This Just Became The Most Important Map In Geopolitics
Earlier today, in “Mid-East Melee: Sectarian Showdown Looms As Bahrain Cuts Ties With Iran, UAE Recalls Ambassador,” we brought you the latest from the war-torn Mid-East where a worsening spat between Saudi Arabia and Iran threatens to plunge the region into chaos.
Make no mistake, things were already out of control. The conflict in Syria has mushroomed into a global proxy war, Iraq is struggling to drive Islamic State from key cities, and Yemen remains mired in war nine months after the Saudis entered the fray to drive back the Houthis and restore the Hadi government.
Against that backdrop, the region could have done without the events that unfolded over the weekend. By executing prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, Riyadh has infuriated the Shiite community which took to the streets in protest, even going so far as to firebomb the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
In order to understand the upcoming sectarian strife and in order to fully grasp who belongs to Iran’s sphere of influence and who is loyal to the Saudis, one needs to have a working knowledge of what the Sunni-Shiite split looks like across the region. Because this is set to become the key geopolitical issue in the weeks and months ahead, we thought it an opportune time to present the following map from Goldman which does a nice job of delineating the sectarian split. Note the asterisks which indicate the affiliation of a country’s leadership.
From Goldman
Where are the main sectarian and ethnic divides in the Middle East today? Saudi Arabia and Iran, with their large respective Sunni and Shiite majorities, are generally viewed as two major opposing forces in the Middle East. They lie on opposite sides of an abstract and somewhat contentious demarcation known as the Shiite crescent, an area of Shiite influence stretching from Iran through southern Iraq and into parts of Syria and Lebanon.
The region’s geopolitical, religious, and sectarian relationships are in reality more dynamic and complex. The conflict in Syria continues to pit anti-government insurgents, including Sunni Islamists, against the Alawite (Shiite) government’s forces and Shiite militias supported by Iran. In Iraq, some Sunnis have felt increasingly disenfranchised under the Shiite-majority government in Baghdad (a relatively new development given Iraq’s long history of Sunni rule). The Islamic State (IS) militant group has exploited this sentiment, particularly in the Sunni-majority areas of northern Iraq.
How are the different branches of Islam represented in politics? In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the rulers adhere to the same branch of Islam as the majority of their citizens. However, this is not always the case. Despite being predominantly Shiite, Iraqis lived under Sunni rulers for much of history, including under the Ottoman Empire and the Ba’thist regime of Saddam Hussein. (Ba’thists are members of the Arab Socialist Ba’th Party, a political party founded in Syria in the 1940s on platforms of Arab nationalism and anti- colonialism. In Iraq, the Ba’thists governed from 1958 until the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.) The Iraqi Ba’thist regime was secular in name but reserved political influence for the Sunni elite. In a break from its long history of Sunni political dominance, Iraq is currently ruled by a Shiite-majority government centered in Baghdad. Conversely, in Sunni-majority Syria, members of the Shiite Alawite sect have controlled the government since 1970.
What is the composition of Sunnis and Shiites in the Muslim world today? Sunnis make up the majority of Muslims worldwide – an estimated 85-90%. Sunnis comprise 85% or more of the Muslim populations in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates, and 70-85% in Kuwait, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Shiites comprise the majority in Bahrain, Iraq, and Azerbaijan (all 60-65% Shiite), as well as in Iran (90-95%), home of the largest Shiite population. Although the Middle East and North Africa region is overwhelmingly Muslim (93%), it is home to only around 20% of Muslims worldwide. The majority – over 60% – lives in the Asia-Pacific region.
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I just dropped a Shiite from where the Sunni don't shine.
LOL...reminds me of that old put down joke...
The guy was so dumb he thought innuendo was Italian for a suppository
In response to recent events ISIS have increased fighters wages by 20% and decreased gas prices by 25%. Wonder if they will be issuing municipal bonds soon.
With math like that, this should be over soon.
Today I learned:
There are 0 Moslems in Israel, Israel is the Jewish homeland and always has been.
Sunni Moslems are good goys, shiites must all be destroyed.
Thanks Goldman Sachs.
Although GS and their kin have much more in common with Shiite Iranians (in terms of mentality), it turns out that they have more in common with Sunni Saudis, who are all-in to their Fiat Ponzi scheme of Usury.
The real paradigm is not Sunni vs. Shiite, but USURY vs. ANTI-USURY. Christians and Christian countries used to be in the latter, but are now in the former -- having sold their faith to Mammon. Mammon, their true god that they worship 6 1/2 days of the week.
