Religious politics in the Persian Gulf

In today's class we talked about the continuing salience of religion in world politics.  One example of this is the continued divide within Islam between Sunni and Shia muslims.  Even in the tiny country of Bahrain, the religious division splits the country.  From a story at Foreign Affairs.

The question of reforms continues to divide its ruling family, anti-government protesters and security forces clash on a regular basis, and a prolonged deadlock between the ruling al-Khalifa regime and the opposition is further amplifying persistent sectarian tensions. And now the government’s main support base -- its small but pivotal population of Sunni tribal groups -- appears to be slowly leaving the country, locking Bahrain in a bitter dispute with its historical rival Qatar.

Bahrain’s authorities have good reason for concern. Although the country is dominated by the al-Khalifa family and its Sunni tribal allies, the citizenry is about 60 percent Shiite. More than two centuries of political and economic discrimination have fueled Shiite opposition to the Sunni-led regime, punctuated by intermittent rebellion.

Suggested by Phillip S.