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Is a Sunni Arab not an Arab? Is Shi'a Arab not an Arab?

Please explain how your remark has anything at all to do with the comment to which my statement was in response (see above). There was some accusation of being anti-Arab and so forth which is unfounded and just another example of namecalling.

However, in your recent comment you are being too mysterious. Spell it out. Explain what others here should realize that is so obvious to you.

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Had to answer this question... Apparently the differences are not as well-known as I would have thought.

The current 'close to civil war' within Iraq is between the 2 sects... Sunni and Shi'a. Grouping them all as 'Arab' is very similar to grouping something like orthodox and catholic as one.

Saddam Hussien was a Sunni and ruled the Iraq region, which is Shi'a majority. Currently in Baghdad around 100 a day (I've heard this estimate as high as 1k per day, putting Junes Iraqi casualty count around 30k in one month) are being killed in this violence. 'Death Squads' (the American military term of the week) are groups of militia roaming Baghdad unchecked killing based on Shi'a vs Sunni.

Hizbollah is a Shi'a group and draws it's support almost entirely from Shi'a. Infact (if you read my post regarding my Lebanese friend I spoke with), most Sunni Arabs in Lebanon oppose Hizbollah (very much similar to how the Christian dominated sections of Lebanon are against Hizbollah actions as well). Unfortunately for the Sunni population, they are targetted as Hizbollah Arabs in the same manner. And why not, as insisted by several posters, 'all them arabs are evil' anyway.

Interesting note... Al Qaeda is a Sunni dominated group. They're recent call to assist Hizbollah in their efforts against Israel have been denounced by most Hizbollah spokesmen (Hizbollah actively condemns terror attacks such as 9/11). Al-Zarqawi was also Sunni (He bombed, or claimed to bomb, many Shi'a mosques and really inflamed the civil war between the 2 sects)

Now back the the statement that started this all:

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Egypt, Saudi Arabi, Jordan are among the Arab states which have also denounced Hezbollah's attacks.

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Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are Sunni dominated. Hey, who would have thought the Sunni dominated regions would denounce the Shi'a led Hizbollah resistance... When the Sunni within Lebanon are also denouncing Hizbollah's actons? Doesn't matter though, the Lebanese Sunni are as much involved in the civilian casualties as the Shi'a. But as yo've stated, an Arab is an Arab is an Arab no?

Christianity is the dominant religion in Lebanon (only in the region to make this claim)... And they too don't like what the Shi'a dominated Hizbollah has dragged them into. They too form a portion of the Civilian casualty count as Israel isn't too discriminatory with whom they kill. The Christian sections being the majority in Lebanon form the backbone of the gov't as well... Which is why the Lebanese Gov't has tried from day one to stop the fighting. The Lebanese army draws members from all groups... And the Shi'a section is considering entering the war on Hizbollahs side (but the majority of the army being Christian/Sunni aren't quite as ready).

Finally, the Shi'a population dominating the south, is the primary make-up of southern lebanon (not sole though, there are others living there) and the primary force driving Hizbollah. Iran, Syria, and majority of Iraq are Shi'a... And they are the supporters of Hizbollah.

With all above in mind.. remember people are people. Many a Sunni have married Shi'a.

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Is a Sunni Arab not an Arab? Is Shi'a Arab not an Arab?

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Yes, and in world war 2 we could have gone 'Germans are Anglo-saxon and French are Algo-saxon' so they're the same people too right?

Does why Egypt/SA/Jordan denouncing Hizbollah is really a no brainer/silly statement now? The Lebanese Sunni also say the same things... But they're targetted along with any other arab within Lebanon as well.

[ 28 July 2006: Message edited by: Noise ]

[ 28 July 2006: Message edited by: Michelle ]

[ 28 July 2006: Message edited by: Noise ]

Syria is sunni dominated,

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Syria's population is 90% Muslim and 10% Christian. Among Muslims, 78% are Sunni and the remaining 22% is divided among other Muslim groups, mainly Alawis and Druze, but also a small number of Isma'ili and twelver Shi'a, which has increased dramatically due to the influx of Iraqi refugees.

