Figure 1.--.

The two major sects of Islam or the Sunni a Shiite sects. There are ranges of beliefs within these difference sects from believers who want to return to the "purity" of the 7th century to those who are willing to embrace the modern world. The debate between conservatives and reformers or modernists is not all together academics. Conservatives and exxtremidsts have shown a willingness to use coersion and violence to attack thereformers. There are other smaller Islamic sects. We have limited information on these other sects. We have noted quite a few mentioned in various sources. We are not sure at this time to what extent they are separate sects or subdivisions of the two major Islamic sects. Some of the sects we have seen mentioned include: Ahmaydia, An-Nusayriyyah ("Alawis"), Dawoodi Bohra, Druze, Ismailis, Kemalism, Qadianis, Salafy, Sufi, Yazidis, and Zaydis. The universe of Islam is very complicated, just as Protestantism must seem to non-Protestants (and many Protestants as well). We do not pretend to fully understand the various Islamic sects, but will archive information here as we learn more.

Sunni

The most important Islamic sect is the Sunnis. There is a wide range of beliefs among Sunnis from believers who want to return to the "purity" of the 7th century to those who are willing to embrace the modern world. The followers of Osamma-bin-Ladin are the most extreeme Sunnis, but the extremnely conservative Whabbis because of the oil wealth of Saudi Arabia have become very important in the Islamic world. The debate among Sunnis between conservatives and reformers or modernists is not all together academics. Conservatives and extremidsts have shown a willingness to use coersion and violence to attack the reformers. Strangely the only place where Islamic scholars are free to debate religious issues without fear of violence is outside the Islamic world in the largely Christian democratic countries in America, Canada, and Europe.

Shiite

Other Sects

There are several other smaller Islamic sects. We have limited information on these other sects. We have noted quite a few mentioned in various sources. We are not sure at this time to what extent they are separate sects or subdivisions of the two major Islamic sects. Some of the sects we have seen mentioned include: Ahmaydia, An-Nusayriyyah ("Alawis"), Dawoodi Bohra, Druze, Ismailis, Kemalism, Qadianis, Salafy, Sufi, Yazidis, and Zaydis. The universe of Islam is very complicated, just as Protestantism must seem to non-Protestants (and many Protestants as well). We do not pretend to fully understand the various Islamic sects, but will archive information here as we learn more.

Created: June 2, 2004
Last updated: June 9, 2004