Which countries have shias

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. BBC Religions. Council of Foreign Relations. Gatestone Institute International Policy Council. Hoover Institution. Office of the Historian. War in Afghanistan ," Accessed March 6, The Review of Financial Studies. World Meteorological Organization. World Bank Blogs. Congressional Research Service. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.

Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Policy The U. Government U. Foreign Policy U. Liberal Politics U. Table of Contents Expand. Sunni-Shia Split Today. Sunni and Shiite Countries. Role of Nationalism. Sunni-Shia Split and Terrorism.

Role of U. Timeline of the U. Wars in the Middle East. How Climate Change Worsens the Conflicts. History of Sunni-Shiite Split. Kimberly Amadeo. Economics Expert. Kimberly Amadeo has over 20 years of senior-level corporate experience in economic analysis and business strategy. Updated August 21, Sunnis form the majority of the Muslim population. Saudi Arabia leads Sunni-dominated nations. Iran dominates those led by Shiites.

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Impacts of the Iraq War on the Middle East. Policy in the Middle East: to Twelver Shiites and the Cult of Martyrdom. Hezbollah: History, Organization, and Ideology. In Iran, Shia Muslims make up the majority, with The conversion and murdering of Sunni Muslims continued for two centuries during which the number of Shia Muslims increased immensely. Other religious groups in the country are Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians.

Atheism is not allowed in Iran, and most must declare themselves as a member of one of the four religions in the country. The constitution of Iran recognizes Shia as the official religion in the country. Azerbaijan and Iran were both conquered by Shah Ismail I around the same time where he also forced a conversion of Sunnis to Shia Islam.

Azerbaijan has the second highest Shia Muslim population in the world accounting for Religious extremism is on the rise among the Shia Muslims in Azerbaijan due to the persistent poverty, corruption, and disillusionment on the support from the West. Ali was assassinated in after a five-year caliphate that was marred by civil war.

His sons, Hassan and Hussein, were denied what they thought was their legitimate right of accession to the caliphate. Hassan is believed to have been poisoned in by Muawiyah, the first caliph of the Sunni Umayyad dynasty, while Hussein was killed on the battlefield by the Umayyads in These events gave rise to the Shia concept of martyrdom and the rituals of grieving.

The Ithna Asharis are the largest group and believe that Muhammad's religious leadership, spiritual authority and divine guidance were passed on to 12 of his descendants, beginning with Ali, Hassan and Hussein.

The 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is said to have disappeared from a cave below a mosque in Ithna Asharis believe the so-called "awaited imam" did not die and will return at the end of time to restore justice on earth. In countries which have been governed by Sunnis, Shia tend to make up the poorest sections of society.

They often see themselves as victims of discrimination and oppression. Sunni extremists frequently denounce Shia as heretics who should be killed. The Iranian revolution of launched a radical Shia Islamist agenda that was perceived as a challenge to conservative Sunni regimes, particularly in the Gulf. Tehran's policy of supporting Shia militias and parties beyond its borders was matched by Sunni-ruled Gulf states, which strengthened their links to Sunni governments and movements elsewhere.

Today, many conflicts in the region have strong sectarian overtones. In Syria, Iranian troops, Hezbollah fighters and Iranian-backed Shia militiamen have been helping the Shia-led government battle the Sunni-dominated opposition.