Excellent Article on Sunni-Shia Conflict from the Economist

Sunnis versus Shia in the Middle East

In writing this blog, I have had as one of main themes that the conflict between Sunnis and Shia is one of the primary causes for strife in the Middle East.  For review of the Sunni-Shiite split, feel free to review this previous post; I also have noted the influence of the Sunni-Shia conflict in Syria, as well the ongoing struggle in Bahrain between the minority Sunni leadership and the majority Shiite population of Bahrain.

Continuing this analysis, the Economist recently published an article that explicitly discussed the issue of Sunnis versus Shiites in the region, and noted the right now the Sunnis appear to be ascendant after several years where it looked like the Shiites were driving events in the region.  The article notes:

These days zealous Sunnis need no longer look to swashbuckling Shias for inspiration. The real action is unfolding in their own homelands, at least in north Africa or the Levant. Nor need they look abroad for political ideology: the Arab spring has established the Sunni sort of political Islam as a powerful, domestically based force that has emerged from the underground or from exile.

For those interested, here is the full Economist article on the current status of Sunni-Shia relationships in the Middle East.