Sunnis and Hussein

Jane Arraf writes for The Christian Science Monitor about Iraqi Sunni participation in 'Arba'in, a mainly Shi'ite commemoration connected with Hussein's martyrdom at Karbala. This makes sense when you keep in mind that, contrary to a common view, Sunnis and Shi'ites haven't actually been at each other's throats for 1300 years, and far from Karbala being a clear parting of the ways, Sunnis revere Hussein as the grandson of Muhammad even if they don't believe, as Shi'ites do, that he was uniquely qualified to lead the community as an Imam.

(Crossposted to American Footprints)