“But then, I have a suspicion that the Sunni-Shi’a split is somewhat fabricated or egged on in Iraq by Allied forces (or more correctly, their leaders) who want an excuse to stay there longer and control things…”

I suspected that the US was fomenting a Sunni-Shi’a bloodbath too, but the reason I had in mind was the hope that it would destroy Islamism in both communities (much as the carnage of the Thirty Years’ War in Europe led to the Enlightenment and to the decline in the concept of “Christendom”).

It was not my intention, Bin Gregory, to deny that there are issues between Sunni and Shi’a in Dearborn and elswhere. I’m not looking at it with rose-tinted glasses, as they say, and claiming that there is no conflict, as I know there certainly is. But what I was addressing was in relation to the recent spate of violence, graffiti on masjids and other vandalism. Perhaps I am naive, and I’m also not saying it’s impossible, but I just am not particularly inclined to believe that MOST of that behavior is Sunni-Shi’a related. I believe that the type of vandalism being perpetrated on Shi’a mosques and businesses is MORE OFTEN the act of non-Muslims who see this as a good opportunity to disrespect Muslims, and if they can make it look like a sectarian thing and thereby get away with it they will do so. Obviously, a Sunni Arab isn’t likely to spray paint “Arab dogs go home” on a Shi’a mosque…that is far more likely to have been done by a non-Muslim ignorant.

That’s the main reason I added the Messopotamian’s blog to BLOG VILLAGE .. to try to get the perspective of someone who LIVED in Iraq! So, I would take the views of local Muslims as closer to the truth than the sensation seeking news.

“Dearborn most definitely has inter-Arab tension along country of origin lines and along sunni-shia lines as well.”

I’m not saying that there is not intercommunity tension… what I am suggesting is that these tensions are not as related to the violence in Baghdad as Siegal and other pundits may have you believe.

We all know of or have had an inter-community quarrel based on the age old issue that differentiates Sunni and Shi’a. What I am suggesting is that perhaps the “vandalism” and recent crimes committed are not the result of events in Iraq or at least not by Muslims as Imam Alawan has suggested. Besides… brother don’t you live in South East Asia?

As you may remember, I live in Michigan, though on the West side. I have been reading numerous articles that CAIR has maintained in their listings and all of them site as Sunni-Shi’a split being the factor in the recent violence/grafitti etc going on in Dearborn and surrounding areas. Like you, I don’t think that is the case at all based on the descriptions. I think that some people would really like to play up a split – it’s Cesear’s Divide-N-Conquer method and it has worked very well for centuries all over the globe when put into use. But the truth is that it is non-Muslim Islamophobes who are, at least in the vast majority of cases, the actual culprits in the recent issues.

But then, I have a suspicion that the Sunni-Shi’a split is somewhat fabricated or egged on in Iraq by Allied forces (or more correctly, their leaders) who want an excuse to stay there longer and control things…