[whiskeytown]

it's like identifying the difference between a Catholic and a Lutheran - you get into their religious doctrines to find out...

In fact, it's almost EXACTLY like the difference between Catholics and Lutherans - same God - difference of opinion on what was supposed to happen after the great leader on earth (Jesus or Mohammad) -

Sunni Muslims believe the best followers of Mohammad should be leading the church - the Shia believe it should have been from his family that the leaders were chosen....a cousin or son in law -

kind of like the way Catholics believe Peter was the rock of the new church and the pope was their new leader, and Lutherans probably side with Paul or just anyone who knew Jesus as opposed to just one guy.

so ask them who was supposed to succeed Prophet Muhammad's death, his family or his followers - Shitte's believe the family, Sunni's believe the leader should have been elected from the body.

Or another way to put it - Sunni's believe the Caliph (muslim leader on earth) is the leader, the Shitte's follow a line of imans they believed was passed down from Muhammad himself. (just like Catholics believe every priest in a line has been blessed back to Peter...) -

They even have slightly different versions of the Koran....but Sunni's are the vast majority of Muslims - almost 85%.

so there....now go away....- use about.com next time - I did (couldn't remember which sect was family and which one was followers)

RB