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Articles on Shia

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According to Islamic studies professor Abbas Barzegar, there are many ways Muslims practice their faith, with some young American Muslims even developing new interpretations of Islamic law. Joana Toro/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images

America’s Muslims come from many traditions and cultures

Day 3 of our Understanding Islam series. Many Muslims belong to one of two sects of Islam, which agree on most of the fundamentals of Islam but vary in others.
A mass grave is excavated in Khan Al-Rubea in 2003 that witnesses say is filled with the remains of Shia whom Saddam executed in 1991. AP/Hasan Sarbakhshian

Broken trust: How Iraqis lost their faith in Washington, long before the Kurds did

Distrust of the US – even if misplaced – can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals. A former US diplomat in Iraq reflects on that country’s skepticism of US aid efforts.
Severe malnutrition, like this Yemeni boy experienced, is one of the results of the Yemen conflict. AP/Hani Mohammed

Senate vote could end US complicity in the Saudi-led genocide in Yemen

The US has supported a Saudi-led military coalition that has inflicted profound and deadly damage on Yemen. A Senate vote could end what a human rights scholar says is US complicity in genocide.
Muslims can pray anywhere in the world using the prayer carpet. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

What are Muslim prayer rugs?

Trump recently tweeted about prayer rugs being left along the border. Many may not know the role and history of Muslim prayer rugs and why they are not likely to be left behind.
Supporters of Shiite Houthi rebels attend a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, in 2017. AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File

Who are Yemen’s Houthis?

The Houthis belong to the Shiite branch of Islam. The Houthi insurgency began in the early 1990s, spurred in part by growing influence of different Sunni branches of Islam.
Saleh Hassan al-Faqeh holds the hand of his 4-month-old daughter, Hajar, who died at the malnutrition ward of al-Sabeen Hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, Nov. 15, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

US complicity in the Saudi-led genocide in Yemen spans Obama, Trump administrations

The Obama and Trump administrations have supported a military coalition that has inflicted profound and deadly damage on Yemen. A human rights scholar says the US is complicit in genocide.
Ilhan Omar, a Somali American, who was elected from Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, will be the first woman in U.S. Congress to wear a hijab. AP Photo/Jim Mone, File

Three things we can learn from contemporary Muslim women’s fashion

The de Young Museum of San Francisco recently opened an exhibit devoted to the Islamic fashion scene. Here’s how Muslim women’s fashions challenge popular stereotypes.
Islam is a rich and varied religion. EPA/Sanjeev Gupta

Why is Islam so different in different countries?

Since Islam is predicated on law, variations in the interpretation of that law – along with geography and distinct legal schools – have all contributed to differences in the religion.
A flag-waving Islamic State fighter takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria’s northern Raqqa province. Reuters/Stringer

Understanding Islamic State: where does it come from and what does it want?

How far back in history does one have to go to find the roots of the so-called Islamic State? The first article in our series on the genesis of the terrorist outfit considers some fundamentals.

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