YETHRIB — For the people of Yethrib, Iraq, it has been a long five years. For over half a decade, the Balad and Yethrib areas have been plagued with sectarian violence that has pitted rival Shiite Muslims and Sunni Arabs against one another. The bloodshed between tribes, at times, had turned into all out warfare that was waged in palm groves and fields near the Tigris River.

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21030&Itemid=1

BUT impossible to deny that before the U.S. toppled Saddam Hussein and turned Iraq into an Islamic republic controlled by radical Shi'ite mullahs and their surrogate pols, for the most part Sunnis and Shi'ites lived together peacefully in Iraq, often in the same neighborhoods, socialized, even intermarried. So, hurray, the U.S. destroyed Iraq but now it's a little better and they can have inter-sect soccer matches.

Now can our troops come home?

Chocolategenii, conflict has always been solved by one side getting the top position.Under Hussain the Sunies were on top they control the army and the government. The americans dismissed most supporters of Hussain from the army and government. This resulted in Shia dominated army and government

This was a mistake as an army of inexperience Shia was ineffective. There has now been a revers of this position so that Sunnies have now be allowed to return to the army.

In government it is more difficult. The Shias are in power and do not want to give up this power. They are technicaly in the majority but only by about 10%.If they prove ineffective in government than Sunnies will take over.At present there is an attempt to have representatives of Sunnies, Shia and Kurds in government. This will be difficult but seems the best solution.
As you said there have been times when Shia and Sunnies have live together in peace.

Does compromise play any part in solving conflicts, Aus? It certainly does in one-on-one human relationships.

Lizabeth, Compromise is possiable in the Sunni , Shia dispute in Iraq. As I said it has worked elsewhere where the two sides have live in peace. The differences between the two groups originally were not great. Sunnies believed Muhammad was the last prophet, Shia believed his descendents on the female side were also prophets.Both groups believed that Moses and Jesus were also prophets but they" are legendary figures. only the life of Muhammad has been completely chronicled".( [i] Inducing Islam by Maulans Wahiduddin Khan) This may be a way of reconciling these different beliefs by accepting others as legendary but still prophets. I will leave it to people more expert to answer this.

However History is the enemy. Just as the original differences between Catholics and Protestants at the time of Martin Luther were small now these have been exaggerated by centuries of religious conflicts.
In places like Northern Ireland a compromise has been reached by power sharing of the two religions. This is the what is hope for in Iraq. A combined goverment of Sunnies, Shia , and Kurds is being attempted. This seems to be the only solution

I hope so, Aus. I remember when I first joined FM, I did a lot of research into the Shia and Sunni, and there have been times when the two divisions of Islam did live and work together. If, by attacking Iraq, the US messed that up, so be it.

There is progress being made, if you read the n e w s r e a l s l o w. This is from yesterday's Seattle Times:



The government of Iraq seems to be working together and is possibly growing stronger because of it. We'll see.