MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

Faith, World — September 21, 2016   

In India, Sunnis and Shiites Come Together

Original article by Akhtar Ali | published in the Religion News Service on 09/17/2016

Around 85% of the world’s Muslims are Sunni and about 15% are Shiite, and the groups rarely pray together – but Shoulder to Shoulder is hoping to change that. At Eid al-Adha prayers last week in India, several hundred Shiite and Sunni Muslims prayed together as a symbol of peace between the two Muslim sects. “In Uttar Pradesh, sectarian tensions surfaced occasionally between the two sects,” says Arif Durrani, a member of the interfaith group which started in Lucknow, India last year. “We came up with this idea of joint Shia-Sunni congregational prayer.”

According to Religion News Service, “their differences date back to a dispute over the succession to Prophet Muhammad for leadership of the Muslim community. Since that time, the sects’ religious rituals, traditions and customs — mostly related to legal codes — have followed two different routes. But violence between Shiites and Sunnis has intensified in recent years, especially in Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and in areas controlled by the Islamic State group, which has launched fierce attacks against Shiites in west Asia.”

However in India, the two sects have lived in peace for centuries according to RNS. Recently, another joint prayer service was held in a Shiite mosque in New Delhi sponsored by the group. “The members of Shoulder to Shoulder were convinced that this ‘namaz’ would be a defining moment in the history of Shiite-Sunni unity starting from Lucknow, where the Shia-Sunni divide is very distinct,” says Sibtain Baqri, a Shiite volunteer, using the Persian word for the five daily prayers offered by Muslims.

“We all were created by one God,” comments local Sikh community leader Gurmeet Singh, who attended the prayer service. “In a pluralistic society such initiative deserves to be backed by all.”

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Contact Quick

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • M Film Lab Now Accepting Applications for Screenwriting Program
  • American Eid – Interview with Director Aqsa Altaf
  • Post vaccine, Muslim travelers are heading to… Israel

More From The Story Bank

M Film Lab Now Accepting...

Applications are now open for the inaugural M Film Lab: a free-to-join screenwriting workshop and mentorship opportunity for storytellers and creators committed to fair artistic representation of … [Read More...]

American Eid – Interview...

American Eid is a new, short film on Disney+ about two sisters from Pakistan adjusting to their new reality in America when they are unable to take off school to celebrate Eid, the festival after the … [Read More...]

Post vaccine, Muslim travelers...

Last year the Abraham Accords were signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. This marked a public normalization of relations not seen in decades. And with this new … [Read More...]

Meet the first Muslim head...

As new head coach for the New York Jets, Robert Saleh is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League. The Lebanese American is also the third Arab … [Read More...]

Meet American’s Youngest...

According to The Hill, Bushra Amiwala "is part of a new generation stepping into politics." In 2019, she was elected to the Skokie Board of Education in Illinois, making this Pakistani-American … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

Sign Up Quick

Sign up to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2025 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe


We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous data to enable us to manage our website. Our Privacy Policy is a complete disclosure of our data collection policies, including the choices you have to control information we might collect. Your use of this site represents your consent to our Privacy Policy.