—the problem is they’ve twisted the initial mission of defending Sunnis into one of radical fundamentalism. One intent on extremism, including ethnic cleansing.
To many, the solution for dismantling ISIS seems to be to eliminate its initial need. For Syria, this means ousting Bashar; and in Iraq, it meant the removal of Maliki. If Iraq’s new prime minister, also a Shia, can produce inclusive government so that Sunnis feel equal, the need for ISIS in Iraq may disappear. And if Syrian rebels defeat Bashar, the majority Sunni population will surely produce someone more sympathetic to their cause.
In reality, it will probably result in larger discrimination of the majority against the minority, which is why Bashar and Saddam aggressively held power in the first place. Plus, ISIS has become a fundamentalist organization with its own cause.
Summary
- Sunni and Shia are different types of Muslims—you can’t visually tell them apart. People liken their conflict to the one once held between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.
- In Iran, 90% of people are Shia (10% Sunni). Because of these numbers, Iran is seen as the champion of the Shias.
- In Saudi Arabia, 90% are Sunni (10% Shia). Because of these numbers, Saudi is seen as the champion of the Sunnis.
- In Iraq, 65% are Shia and 35% are Sunni.
- Saddam was from the minority Sunni population. To hold power and prevent discrimination against his group, he favoured Sunnis and discriminated against Shias.
- Maliki was from the majority Shia population and discriminated against Sunnis once he took power.
- ISIS is a Sunni organization that arose out of Maliki’s discrimination. It was initially filled with former Saddam military people plus a radical core that already existed within the country. This radical core has now taken charge.
- Because the US couldn’t trust Maliki, they eventually insisted on his removal. He has been replaced by Haider al-Abadi, also a Shia, who once served in Saddam’s government.
- In Syria, 15% of people are Shia, 10% are Christian, and 75% are Sunni.
- Bashar al-Assad is from the minority Shia population (the opposite situation to that of Saddam).
- Iran is said to be on Bashar’s side because of the Shia thing. They were also friendly with Maliki for the same reason.
- Turkey may be aiding rebels because they are majority Sunni.
- Putin is friends with Bashar because Russia has oil interests in the area.
You’re now ready to watch PBS Frontline’s episode, The Rise of ISIS, this interview with General David Petraeus, and Frontline’s latest on the topic, Once Upon a Time in Iraq.
Note: For simplicity, we often amplify the conflict between Shia and Sunni. Many times, it’s not that bad. Remember, people are people and we all want the same things.