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Wikipedia

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As for Lebanon:

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The population of Lebanon is composed of three predominant ethnic groups and religions: Muslims (Shi'ites, Sunnis, Alawites), Druze, and Christians (mostly Maronite Catholics, Melkite Greek Catholics, Armenian Catholics, some Syrian, Chaldean and Latin Rite Catholics, Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Syrian Orthodox, and a few Assyrians, Copts and Protestants). No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional (religious) balance. It is estimated that about 60% of the resident population are Muslims; the rest are Christians.[14] There used to be a small minority of Jews, mostly living in the eastern region of Beirut

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Wikipedia again

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The most recent edition of Atlantic Monthly magazine, or perhaps by now the second most recent edition, has as its cover story "Inventing Zarqawi." It discussed how the Americans propagandized Zarqawi for political purposes (the author argued he was in fact relevent but not that relevent), and how Zarqawi became a major terrorist. The author spent like a year in the middle east meeting people who knew zarqawi, former prison mates, family and such. Apparently, around 1999 when Zarqawi met Osama Bin Ladin, OBL came very close to having him assassinated. "It was loathing at first sight." The latter deemed the former's tattoos for example to be unislamic, and Zarqawi had different motives. Zarqawi was somewhat more extremist in that he hated Shia muslims as well, whereas Bin Ladin's mother is Shia. Additionally, there was philosophical disagreement within militant islamic fundamentalism on whether to take the fight to the "near enemy" - unislamic domestic governments in muslim countries, and the "far enemy" - USA and Israel. Zarqawi, IIRC, wanted to take the fight to the near enemy.

In the end during the Iraq insurgency, much later on, Zarqawi proclaimed loyalty to Bin Ladin. He needed the resources and such, whereas Bin Ladin didn't want to be usurped as the leading islamic militant.

[ 28 July 2006: Message edited by: 500_Apples ]

Looks like I'll have to find some breakdwon on the politics within Syria and give that a read... I'm curious which political powers have the sway there then... As cco point out, the gov't is alawite dominated, not Sunni.

For Lebanon... If you break the muslim groups down further (Sunni/Druze/Shi'a) the majority lies with the Christians. (which is unique within the middles east)

[ 28 July 2006: Message edited by: Noise ]

None of that contradicts the comment which was described as "silly".

Question: How is it anti-Arab for Arab and non-Arab people to denounce the Hezbollah's attacks on Israel?

Answer: Because the Hezbollah are Shi'a led.

I don't think that is what you might have intended to say, but it is what you appeared to have said.

For the Arabs (Sunni or of whatever subset) who would denounce Hezbollah's attacks, it is not that they are Arab that is at issue but that they are critical of the Hezbollah attacks.

Sure, that was the basic point which seems to have been described as silly.

Is there some underlying presumption that says that Sunni people have no warrant to be critical of Hezbollah, except for the Sunni/Shi'a distinction? There are surely more compelling self-interests -- even those that arise from clannish "tribalism".

[ 28 July 2006: Message edited by: Chairm ]

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Unfortunately for the Sunni population, they are targetted as Hizbollah Arabs in the same manner.

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No, I think its simply that Sunnis, Shi-ites and Christians live in very close proximity to each other and Israel for all its scientific no how has not yet managed to invent bombs or bullets that ONLY kills Hezbollah terrorists while leaving their Sunni and Christians next door neighbours unscathed.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can stop Hezbollah’s rockets tomorrow. He hasn’t.

Hamas is broke and a joke without the loot and authority of Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah can stop these guys tomorrow. He hasn’t.

Blood in Beirut: $75.05 a barrel

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Hezbollah, a political party rejected overwhelmingly by Lebanese voters sickened by their support of Syrian occupation, holds a mere 14 seats out of 128 in the nation’s parliament. Hezbollah was facing demands by both Lebanon’s non-Shia majority and the United Nations to lay down arms. Now, few Lebanese would suggest taking away their rockets. But let’s not forget: Without Iran, Hezbollah is just a fundamentalist street gang. Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can stop Hezbollah’s rockets tomorrow. He hasn’t.

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It's the oil.

[ 28 July 2006: Message edited by: Fidel ]