Editor's Note: Back in 2007, NPR reported on the Shiite-Sunni split that was contributing to conflicts in many parts of the Muslim world, including Iraq. In light of the current fighting in Iraq ...

The division of Islam into Sunni and Shiite branches goes far back in Muslim history to the aftermath of the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Its repercussions have rippled through history ...

When we watch the news and see reporters talking about the conflicts that are playing out across the Middle East, we hear a lot about fighting between the Sunnis and the Shiites, the two main ...

Pilgrimage to Mecca is one of many rituals that are shared by both sects The divide between Sunnis and Shia is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam. Members of the two sects have co ...

An age-old schism between Sunni and Shiite Muslims now inflaming relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran dates back to the founding of Islam. Today, the divide is unleashing new fury in an ...

(RNS) Confused about the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, whose conflict has accelerated in Iraq again? Here's a primer so you can sound smart at the water cooler. (RNS) Sunni and ...

When Arab leaders arrived in Iraq last week for the Arab League Summit, they were greeted by a city determined to impress.

During Syria’s civil war, protecting the revered Sayyida Zeinab shrine was a rallying cry for some Shiite fighters and groups from beyond the country’s borders backing then-President Bashar Assad.

The Sunni-Shia conflict is 1,400 years in the making, dating back to the years immediately after the Prophet Mohammed’s death in 632. The Prophet died without having appointed a successor ...