{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1669205,
        "msgid": "between-schools-of-thought-and-sectarianism-1775807464",
        "date": "2026-04-10 13:50:28",
        "title": "Between Schools of Thought and Sectarianism",
        "author": "Budi Raharjo",
        "source": "REPUBLIKA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "In the midst of escalating geopolitical tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran, discussions in Indonesian coffee shops and WhatsApp groups have reignited longstanding Sunni-Shia divides, with each side levelling familiar theological accusations. Amid this noise, a prominent Saudi Sunni scholar, Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, advocates for interfaith dialogue and tolerance, drawing from his background in Saudi justice and diplomacy. This opinion piece underscores the persistent challenge of sectarianism within the global Muslim community and the potential for influential voices to bridge divides.",
        "content": "<p>During the raging war between America, Israel, and Iran, there is\nanother echo that is no less loud. But it emerges from much simpler\nplaces: coffee shops, WhatsApp groups, and small discussion rooms that\nare often hotter than UN assembly halls. Suddenly, conversations leap\nfrom missiles and the Strait of Hormuz to an old issue ready to ignite\nat any moment: Shia and Sunni. As if every geopolitical conflict in the\nMiddle East always comes with a \u2018bonus conflict\u2019 in the minds of the\nfaithful, which has never truly been resolved for centuries. On one\nside, voices defending Sunni harden. They stand on long-circulating\ntheological arguments, with reasons of upholding the trust to preserve\nthe purity of faith. Their accusations are classic but still potent:\nShia declare takfir on the major companions and the Prophet\u2019s family.\nThis accusation is like an old song that is replayed every time\npolitical temperatures rise. Strangely, its discourse always sounds new\nto generations who have not had the chance to re-examine the sources.\nDiscussions become lively, but never conclude. On the other side, Shia\nsupporters do not remain silent. They firmly reject those accusations,\neven with equally strong conviction. They affirm that their Islam is no\ndifferent: the same qibla, the same shahada, the same Al-Qur\u2019an. For\nthem, the accusations are a legacy of historical polemics that continue\nto be maintained, not the full reality of their current religious\npractice. Thus, dialogue turns into two long monologues running\nparallel, but never truly intersecting. Then, amid the clamour, a voice\nemerges that feels odd, even to some perhaps \u2018out of place\u2019. That voice\ncomes from the heart of the Sunni world itself, from a Saudi scholar,\nMuhammad Abdul Karim al-Issa, whose position now is no small matter. He\nis the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League. This position is\nnot merely administrative, but a nexus of global influence connecting\nreligious authorities, international diplomacy, and the direction of\nworld Islamic discourse. From the past, this organisation has been a\nspace for major figures like Mohammad Natsir through the Indonesian\nIslamic Dawah Council network. It even coloured Islamic literature in\nIndonesia, including the publication of critical books on Shia. Thus,\nstanding in that position is not just about knowledge, but also about\nbalance, courage, and the ability to walk on a tightrope. In Saudi\nArabia itself, Al-Issa is not a figure born from a vacuum. He was once\nMinister of Justice, then emerged as the new face of Saudi\u2019s more open\nreligious diplomacy. He is active in interfaith dialogue, visiting the\nAuschwitz site as a symbol of rejection of human cruelty, speaking in\nsynagogues, meeting rabbis, and promoting interfaith cooperation.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/between-schools-of-thought-and-sectarianism-1775807464",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}