Israel as a side-order conflict in the Middle East

Yesterday an event occurred in Israel that serves to perhaps show what is the real conflict in the Middle East. No, it is not the Arab-Israeli one thanks for asking.

Nur Al-Yaqin Badern, the Sunni-then-Shia-then-Sunni-Again Imam of the village Ba'ana in Israel caused an uproar in the Muslim community after anouncing that he adopts the Shia sect of Islam. Representatives of the Muslim community in Israel, who is Sunni just like the one in the PA, turned to Israeli ministry of religions in charge of handling religious-state matters in Israel for all religions (such as funding, etc.) calling upon the minister to dismiss the Imam. Mr. Baderan was summoned for a clarification discussion. Following the discussion he anounced he was misunderstood and still is a devote Sunni.

This event shows that the real conflict in the Middle East is not the Arab Israeli one. This conflict, which Secretary General Kofi Annan called the most symbolic conflict of them all (symbolic of what? perhaps Mr. Annan should ask Prof. Huntington...) is simply a battleground between the Shia and Sunni sects of Islam which rages on since the days of the prophet. It is a brutal popularity contest betweenthe sects in which points are socred based on how much damage is inflicted upon Jews. All enlighted Muslims, Jews and Christians should oppose this kind of battle and focus on the real problem in the Middle East. A problem whose lack of resolution poses the true impediment to peace and stability in the Middle East. And that problem is the internal conflict plaguing the Muslim Arab world from Sudan through Iraq and on to Lebanon...