Islam is historically divided into two major sects, Sunni and Shia Islam, each with its own sub-sects. Large numbers of Shia Arab Muslims live in some Arab countries including Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, and Qatar.
Shia Muslims are a numerical majority in Iraq and Bahrain. Approximately 35% of the population in Yemen and half of the Muslims in Lebanon are Shia Muslims. There is also a very large population of Shia Muslims living in the Persian Gulf countries especially in Saudi Arabia. An estimated 5–10%[1][2] of citizens in Saudi Arabia are Shia Muslims, most of whom are adherents to Twelver Shia Islam. Twelvers are predominantly represented by the Baharna community living in the Eastern Province, with the largest concentrations in Qatif, and half the population in al-Hasa. In addition there is a small Twelver Shia minority in Medina (called the Nakhawila). Sizable and Isma'ili communities also live in Najran along the border with Yemen. Saudi Arabia officially follows Wahhabism, a strict, recently established sect of Sunni Islam. There is little freedom of religion between the different sects even whilst all of the population are Muslims. Smaller Shia groups are present in Egypt and Jordan.
Despite the heavy presence of Shia Muslims in some Arab countries, particularly among the population of the Persian Gulf Arab countries, they have been treated poorly throughout history.[3] For both historical and political reasons, Shi'a Arabs have fared relative poorly in much of the Arab world, and the topic of Shi‘ism and Shia groups is one of the most sensitive issues for the Sunni elite.[4]
^Saudi Arabia's Shia press for rights Archived 2010-04-07 at the Wayback Machine| bbc|by Anees al-Qudaihi | 24 March 2009
^Council on Foreign Relations Archived 2010-04-11 at the Wayback Machine| Author: Lionel Beehner| June 16, 2006
Shia Islam is practiced by a minority of Muslimsinthe United Arab Emirates. It is also practiced among expatriate Muslim communities living inthe country...
Lebanese ShiaMuslims (Arabic: المسلمون الشيعة اللبنانيون), communally and historically known as matāwila (Arabic: متاولة, plural of متوال mutawālin; pronounced...
The following is a list of notable ShiaMuslims. . Ali ibn Ridwan – Egyptian Muslim physician, astrologer, astronomer, philosopher Haider Alhassen Al-ʻIjliyyah...
November 2019. Of the total Muslim population, 10–13% are ShiaMuslims and 87–90% are Sunni Muslims. "Quick guide: Sunnis and Shias". BBC News. 6 December...
among Muslims globally, followed by Bengalis and Punjabis. Likewise, they comprise the majority of the population of theArabworld. Although Arabs account...
is the majority and official religion inthe United Arab Emirates, professed by 74.5% of the population as of 2020. 63.3% are Sunni, 6.7% are Shia, while...
for the breakdown between Sunni and ShiaMuslims among noncitizen residents, media estimates suggest less than 20 percent of the noncitizen Muslim population...
community, Twelver Shias form the majority of the population inthe countries of Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, half theMuslimsin Lebanon, and substantial...
of Muslim feminists List of Muslim Nobel laureates List of Muslim military leaders List of Sahabah List of non-Arab Sahabah List of ShiaMuslims List...
memory. Shīʿa Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam, followed by 10–15% of all Muslims. Although there are many Shīʿa subsects intheMuslimworld, Twelver...
different traditions. As inthe rest of theworld, the Sunni Muslims are inthe majority. ShiaMuslims, especially those inthe Iranian immigrant community...
funding, Shia Islam is openly and freely demonised and ShiaMuslims are oppressed inthe country, their prayers and gatherings are broken up, and the state...
population are Muslims. The CIA World Factbook reports a 2015 estimate according to which 29–34% are Sunni Muslims and 61–64% ShiaMuslims. According to...
99% of the population of the Gaza Strip. The largest denomination among Palestinian Muslims are Sunnis, comprising 98–99% of the total Muslim population...
number of Muslimsintheworld. The majority of India's Muslims are Sunni, with Shia making up around 15% of theMuslim population. Islam spread in Indian...
Circassians. Upwards of 99% of Israel's Muslims are Sunnis and the remainder are Ahmadis. Despite Shias constituting the second-largest Islamic sect, there...
Sunni Muslims and ShiaMuslims agree on the three holiest sites in Islam being, respectively, the Masjid al-Haram (including the Kaaba), in Mecca; the Al-Masjid...
InShia Islam, the Imamah (Arabic: إمامة) is a doctrine which asserts that certain individuals from the lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are to...
Pakistanis are Muslims. Pakistan has the second largest number of Muslimsintheworld after Indonesia. The majority are Sunni (85-90%) while Shias make up between...
Society inArab Sind. E. J. BRILL. p. 126. ISBN 90-04-08551-3. Ibn Athir, Vol. 3, pp. 45–46, 381, as cited in: S. A. N. Rezavi, "TheShiaMuslims", in History...
part of Islam in Iran and continue today when Ayatollah Khomeini also called for unity between Sunni and ShiaMuslims. Sunni Muslims are the second-largest...
all ShiaMuslims under one banner. On the other hand, this concept shows the increasing political weight of Shiainthe Middle East. Areas intheShia Crescent...
Sunni and Shia are different sects among Muslims and the difference of opinions have resulted in many Fatwas, non-binding but authoritative legal opinion...
while the Shi'ite population had declined to 49% of the citizen population. Although about half of Bahrain's Muslim population consists of ShiaMuslims (estimated...
madhhabs. The Alawites are the biggest Muslim minority sect (10% of the country's population), followed by Isma'ili and Twelver ShiaMuslims. Some Sufi...
The 500 Most Influential Muslims (also known as TheMuslim 500) is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims...
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