/ Truth, with a small serving of Kirk sarcasm on the side.
Are lines being drawn? It really seems as though lines are being drawn.
I'm sure that Sunnis and Shiites will be able to rationally discuss their 1,100 year old differences and not resort to violence this time.
How very un-American of them, resorting to rational discussion rather than shoot first, ask questions later.
Is there anyone at ZH who is, truly, informed about the differences between Sunni and Shiite? A lot of what I'm reading is just bullshit.
Gregory Mannorino says, on YouTube, the current strife in the ME is purposely escalated to raise the price of oil.
No expert, but Shiah Muslims are rather more spiritual. Like Methodists: defined by some as Baptists who can read. Obviously, Shiah are not at the first of the line to start ground wars.
There is a book called the Shanameh of Ferdowsi: This from Wikipedia...
The Shahnameh, also transliterated as Shahnama (Persian: ????????? pronounced [???hn???me], "The Book of Kings"), is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 60,000 verses,[1] the Shahnameh is the world's longest epic poetry written by a single poet. It tells mainly the mythical and to some extent the historical past of the Persian Empire from the creation of the world until the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. Today Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and the greater region influenced by the Persian culture (such as Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Dagestan) celebrate this national epic.
The work is of central importance in Persian culture, regarded as a literary masterpiece, and definitive of ethno-national cultural identity of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.[2] It is also important to the contemporary adherents of Zoroastrianism, in that it traces the historical links between the beginnings of the religion with the death of the last Sassanid ruler of Persia during the Muslim conquest and an end to the Zoroastrian influence in Iran.
If one is quick they can see that shit changed after the Islamic conquest mentioned. This is proof enough to me that The Koran was pooped out of a bitches ass and Sunni Niggers love it and lick it off their brothers ball sacks while finger banging the Bush Dynasty and the Clinton reich.
There is nothing left in Baghdad. If it's not the Iranians who stand up for Persia, then, no one will. One cradle of civilization up for grabs. If you zoom that map of Iran being surrounded by Nato bases you get a different picture. North and East. These shit hole countries presuming any dominance, be it economical will fall when push comes to shove. Let us hope this includes the Nation of Israel when all is said and done. It is a canker on the breast of the Earth.
Why doesn't the map show the demographics of Israel? Are they afraid to show how many Mormons are there?
Good point. There are 1.2 million Muslims living in Israel, that's about 20%!
Hard to say about Mormons though. They are advised to keep a low profile.
http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/Ethnic%20Group...
Why doesn't the map show the demographics of Israel? Are they afraid to show how many Morons are there?
This friggin Abu Bakr-Muhammed Ali cage match has gone on long enough.
Better to have the mussies kill each other than killing the rest of humanity. I'm getting my popcorn.
Parking lot, plan view.
Yeah, Bob. Make some popcorn, guy, and chillax. I'll be there to pat you on the head. You can continue to be special.
Just like those skags on the hills in Israel enjoyed watching the Palestinians get their asses handed to them by good old US hardware this last year.
Tell me something, Bob. Are you going to be such a smug asshole when your wife gets pulled out of Hooters into the parking lot in plain view and, oh, wait; no... Bob, that's you! Bob, why didin't you tell us how bad you wanted it?
You are such a fucking fig shaker that you can go home now and choke on your cheeze dip, you wanker piece of shit.
Bob, you have nothing to offer this forum. Go and kill yourself.
my goodness I was just going to join "PLUG_IN_NAME lives Matters" now I need to join this divide and conquer group to pay indulgences to the pre determined rulers bogey man... You mean Bernie's and Frankie the pedophile protector 5 Climate change causes terrorism meme doesn't work and 911 caused Iraq war. Don't mind me there is just not enough bread to cover the stench in this MSM/DNC/CIA/RNC shit sandwich.
USSA USSA USSA USSA USSA USSA
+1
I can not figure out this Sunni vs Shiite "riff". Don't they both worship the same God. Is this like the "Last of the Mohicans". The Huron Indians were allied with the French. The Iroquois with the English. Both worshiped the Great Manitou.
Simply stated: What gives with these folks.
The US Civil war was fought between Christians. I don't think its about religion, I think its aout the money.
Just like Northern Ireland . Protestant vs Catholic?? More like, who had control over who got jobs, and who had influence.
Awesome.
~ DC
There are only 12 million Jews .... not 20 million .... but they have influence beyond their numbers .... well deserved .... and I wish them well ?
