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22/08/2016

Saudi Arabia against Iran : Sunni against Shia.- Carlos Javier Trías Sánchez

The present rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran is based on ideological causes, with deep historic roots, born out of the schism between Sunni and Shia. Iran’s possible access to nuclear weapons (even if the Persian nuclear program has been suspended – temporarily, in principle – after the 2015 agreement) might imply a radical change in the traditional status quo, with the Sunni majority dominating over the Shia minority.

A short explanation of the origins of this rivalry and of the religious differences between both factions within Islam may help to understand the inherent difficulties to reach any agreement between them. It is important to underline that religion in the Muslim world has a much more important political role than it may have in the Western world, moreover for Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose political regimes base their legitimacy on religious grounds. In this sense, both countries think ourselves to be “much more than a State”, aspiring to become the head of Islam, with world domination inclination.

Author:  Carlos Javier Trías Sánchez

THIS DOCUMENT IS ONLYA VAILABLE IN SPANISH LANGUAGE.

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Saudi Arabia against Iran : Sunni against Shia
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