Syria Expert Barry Rubin Underwhelmed By Nuanced Liberal Insight That Sunnis and Shiites Are Different
Of all the nuanced responses that glib leftism has developed so that cocktail party LA Times readers can remain in denial about the scope of the Islamist danger, perhaps none are more annoying than the smug little "there are different kinds of Muslims." It hits all of the wrong buttons: it caters to the left's self-declared sophistication, it pedantically points out a distinction that doesn't matter, and it exemplifies just how stupid they think the center-right is - because obviously no one would suggest that Iran and Hamas collude if they knew Sunnis and Shiites are different kinds of Muslims.
If Sunnis and Shiites aren't supposed to work together, someone should probably let them know:
This is so for several reasons. One is that the Islamist cause is now promoted by an alliance including two regimes, Iran and Syria, as well as by Hamas and Hizballah, which both rule territory. Syria's government, technically "secular" and ruled by a non-Muslim Alawite minority no less, behaves like an Islamist one, especially in its foreign policy, as to keep loyal its Sunni Muslim majority.
It is folly to think that this HISH alliance (Hamas-Iran-Syria-Hizballah) can be split. After all, the parties have common aims and ideologies, their cooperation is so mutually beneficial, and last but not least they think they are winning. Historically, there were two barriers for Iran's trying to become the Middle East's leading power: the Persian-Arab and Shia-Sunni divides. How could Persian, Shia Iran appeal to Arabs who mostly were Sunni? The HISH alliance solves that problem. Three of the four members are Arab, and Hamas is Sunni as is the majority of Syrians. If one adds Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgency that breakthrough becomes even clearer.
Oh well, it's not like Barry Rubin knows anything about Syria, right? It's not as if he just published a book on the topic
References:
* Nationalists Versus Islamists: The Middle East's Core Issue [GLORIA]
* The Truth About Syria by Barry Rubin
Previously:
* This Summer's War With Syria - Syria Aims Chemical And Biological Weapons At Israeli Cities, Complains That Israel Might Attack It To Prevent It From Launching Chemical And Biological Weapons
* This Summer's War With Syria - Peace Deal Rumors Are Suspiciously Incoherent
* This Summer's War With Syria - Peace Deal Rumors Are Suspiciously Incoherent
