Can Iraqis visually differentiate between Sunni and Shiite?

[expatriot]

Is the difference between Sunni and Shia purely religious? I know racially they are both Arab (in Iraq - there are Shia and Sunnis of other races elsewhere) but are their ethnic differences that may lend to stereotype physical differences or some other differentiation?

At roadblocks how do gunmen differentiate between Sunni or Shia unless they tell the gunmen. Are there different dialects, accents?

[Bluebear]

1. I have wondered exactly the same.

Excellent question.

[MADem]

2. Nope--the method of prayer is slightly different

One does hands at side, the other does hands clasped in the standing position, but the Quran says you can pray like the majority if you think you'll be endangered doing it in your cultural fashion.

Regional accents can cause someone to assume, of course, and depending on what town you are from, assumptions can be made in that way as well...

[JCMach1]

3. Diff. in traditional dress, yes. People will typcially target mosques

because that is the easiest way to tell. There are subtle differences between Sunni and Shia prayers.

[WatchWhatISay]

4. Maybe that is why they are bombing each others mosques

Thats an easy to identify hate target. I doubt they really look that much different unless one group or the other always wears some sort of item that identifies them.

There was some bushbot woman on Chris Matthews today that was trying to tell him that things weren't really that bad, after all people weren't being dragged out of their houses and killed on the streets. Maybe this is why. But even Matthews seemed sort of stunned by her talking points, mumbling something about 168 mosqes being torched, and thats not that serious?

[Benbow]

8. The bushbot woman is deluded - read Riverbend - people are being

dragged out of their homes, taken away, and appear hours or days later full of bullets. It isn't just Riverbend, it's all the major newsmedia channels - bushbot woman must be living in a cave.

[Selatius]

5. If you watch an Iraqi long enough, he or she gives him or herself away

They go to a Shi'ite or a Sunni mosque for prayers. That's how you can tell.

[XemaSab]

6. Here's the deal:

It's like the difference between the Catholics and the Protestants.

The Shiites trace their lineage directly from Muhammed, and claim that only descendants of Muhammed can lay claim to divine inspiration.

The Sunnis claim that anyone can be an Imam, not just a descendant of Muhammed.

:shrug:

[ingac70]

7. Those scarf thingies they wear on their heads.....

signifies a tribe or family. Sort a like gang colors, I reckon.