Sunni and Shia: Managing Differences to Confront the Zionist Project (Part I)
The Islamic world is now facing one of the most complex phases in its history. The challenges faced are no longer merely internal disagreements or border conflicts, but have turned into an era of total oppression, in which national sovereignty, land, people, and the identity of the nation are ignored and seized before the eyes of the world.
From Palestine to Iraq, from Yemen to Syria and Lebanon, from Afghanistan to Sudan and the latest Libya, Somalia—the scenario repeats: foreign intervention, internal schism, and sectarian conflict that fuels the Zionist–American–Crusader expansionist project.
Amid this tragedy, a fundamental question arises: How should we manage the differences between Sunnis and Shia? Will we continue to be entangled in disputes, to mislead one another, and to wage war through proxies, or can we build a civilised pattern of living together—preserving the uniqueness of each creed and thought, while preventing foreign actors from exploiting these divisions for their own interests?
Approach “Taqrib” or “Ta’ayush”?
For decades, various initiatives have been proposed under the slogan “approach between sects” (taqrib). The intention behind them may be sincere, but most end in failure due to misunderstandings: as if “approach” means erasing doctrinal differences or imposing a new sect rejected by both sides.
Therefore, what is more realistic is to talk about co-existence (ta‘āyusy), not unification. Co-existence does not mean melting away or eliminating identity, but:
• Recognising that differences in sects are part of the reality of Islam.
• Managing the differences so they remain within the realm of thought and ijtihad, not turning into bloodshed.
• Strengthening the principle of shared citizenship in countries inhabited by Sunnis and Shias, under one national identity.
• Building real cooperation to face common threats that target all peoples without exception—especially the Zionist colonial project.
When the Ummah Can Manage Differences
Islamic history presents many examples of success in managing differences. In Baghdad during the Abbasid era, various schools lived side by side in one atmosphere of civilisation; libraries and houses of knowledge became places of open discussion among scholars from various currents.
In Al-Andalus, Muslims even showed the ability to live side by side with Jews and Christians—so why would a similar thing not be possible among Islam’s major schools?
In the modern era, initiatives such as the Conference on the Approach of the Schools in Cairo in the mid-20th century also appeared, where the scholars of Al-Azhar and Najaf dialogued not to erase differences, but to emphasise the principle: “We differ in branches, but united in facing a common enemy.”