About Sunni, Syiah, and Wahhabism

> MUSLIMS are divided into two denominations: the Sunni and the Syiah. Both believe in the oneness of God and the five pillars of Islam but don’t see eye to eye on a host of issues including the Caliphs who took over after the death of the Holy Prophet, and religious practises. Each side believes theirs is the pure Islam.

> Sunnis are the majority, making up roughly 85% of the Muslim population in the world. Malaysia follows the Sunni tradition.

> Wahhabism/Salafism, which is prevalent in Saudi Arabia, gets its name from its founder Muham-mad Abd al-Wahhab, an 18th century preacher and scholar. He formed an alliance with the House of Saud in which they would rule while he was in charge of religion, a position he used to spread his ultra conservative approach to Islam.