The whole map is about banking, climate control, and banking, Religion is now secondary under the Marxist Catholic Pope.
By the way, I disagree that the above is the most important map in geopolitics.
The most important map in geopolitics is the map that shows the countries that do not have central banks controlled by the Bank of International Settlements.
All of the Shiite versus Sunni misdirection is bullsh*t. All wars are funded, instigated and benefit the satanic/phaeroic banking system currently headquartered in Switzerland (Not the Hebrews, but the phaeroic clans wo have infiltrated the world power structure and have been murdering Hebrews and others). The wars are designed to both consolidate global power and keep people fighting each other so that they are no threat to the power struture. This should be obvious to all readers of ZH by now ... including the suckers who knowingly or unknowingly work for the satanic power.
And yes, satan and his phaeroic world managers are an evil power. They have murdered countless people and are murdering countless future generations through the seeding of depleted urnaium, radiation leaks, bioengineered disease, environmental destruction, carcinogens, teratogens and mutanogens. They want us dead ... but not knowing they did it.
Ding, ding. We have a winner.
Then again, the most important map in geopolitics might be the map of infiltration of ancient phaeroic bloodlines into the general population.
It's a headchopper and human bomb bazzar.
Stll stackin' here.
Old video posted years ago on Zerohedge. You can rewatch to see the integration of Windows 10 and unsercured Phone APPS.
The Future of Retail Banking
Whatever Zionism is supposed to mean, what it actually means is that a false d o c u m e n t called the Balfour Declaration gave real estate that did not belong to Britain to atheist Khazarian gentiles, posing as Jews, who have never had the right to any of that land, regardless that the name 'Israel' was cleverly selected to call it, in order to dupe millions of Christians around the world. WWII was created for the specific purpose of establishing a headquarters as close to the newly discovered oil fields in the Middle East and to disrupt all governments in the region and seize the oil, and 'Israel' is that headquarters, doing exactly that !
The TRUTH !
Julia Sanders interviews Thomas Lloyd, an investment banker of ABC Wealth Management, resulting in a satiric exposition of the banking industry
Barbarians all.
I've got an idea: let's have the British and French draw the map for us. And then go to war over it!
Sunni/Shia has very little to do with this.
Creating Sunnistan: Foreign Affairs Calls for Syria and Iraq to be Balkanized
http://thenewsdoctors.com/creating-sunnistan-foreign-affairs-calls-for-syria-and-iraq-to-be-balkanized/
A must watch:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5a8_1451921214
<-- And the preparations for the nuclear war are on
All sane ppl leave these area
As I always say :
Third World War
Its the war for oil
---------------
Look what violent abrahamic religions say:
The dead shall come out from their grave
(oil is dead bodies of ancient past)
Then there will be qayamat (nuclear war)
well the war may be over oil, but if things dont change soon, they are going to have to launch millions of tanker rockets of it into the Sun
You need to see local regions within countries for sunni shia split to understand the issues better.
Within countries there are whole regions that are 95% Sunni or Shia.
Correct. That map is much too high-level.
It's time for the President to get on Air Force One and fly to Tehran. The Saudi scumbags need to realize that the "special relationship" is ending.
+1000
The map says Syria is 74% Sunni and only 13% Shiite including Assad. That might explain why there is civil war there. It might also explain why Assad has killed so many - either he kills them or they killl him?
Delusional State Dept: 'We Brought Peace to Syria in 2015'
http://thenewsdoctors.com/?p=575662
President Obama is scheduling his last happy ending tour. Not kidding. The Climate negro is going to extend his own carbon level restrictions. He is a fucking joke.
Watch the itinerary unfold.
It is quite simple. Let them fight each other until the last survivor, and that one put him in jail. Done with it.
Expand this Map to include UKR and LBY, then you have the Long-War_ MENA/East-EUR Theatre Chart.
Add the CHN-DPK-KOR-TWN-PHI-IDN-VNM-MYS-South-China-Sea Theatre; and you have the Blueprint for the next Regional/World War Engagements.
Hope sectarian interests explode to make nations irrelevant in that the species find their respective communities across the borderless globe and also in the virtual spaces. The diversity of communities with shared passions to be cultivated not through the impossible consensus that is the BS of the Politicians/Bureaucrats in the protection of their vested interests. Instead, a diversity under girded by compromises. Tragedies lie when this metamrophosis has to occur through so much flames culling the species.