Religion and Geopolitics Review: Saturday, May 9

by David Pence and A. Joseph Lynch

WHO CONSTITUTES THE GREATEST THREAT TO WORLD ORDER?

 THE WAHHABI SUNNI OR THE SHIA 

The religious war in the Mideast between Sunni and Shia pits two very different Muslim movements against each other. Minority religions are much more likely than majority religions  to make alliances and argue for freedom to worship within national states. The Shia movement in the Mideast and around the world is almost everywhere in the minority position. It was the Catholics in  Protestant America not Catholics in Catholic Italy or Spain who argued for religious liberty at Vatican II. America's Federal Constitution allowing freedom of religion was based on a solid agreement that there was a God to whom men owed a religious duty. This universal obligation toward the Creator was paired with liberty to protect the  Protestant tendency to worship in smaller and smaller dogmatic denominations.
      The Wahhabi are a purification worldwide movement within the majority Sunni tradition  that threatens states and other religions around the globe. Their goal is the purification of Islam often through charismatic preachers inciting youth movements against older more stable Muslim establishments. The Wahhabi preachers are funded worldwide by Saudi oil money. In the Mideast they   raise the sword of jihad not only against pagans but Shia Muslims who they consider defilers of the oneness of God.  The Shia have a very different theology of jihad  and form different kinds of alliances around the world.

 The Shia role with Modi of India is instructive.

Within Pakistan the greatest intra-Muslim violence is Salafi Sunni against the Shia.

Pakistan with a significant Shia population (10-20% of 180 million) (Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the Shia "Great Founder" of Pakistan), has not sent troops to help the Saudi battle against the Shia in Yemen.

SEEING YEMEN CLEARLY: WHY ARE WE SUPPRESSING A RELIGION AND TRIBE THAT HELPS US FIGHT AL QAEDA? 

The most authoritative  American writer on Yemen is author Gregory Johnsen. This interview from NPR is the best background we have seen from mainline news organizations. There can be no doubt that by attacking the most serious opposition to AQAP the Saudi bombing helps Al Qaeda.  Mr. Johnsen believes Yemen will not be reconstituted as a single country again. In this three-part series from Chronicles magazine unnamed US military sources question why the US would help attack the Houthis fighting AQAP. As Saudi Arabia invades the western part of Yemen near Aden, the weakening of the Houthi has reduced practical opposition to AQAP. This has allowed Al Qaeda to take the port city of Mukalla complete with a bank robbery and prison break.

NOT A GOOD IDEA: SENEGAL TROOPS WITH SAUDI ARABIA IS A WEDGE FOR WAHHABIS IN WEST AFRICA AS THEY NOW ARE IN EAST AFRICA (SOMALIA) 

The military of Senegal (a population of 14 million more than 95% Sunni) has been made available to help the money-rich, soldier-poor Saudis in their war against the Shia Houthis of fractured Yemen. Like Somalia (a population of 11 million also more than 95% Sunni) in East Africa, this western African country has a youth movement of males seeking a deeper Islamic identity. This is not a country where we want to help introduce  Saudi money and Wahhabi preachers.

THE HOUSE OF SAUD CONSTRICTS 

Caspian Report offers analysis on global events, geopolitics, histories and the cultures of the world through its online video series. This new video from Caspian Report gives an excellent analysis of the recent dynasic changes made by King Salman of Saudi Arabia. Caspian Report explains the Saudi leadership in terms of balance between royal clans - but the changes made by Salman amount to a dynastic coup in favor of his family, the Sudairi clan. Another video from two years ago gives further explanation to the Saudi succession situation while also laying out some of the major players in the royal clans.