Customer Reviews

The Arab Shi'a: The Forgotten Muslims

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"... the West demonstrates a dangerous tendency to equate Sunnis with secularism and Shi'a with Islamic Movements. Neither is accurate."

This book should be required reading for all Western heads of state, attorneys general, members of congress and parliament, AND journalists.

The authors' outlook is counter to decades of American posturing and shows how current policies to "contain" the Shi'a in the region by the US and allies is a downward spiral and the exact opposite of what needs to happen if there is to be stability for all in the region.

This is an excellent discription of of how the Arab Shi'a have been marginalized in the Arab world, including those countries such as Iraq and Bahrain where they represent the confessional majority. The authors go on to attack western fears of Iranian led Shi'a revolution in the Arab world by delving into the religious, social and cultural differences between the Persian Shi'a and the Arab Shi'a and how the Arabs have historically in each country chosen race and nationality over sectarian alliances when push came to shove.

More shocking, as they review the conditions of the Shi'a in each country where they make up significant parts of the population, is the treatment of the Shi'a by fellow Muslims and Arabs. Especially in those cases where they represent a numerical minority. In those places the Shi'a are oppressed but cannot claim minority status, even though their own Shi'a sect may be marginalized or even unrecognized by the Sunni majority.

They go on to describe how this marginalization is a far greater threat to regional stability and the West's image in the region. The question is whether the Western countries can turn a blind eye to the treatment of the Shi'a and still tout themselves as focused on Democracy and Human Rights. This loss of "face" and continued support of oppressive regimes is a far greater threat than the threat of Iranian efforts to purposely destabilize regimes and the region. Although in the end, the oppressed may look anywhere for answers.

Finally, this book is extremely relevant in today's world even though it was written when Sadaam still controlled Iraq. Iraq is central to Shi'a culture and history. Iraq could easily once again by pass Iran as the center of influence of the world's Shi'a. More importantly will be the Iraqi influence on the Arab Shi'a in Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Syria and Lebanon.

America and the West stand at a crossroad of being the actors who help the Shi'a majorities to achieve their just share and the Shi'a minorities to achieve justice.

As Fuller and Francke say:

"... an Iraq that that does not permit the Shi'a to play the role accorded to them by their demographic majority is doomed to failure, schism and manipulation by outside forces, especially Iran. Saudi and Kuwaiti objections to the establishment of democratic processes in Iraq should be ignored"

Funny, we've been hearing the opposite for over 20 years.