: Ashura Holiday Highlights Sunni-Shia Split

The Shia holiday of Ashura, celebrated this past weekend, is perhaps the biggest lightning rod for conflict between Shia Muslims and the majority Sunni Muslims. The traditional public displays of self-flagellation and bloodletting – meant to emulate the pain that Imam Hussain felt during his martyrdom – is difficult for Sunni Muslims to understand and is often responded to with jeering or even murder. However, this practice is banned in Iran and frowned upon in Lebanon. Many Shia clerics are calling for participants to donate blood instead of spilling it on the streets, although this call is resisted by those who feel that suffering is an integral part of the commemoration.

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.