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Why are most terrorists Sunni Muslims?

ronki23

Well-Known Member
Osama bin Laden
Ayman Al Zawahiri
Mullah Omar
Abu Bakr al Baghdadi
Sayyid Qutb
Yassin (debatable as he could be argued to be a freedom fighter but I'd give that label to Arafat)

In Sunni majority countries there is no freedom of religion and the apostasy from Islam is death. Most Sunni majority countries want to wipe out Israel.

I'm not saying Shias are perfect but in Iran they have one of the largest Jewish communities in the world and there aren't many Shia terrorist groups except Hezbollah. Bahrain and Lebanon are ok and they're Shia countries.

Shia Islam also makes more sense
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Considering there are way more Sunni Muslims than Shia (about 10 - 13% of all Muslims), then we could expect the majority of Islamic terrorists to be Sunni.
 

Wu Wei

ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
Considering there are way more Sunni Muslims than Shia (about 10 - 13% of all Muslims), then we could expect the majority of Islamic terrorists to be Sunni.

Exactly about 80% of all muslims are Sunni
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
It wasn't that long ago that many terrorists were Catholic and Protestant Christians in Ireland. There have been Buddhist terrorists.

Currently, Sunni Islam feels tat it is at war with the rest of the world. And, yes, the majority of Muslims are Sunni.
 

Lyndon

"Peace is the answer" quote: GOD, 2014
Premium Member
Lebanon is not Shia, it is a fairly even mix of Christian, Sunni, and Shia
 

Kirran

Premium Member
Bit of a random lumping of people. You could just as easily pick six (or ten) Catholics who'd been involved in terrorism, especially given that two of yours are pretty questionable. Qutb was an Islamist political theorist, Ahmed Yassin was quadriplegic and therefore very much in the theoretical wing of Hamas.

If you feel you want to understand the origins of the current prevalence of Islamist terrorism I'd suggest you look into the variations of Islamist thought, including the streams which do not express themselves in terrorist activity, and their roots within Islamic history and geopolitical and cultural circumstances.

And climactic circumstances, too! Climate irregularities were largely behind the food shortages which increased tensions leading up to the Arab Spring, it seems.
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
Bit of a random lumping of people. You could just as easily pick six (or ten) Catholics who'd been involved in terrorism, especially given that two of yours are pretty questionable. Qutb was an Islamist political theorist, Ahmed Yassin was quadriplegic and therefore very much in the theoretical wing of Hamas.

If you feel you want to understand the origins of the current prevalence of Islamist terrorism I'd suggest you look into the variations of Islamist thought, including the streams which do not express themselves in terrorist activity, and their roots within Islamic history and geopolitical and cultural circumstances.

And climactic circumstances, too! Climate irregularities were largely behind the food shortages which increased tensions leading up to the Arab Spring, it seems.

Qutbism was what Al Qaeda was born from. Qutb was executed.

Ahmed Yassin was the head of Hamas

I could also add in Ahmed Shah Massoud, Ramzi Yousef, Mohamed Atta, Anwar Al-Alwaki and Abdullah Yousef Assam
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
This dates back to a rigid form of Islam Wahhabism - Wikipedia which tried enforce outdated practices rigidly. Saudi money helped spread this rigid ideology. They were given a boost by the USA which sought to use the Taliban to oppose the USSR in Afghanistan.

So the summary answer is political.
 

Flankerl

Well-Known Member
Compare the population of Jews in Iran to Sunni Muslim countries

So its large by Islamic countries standards? So so.
But definitely not by the entire world, which is what you wrote. Just admit your error and move on.
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
So its large by Islamic countries standards? So so.
But definitely not by the entire world, which is what you wrote. Just admit your error and move on.

Nope. There are over 150 countries in the world and Irans in the top 30 so that makes it in the top 20%. Also the Jews have seats in their parliament
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
This dates back to a rigid form of Islam Wahhabism - Wikipedia which tried enforce outdated practices rigidly. Saudi money helped spread this rigid ideology. They were given a boost by the USA which sought to use the Taliban to oppose the USSR in Afghanistan.

So the summary answer is political.

That's untrue. Watch this video from 13:24 to 14:00

 

Flankerl

Well-Known Member
Nope. There are over 150 countries in the world and Irans in the top 30 so that makes it in the top 20%.

1. There aren't Jews in all countries of the world.
2. 0,0616619718% of all Jews live in Iran
3. That's not even close to "one of the largest communities in the world".
4. Just admit it and don't be a fool.


Also the Jews have seats in their parliament

Because they aren't allowed to be regular members of society.
Such is the life as a second class citizen.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Osama bin Laden
Ayman Al Zawahiri
Mullah Omar
Abu Bakr al Baghdadi
Sayyid Qutb
Yassin (debatable as he could be argued to be a freedom fighter but I'd give that label to Arafat)

In Sunni majority countries there is no freedom of religion and the apostasy from Islam is death. Most Sunni majority countries want to wipe out Israel.

I'm not saying Shias are perfect but in Iran they have one of the largest Jewish communities in the world and there aren't many Shia terrorist groups except Hezbollah. Bahrain and Lebanon are ok and they're Shia countries.

Shia Islam also makes more sense


Around 85 to 90% of Muslims are Sunni.
 

ronki23

Well-Known Member
1. There aren't Jews in all countries of the world.
2. 0,0616619718% of all Jews live in Iran
3. That's not even close to "one of the largest communities in the world".
4. Just admit it and don't be a fool.




Because they aren't allowed to be regular members of society.
Such is the life as a second class citizen.

Have seats in parliament but are second class citizens? Suuurrree :rolleyes:

 

LionLooking

Member
I have some trouble with the word 'terrorist'.
'Terrorists' whose causes are successful become known to history as 'freedom fighters'.
Generally, 'terrorists' are rebels fighting governments. By that analogy, the American Revolutionaries were terrorists.If they had not been successful in their cause, they'd have become known to us as 'terrorists'. As their campaign did bear fruit however (the government forces were busy fighting a war against Napoleon so couldn't effectively deal with the rebels) they have become heroes.
 

Kirran

Premium Member
Qutbism was what Al Qaeda was born from. Qutb was executed.

Ahmed Yassin was the head of Hamas

I could also add in Ahmed Shah Massoud, Ramzi Yousef, Mohamed Atta, Anwar Al-Alwaki and Abdullah Yousef Assam

Right, yeah, but not all ideological successors of Qutb are involved in jihadist activities.
 

Flankerl

Well-Known Member
Have seats in parliament but are second class citizens? Suuurrree :rolleyes:

You do realise that they aren't allowed to take part in politics otherwise?
As in joining or establishing a party?

No you probably don't. But it won't matter as you are of course right in your little world that is your head.
 
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