Abstract

This essay begins with an exploration of the present relationship between faith and politics for Sunnis and Shiites. It then briefly examines excommunication in an Islamic context. In doing so it offers several examples of how this concept serves the governments’—both Sunni and Shiite political interests. Ironically, as will be demonstrated in the essay, Sunni and Shiite Muslims were originally not known for such use of excommunication. In fact, a Muslim sect known as the Kharijites was most strongly associated with the practice of excommunication. In a fascinating and unprecedented 1300 year reversal of roles, today’s Kharijites, centered in present-day Oman, seek to ameliorate the relationships between Sunnis and Shiites and, similarly, Iran and the West. Thus, what follows is a story of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Oman that details how religious concepts, such as excommunication, can be used under the guise of religion to achieve political ends in regional conflicts. This article ends with a suggestion of some of the ways the West can frame the issue and constructively deal with this problem.